Boy Scout Pocketknife Selection

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kenk

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Oct 5, 2004
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OK, I have a boy that will soon be in Boy Scouts.

First and foremost on my mind is that the odds are reasonably good that an 11 year old boy will lose whatever I buy him, so it can't be too expensive.

Second, no serrated blades. I don't think plain blades are best for boys just learning to sharpen a knife.

Initially I was faced with the choice of getting a small single-blade locking folder (something like the low cost Ka-bar folders), or a standard Boy Scout Pocketknife (the kind with a knife, can opener, screwdriver, and an awl). While I appreciate the benefits of a locking blade, I'm leaning toward the more traditional pocketknife.

The Victorinox locking SAKs looked like the best of both worlds, but the blades are a tad too long (about 4" - I'm trying to stay under 3.25" or 3.5") and I'd rather avoid liner locks - which in my humble opinion are not safe for boys just learning to handle a knife (the finger has to be right next to the blade path in order to unlock it)

Looking at the BSA Pocketknives available, the choice comes down to:

The brown-handled pocketknife make by Camillus ($30)
The red-handled pocketknife make by Camillus
The Victorinox Tinker SAK
The Victorinox Huntsman SAK

I lean toward the brown-handled Camillus knife - mostly because I have a lot of respect for Camillus blades and, well, the style is more traditional. We looked at one in a local store, but the blade was very stiff to open and my boy had problems opening it.

Any advice?
 
does it have to be a BSA branded knife? There are tons of suitable knives out there that dont have BSA etched anywhere. IMO, I think a decent Lockback is the best choice, and if he needs a can opener, pick up a G.I. can opener, it works better than the ones on most knives, and is super cheap.
P38CanOpener.jpg
 
The Hunstman is a good choice. I'd be more inclined to a multitool, but it would probably be big and heavy.
 
Of that lot, it has to be the Huntsman. It's amazing how good the saw is, and if he's in a good scout troop, he'll be using that saw quite a bit for tent pegs, walking sticks, fire wood, you name it.
I have an economy Huntsman (it doesn't have the liner tools), and it's never let me down yet in almost 20 years of ownership.
 
I'd say get a Vic with the Alox handles, when i was his age I got my first knife which was a soldier (still have it) I've had the plastic ones before and they never held up. Maybe later down the road get the locking vic or the dozier.
 
I agree with your logic in narrowing the choices, especially the part about the knife likely becoming a 'donation' to the forest dwellers.

SMKW still has the red camp knives by Schrade. Pretty nice for $1.99; you could buy a couple extra for backups.

Here's a good article I just came accross.
http://www.scoutingaround.com/boy_scouts/totinchip/knife_policy.html

Maybe a small lightweight lockback by Buck, Camillus, or Gerber? The BSA used to sell a red BuckLite that would be an excellent all-around knife.

-Bob
 
some troops require that you have a locking blade. if not then i would go with the standerd swiss army, they one with the longer blade, the shorter blade, and the can and bottle opener.
 
I thought most boy scouts troops don't even let them use pocket knives anymore.
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Absolutely not true. Often a pocket knife is considered a required part of the uniform.

-Bob
 
kenk said:
OK, I have a boy that will soon be in Boy Scouts.

First and foremost on my mind is that the odds are reasonably good that an 11 year old boy will lose whatever I buy him, so it can't be too expensive.
Click to expand...

Loss is a real issue. During my time in Scouts (I started as a Cub Scout) I lost 1 Cub Scout knife, 3 Boy Scout Knives (brown handles, but the same knife as the current red handle) and a few generic knives. :o :D I'm not sure they were all really lost, I know at least one was "borrowed." :rolleyes:

The brown handled one would probably be the best for collector value, I'll probably even buy one myself, but for utility I'd go with the Huntsman. I use one as EDC. One of my nephews will be a Weblo in a few months and that's what I'm getting him for his birthday.
 
I've got a million knives (well... almost) and prefer to carry a Huntsman while camping. It's cheap, good quality, and has just the right gadgets for Boy Scout type activities.
 
I'd get the SAK. I'm in scouts right now as a scout, and not as a leader. I bought the camillus, and it's about 2 years old and full of rust.

I'd recommend the spartan lite, it's the best scout knife I've come across for a new scout, IMHO.
 
Is it actual rust or just a patina? All my BSA knives had a dark grey patina within weeks but never really rusted even though I carried them all the time. This was in the 1980s and they were carbon steel back then IIRC. I'm just curious about the newer versions.
 
I edc a Vic. fieldmaster which is the same as a boy scout huntsman . I love mine . However it is to thick for pocket carry in my opinion . I carry mine in a nylon belt sheath . Works great for me . For pocket carry I would "and do" go with the tinker . Great knives .
 
Benjamin Liu said:
Is it actual rust or just a patina? All my BSA knives had a dark grey patina within weeks but never really rusted even though I carried them all the time. This was in the 1980s and they were carbon steel back then IIRC. I'm just curious about the newer versions.
Click to expand...

It's rust, I'm pretty sure. If you can, describe this patina a lil more.
 
A patina is a very light layer of oxidation on metal, similar to blueing. It will usually be greyish though it could be darker. It will help protect against rust. Unlike rust it will not pit, eat away at the metal, or fuse parts together.
 
I suggest a Vic Farmer -- with a foot or two of orange paracord in the loop to help him from losing it. (I would advise against brown, camo, and black.
I have a nice collection of knives found while backpacking. All are black except for one nice camo Buck/SAK.)

The site linked is interesting. The folks who colmposed the article seem oblivious to the national policy that no Scout shall use a bladed tool until he has earned his Tot'N'Chip. At least, that is what the syllabus for adult outdoor training said last October. That is a knife policy.
 
Not all troops enforce it. IMO it is more that they are lazy on paperwork. I never had one until my last year in Scouting even though I knew all the safety rules and actually taught knife handling and sharpening for two troops I was in. I was an Instructor, Den Chief, APL, ASPL, and SPL and did much of the teaching for various subjects. I was in my last troop for over a year when the Socutmaster finally got Tote'n Chips in and gave them out.

On the other hand, other troops seemed to give out multiple chips. One guy I met at summer camp had several in case he got the corners ripped off of one. IMO that seems like someone planning on misusing a knife.

I've not really seen much misuse of any type of knives when I was in Scouts, a total of 8 years. In Cub Scouts the highest rank in our den was walking around holding his pocketknife open in front of him. At camp, when I taught a class on knife safety and sharpening I sharpened a couple knives to demonstrate the technique. Later one Scout told me I sharpened it "too much" since he cut himself when he ran his finger down the blade. :rolleyes:

That's not as bad as the time I showed the troop what poison ivy looks like. Later one Scout yelled "Hey Ben! Is this poison ivy!" The kid was so exited that he could identify poison ivy and was holding a leaf to show me he knew what it was. :D :eek:
 
If the knife isn't required to be an official "Boy Scout" knife, another vote for the Victorinox Farmer. The reamer/hole punch is exceptional and very useful, plus it has the bottle opener, can opener, and a saw. The alox handles are very durable and easy to spot when dropped. The knife is easy to sharpen and make very sharp. Getting a SAK to rust takes a special kind of negligence.

The Farmer has everything you'd need, and nothing you don't. Make sure the kid knows you can't treat a slipjoint like a fixed blade or locking folder (ie: don't stab stuff and the blade won't fold on your finger) and it's a great first knife to learn with. And not terribly expensive in case it's lost or destroyed.
 
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