Boy Scout Pocket Knife: Still USA Made?

[Quiet]

I would like to see Medford move his American Service Knife into this realm. However, problems people have with him or the price of such an option are obvious obstacles.

Chances that he would make knives for this new organization would be somewhere between slim and none, based on his personal views.

 

[Quiet]

If I was a Scout, I’d get the Buck Spitfire, one hand opening, locking blade of 420HC with pocket clip for $50, Buck quality made in US. When I was a Scout, I had an official BSA Bird & Trout made by Western. There is no fixed blade BSA knife listed

Several years ago when I was still a leader in our local Cub Pack, I would give every boy who earned the rank that year, a fullsize Buck Bantam at the end of the year. This knife usually replaced some pretty poor quality cheapos that their parents had bought them earlier in the year.

 

[rrrgcy]

If I was a Scout, I’d get the Buck Spitfire, one hand opening, locking blade of 420HC with pocket clip for $50, Buck quality made in US. When I was a Scout, I had an official BSA Bird & Trout made by Western. There is no fixed blade BSA knife listed

There was likely a change in (un)official policies for scouting knives, perhaps around the 1960's-1970s.
Fixed blades for Boy Scouts were very much discouraged and banned by many a troop. Unsure if it's official policy, back in the 70's we weren't permitted to have fixed blades. When my dad became Scout Master around 1976, he also denied fixed blades. My boys recently - same thing - fixed blades explicitly disallowed. And I've not seen any BSA carrying fixed blades at any large regional etc. camping event.

As was explained to me then, fixed blades are a perceived safety hazard because of the rough-n-tumble of boys being boys that anything pointed and slicey on your hip can go through the sheath when you're wrestling and stabby-stabby your buddy. I don't doubt the possibility given the frequency of wild horseplay that happened. Even for authorized games, the hazard existed. (We used to do a game, forgot the name, where we lined up and hugged each other bent over at the waist and the front guy hugged a tree - the back guy would take a running start and dive up over the top to get as close to the tree trunk as possible. Then the next guy would do it etc. Stack and rack 'em!)

 

[RickHuf]

If I was a Scout, I’d get the Buck Spitfire, one hand opening, locking blade of 420HC with pocket clip for $50, Buck quality made in US. When I was a Scout, I had an official BSA Bird & Trout made by Western. There is no fixed blade BSA knife listed

In the mid to late 90s as a scout we were absolutely forbidden to have fixed blades. I don't know if that was a passing thing, but we were only allowed to carry folding knives with blades shorter than the palm of our hand.

The buck spitfire or mini spitfire or bantam would be better than most knives we all had. They do offer the small spitfire cub scout knife I think.

Eventually I had the BSA knife but other than that it was all junk.

Fake scrimshaw Sabre lockbacks with hollow bolsters. They must have been cheap cause a few of us had them. Knock off dollar store SAKs. Pakistan lockbacks of different sizes and shapes. Flea market mall ninja stuff.

Ah memories. Lol

 

[Drop bear]

Ok. Then. We have American knife makers here.

What does it take to make a boy scout knife?

 

[Maximumbob54]

I know it's not US made but when I was either a wolf or bear scout I was given my first SAK and I still have it and you couldn't pry it from my cold dead fingers. I will treasure that knife forever.

 

[Lodd]

Back when I was a volunteer at the scout (ages 11 to 15, in Europe) I would recommend parents not to get anything too expensive as many young scouts lost their knives on a regular basis. Think Opinel and SAKs. Buck knives would be on the upper end of the price range. American made knives can quickly get expensive, so I can see why parents would opt for something made in China.

 

[Quiet]

Ok. Then. We have American knife makers here.

What does it take to make a boy scout knife?

A Boy Scout knife is going to be a slipjoint with an assortment of tools*, and given that it would be a one-off by a maker, it would be extremely expensive (if quality made). And at the end of the day, it will be a SAK Tinker with better scales and hand fitment. You could have just bought the Tinker, or gone on eBay to play roulette on one of the old knives from the 40s, 50s, 60s, etc. Spin the wheel and hope ya got a good one.

* Historically

 

[brownshoe]

There was likely a change in (un)official policies for scouting knives, perhaps around the 1960's-1970s.
Fixed blades for Boy Scouts were very much discouraged and banned by many a troop. Unsure if it's official policy, back in the 70's we weren't permitted to have fixed blades. When my dad became Scout Master around 1976, he also denied fixed blades. My boys recently - same thing - fixed blades explicitly disallowed. And I've not seen any BSA carrying fixed blades at any large regional etc. camping event.

As was explained to me then, fixed blades are a perceived safety hazard because of the rough-n-tumble of boys being boys that anything pointed and slicey on your hip can go through the sheath when you're wrestling and stabby-stabby your buddy. I don't doubt the possibility given the frequency of wild horseplay that happened. Even for authorized games, the hazard existed. (We used to do a game, forgot the name, where we lined up and hugged each other bent over at the waist and the front guy hugged a tree - the back guy would take a running start and dive up over the top to get as close to the tree trunk as possible. Then the next guy would do it etc. Stack and rack 'em!)

Nobody got hurt with their fixed blade knives when they were allowed. They were small Bird & Trout knives with good sheaths, the snap on the retention strap still holds great today on my sheath. The only danger on a campout was throwing them, but that was disallowed and if caught you lost the knife for the weekend plus throwing dulled your knife when you missed and could ruin the tip.


I had a large bowie knife that I carried when I was patrol leader for grins. I was asked not to bring it to the local camporee, but that was due more to my troop’s tough and competitive reputation rather than safety. The camporee management had a grudge due to us being consistent winners.

A lot of adults dream up hazards for their kids to be protected from. It’s big business

 

[Alfred E. Newbman]

A Boy Scout knife is going to be a slipjoint with an assortment of tools*, and given that it would be a one-off by a maker, it would be extremely expensive (if quality made). And at the end of the day, it will be a SAK Tinker with better scales and hand fitment. You could have just bought the Tinker, or gone on eBay to play roulette on one of the old knives from the 40s, 50s, 60s, etc. Spin the wheel and hope ya got a good one.

* Historically

Absolutely correct. Many used scouting-marked specimens are on Fleabay as we speak.

 

[rrrgcy]

When I impulsively stopped by with my son at a BSA adult refresher one-day camp (a train-the-trainer), I asked one of the senior older leaders to use my son, already a scout, as a "Scout" sample. My son worked hard under their tutelage to knock out getting his Totem Chip card. I was VERY stressed watching him being led and handling an axe for the very first time - 20 adults watching him one-on-one with the trainer doing his thing inside the box chopping a log. I figured my kid would be way too nervous. But he was focused. (He did receive his card.) As an aside, the trainer of all the scouting adult leaders was teaching them to sharpen their folding pocket knife blades at a 5 degree angle and to only sharpen the axe head with a file and to do that filework in a back and forth motion. I didn't offer any suggestions. But my son and I had a conversation on the way home about that.

If you were caught doing anything unsafe you got a corner torn off your card; four corners/chances to screw-up and no more knives (carrying using) for you. Everyone in my troop back in the 70's etc had the standard BSA knife four-piece folder w jigged handles or a same type non-BSA make like an Ulster.

A bit wandering now: I wonder who made the axes for the BSA back in the 60-70-80-90's? Bridgeport, Vaughan, Plumb, models Excelsall?

I checked the official Scout website today and see it's a "Thunderbird X Xoom" branded dark colored axe. Can't believe the "X"-thing is still a current "cool" branding w the kids.
Says it's certified for axe-throwing... nice. and wow. Didn't know they did that, must be a regulated activity like when we shot .22LR's in scouts!

Looks like a regular hand axe to me - says made in USA and ITALY - however it only states Appalachian Hickory wood so that must be the USA part. So, the head is likely Italian (maybe Prandi?).

 

[FatBear]

Nobody got hurt with their fixed blade knives when they were allowed. They were small Bird & Trout knives with good sheaths, the snap on the retention strap still holds great today on my sheath. The only danger on a campout was throwing them, but that was disallowed and if caught you lost the knife for the weekend plus throwing dulled your knife when you missed and could ruin the tip.

A lot of adults dream up hazards for their kids to be protected from. It’s big business

Right. We did not throw the knives. We threw the hatchets. And are you saying they don't shoot .22s anymore? Weird. That was the first thing I found where I was better than anyone else. Couldn't do sports, was lousy on the saxophone, and girls? ... sigh. But I could focus and shoot very well.
You from the '60s or maybe early '70s? My wife likes to say that we were lucky to grow up in a real golden age for kids. Still free to explore the world and grow up sane. Yes, mistakes were made, but medical care was sufficiently advanced that the majority of us survived them just fine.

When I impulsively stopped by with my son at a BSA adult refresher one-day camp (a train-the-trainer), I asked one of the senior older leaders to use my son, already a scout, as a "Scout" sample. My son worked hard under their tutelage to knock out getting his Totem Chip card. I was VERY stressed watching him being led and handling an axe for the very first time - 20 adults watching him one-on-one with the trainer doing his thing inside the box chopping a log. I figured my kid would be way too nervous.

Seems like a lot of hand-wringy red tape. Trainers and boxes and such. You're lucky it didn't make him frightened of using the tool. With an ax, daredevil is bad, but so is timid. Same is true of most tools. You cannot control something that you are afraid of. Simple logic.

A bit wandering now: I wonder who made the axes for the BSA back in the 60-70-80-90's? Bridgeport, Vaughan, Plumb, models Excelsall?

Estwing made the hatchets and sheath knives. At least in the '60s that I know of for sure. Not sure who made full sized axes or even if there was an official Boy Scout ax.

I still have my Boy Scout knife. I upgraded to the new stainless one in 1969 or '70. (That's what those dangerous, child-abusing paper routes were for.) I keep it in the glove box of my truck - right on top where I can reach it when I get one of those durned coffee lids with such a tiny air hole that you can't suck out the coffee. Just push and twist. So it has been demoted from a serious knife to an awl for poking coffee lids. What a shame. I just went out and took a photo of it, but then I realized that it needs an URL and there's no URL to a photo on my phone. So you'll just have to imagine it. It was made by Ulster. It has "Official Knife / Boy Scouts of America / Stainless Steel" etched onto the blade (on three lines.) And the logo out in the middle between "Scouts" and "of". Stainless knives were a real space age thing back then, so you were proud to own one. It also has a can opener, bottle opener / flat screwdriver, and leather awl / coffee lid poker.

 

[Valkyr]

I have a Vic Standard or Spartan without the tweezers and toothpick from when I was in Scouting. Was an EDC for many years after that as well. It has seen better days and has been retired now.

I don't recall anyone typically having a single blade folder until they were older (this was 80's to mid 90's).

I worked the shooting sports portion of the local summer camp for several years in the Archery area. If they have stopped shooting .22s I feel for the current generation. That was a place where discipline and respect for rules was strictly enforced (for good reason).

I still carry Spartan now some days. I guess it made an impact on me.

 

[FatBear]

I don't recall anyone typically having a single blade folder until they were older (this was 80's to mid 90's).

My grandfather carried a large single bladed knife since as early as I could remember. Called it his toad sticker. It was the only one I ever saw until I was working on tugs in the Aleutians in the '70s. We all carried them up there. Might save your life, though mine never had to. Thankfully!