Boy Scout Pocketknife Selection

Yes I was in the boy scouts, my dad ran the troop. We only did long hiking. I would go with the standard Boy Scout Pocketknife, and some training on how to use it properly. And make sure he knows that if he uses that knife in the wrong way, he will lose it for good. And if he ever uses it on someone else for any reason, you will take him to jail for his time. Now if he shows he has responsibility to use it right by acquiring the proper skills and does not hurt anyone or himself or scare others with it, then let him choose the knife he wants. Let him know this or he may get in trouble with it. Also it is a good idea for him to read the Bible, the whole Bible, so that he knows more about what is out there and how to stay clean.

I still go by the 12 Boy Scout laws, they will take you through anything if you have a strong heart. Also get him reading about the history of the Boy Scouts and all the mountain men of past.

I feel the Boy Scouts are one of the best ways to raise a boy to be a man in this crazy world. Then if he needs to defend his family, he will know why and how, and without anger, and within the laws of the land and goverment.
 
I'm going to third (fourth?) the Vic Farmer. I have one in my pocket right now. Bright silver alox is harder to lose than brown, the action is smooth and easy to open, with plenty of resistance to closing, and it has a lanyand hole for further loss prevention.
This one also has a small panel for engraving initials on the scale, which would be a good way to thwart permanent 'borrowing' and is a nice personal touch.

If you need the toothpick/tweezers and can afford to lose the end-reamer/awl, there's the 'hiker' (same as the farmer, but replaces awl with small blade and has the plastic scales)

If you want something more traditional:
5 blade scout knife:
http://www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/store_detail.html?s=CMBSA046
(I do not know how good these are, but I am more than impressed with the farmer)

FYI, I've never had a SAK that was a 'nail-buster'. An old (20 yr+) one had some stiffness, but it just needed cleaning.
 
It just occured to me...

Even though my initial thought of a SAK being ideal because they're very rust resistant, if you're teaching your kid about proper knife care and handling, maybe you'd want to give him a knife that CAN rust. The Camillus BSA knives are made from high carbon steel instead of stainless. Which'll rust very easily if not taken properly taken care of. This'll mean the kid will have to learn to maintain the knife (oil it, keep it dry, etc) or he'll have to buy a new one. Trust me, if he has to buy a new one once, it'll only happen once.

They don't just teach you to shoot a gun in the Army, they teach you to maintain and clean it.

I've seen people who can make even a SAK rust, and they're not the kind of people I'd trust with any of my own knives.
 
A Victorinox Farmer, all the way. I've had mine for ages and, toghether with my Vic Soldier, it's one of my favourites.

In addition to the SAK I would get him a locking folder, they are just safer for many chores. I think an Opinel would be an excellent choice, they are cheap and easy to replace, but of very good quality and come in a big selection of sizes.

The Farmer/Opinel combo works very well, IMHO.
 
Planterz said:
The Camillus BSA knives are made from high carbon steel instead of stainless. Which'll rust very easily if not taken properly taken care of. This'll mean the kid will have to learn to maintain the knife (oil it, keep it dry, etc) or he'll have to buy a new one. Trust me, if he has to buy a new one once, it'll only happen once.
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Some Camillus BSA knives are listed as "high carbon stainless steel" and the cheaper ones are listed as 420HC. In the 1980s they were carbon steel, I don't know when they switched.

That is a good idea, and also a reason to give them a good knife. Aside from the safety and real utility of a quality knife over a cheap knock-off, taking care of a $20.00 BSA knife or SAK would teach more responsibility than a disposable $5.00 junk knife.
 
If you want a super durable Swiss Army knife then the Victorinox Soldier is hard to beat.

But I think the Victorinox Fieldmaster has the best tool selection without being too bulky.

BUT, if you want a really COOL Swiss Army knife...
I just bought a Victorinox StayGlow Climber and it's very cool.

The handle scales glow in the dark!

I don't know what other models Victorinox makes that are like this but I think a StayGlow Rucksack would be awesome.

Good luck,
Allen.
 
rs422 said:
...

I still go by the 12 Boy Scout laws, ...
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OK, picky but only one "Scout Law" -- it has twelve points. I admire anyone who will own up to following the Law as an adult.

I am a long time Scoutmaster and highle recommend a locking blade. At Scout camps, fixed blade knives and folders with blades over 4" (some places 5") are prohibited. We teach the boys that a dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp one and try to get them to carry sharp knives. In practice, a good multi-tool is a great choice but I think the boys do best with a single blade locking folder for most daily functions.

Me, I carry a Busse Badger Attack (at least when not in an official Scout Camp and with me if not on me at Camps), a Sebenza and a Leatherman Wave in the backpack.

My first Eagle Scout son tends to carry a Spyderco Police model while the second son (12 year old Life Scout!) carries the BM 420 but wants my 4200.

Not on Scout Campouts :)
 
fracmeister said:
OK, picky but only one "Scout Law" -- it has twelve points. I admire anyone who will own up to following the Law as an adult.

I am a long time Scoutmaster and highle recommend a locking blade. At Scout camps, fixed blade knives and folders with blades over 4" (some places 5") are prohibited. We teach the boys that a dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp one and try to get them to carry sharp knives. In practice, a good multi-tool is a great choice but I think the boys do best with a single blade locking folder for most daily functions.

Me, I carry a Busse Badger Attack (at least when not in an official Scout Camp and with me if not on me at Camps), a Sebenza and a Leatherman Wave in the backpack.

My first Eagle Scout son tends to carry a Spyderco Police model while the second son (12 year old Life Scout!) carries the BM 420 but wants my 4200.

Not on Scout Campouts :)
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How can I argue with you? I was back then what I was, you are the leaders now, I only watch and write. It takes a real man with a very strong back to raise strong boys to be good strong men. If they use any of the 12 laws wrong, their bones will turn to dust, and they will be stuck in a basket till they get it right.

I know what I say because I saw what happen to everyone in my troop 1200.
 
I EDC a Victorinox Huntsman with the LED light. I love it. The wood saw is very handy, it comes with tweezers, toothpick, pen, can opener, bottle opener, screw drivers, straight pin, etc. It's hard to beat Victorinox's quality at that size and price.
 
WadeF said:
I EDC a Victorinox Huntsman with the LED light. I love it. The wood saw is very handy, it comes with tweezers, toothpick, pen, can opener, bottle opener, screw drivers, straight pin, etc. It's hard to beat Victorinox's quality at that size and price.
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WOW, I only dreamed of such tools when I was in the hills of California,
we did things different back then. The boys that could hike the farthest,
and still have the energy to play, carried less equipment then the rest,
and less food because they had stronger bones. The rest just sat and watch
while we ruled the woods in the proper way. And build trails lined with large
stones. Do not disturb the stones on the trail, one of them may have been place their by me.
 
rs422 said:
...Also it is a good idea for him to read the Bible, the whole Bible, so that he knows more about what is out there and how to stay clean....
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On a personal note, I don't expect all Scouts to be deeply religious; the requirement is only acknowledgement of a Supreme Being. But as our Troop is sponsored by a Church, I do try to take some time at night to read Scriptures. It is dark of course and as we sit around the campfire, a regular book would be hard to read. The boys pass around my Treo 650 teelphone with the Scriptures stored on it. They'll read a verse or two each and pass it on to the next guy. The glow from the backlit screen on their faces and the (temporary) quiet is something I remember long after I forget them jumping over the fire, competing to make the grossest burp and spilling dinner on the ground.

We spend a lot more time telling ghost stories, jokes and acting out skits than we do reading. Much more time hiking, swimming, cooking, climbing, making a tree swing, etc. But I enjoy those few moments of reflection and inspiration as much as any Church service I have attended.
 
fracmeister said:
On a personal note, I don't expect all Scouts to be deeply religious; the requirement is only acknowledgement of a Supreme Being. But as our Troop is sponsored by a Church, I do try to take some time at night to read Scriptures. It is dark of course and as we sit around the campfire, a regular book would be hard to read. The boys pass around my Treo 650 teelphone with the Scriptures stored on it. They'll read a verse or two each and pass it on to the next guy. The glow from the backlit screen on their faces and the (temporary) quiet is something I remember long after I forget them jumping over the fire, competing to make the grossest burp and spilling dinner on the ground.

We spend a lot more time telling ghost stories, jokes and acting out skits than we do reading. Much more time hiking, swimming, cooking, climbing, making a tree swing, etc. But I enjoy those few moments of reflection and inspiration as much as any Church service I have attended.
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WOW, you are doing it right. If you do it right they will see the real book of life in the woods. Good job my man. A little reading of what they can understand. Then some lessen in life so they can understand the rest.

Sounds like you have a very strong troop, I bet some of them are all ready right now to be real men.

Let them know they have friends in the Indian Nation, they just do not see them yet.

I lost my bible, but I will find it, it's an old one from this country.

There it is, I was wrong, this is not my Bible, it say right here:

PLACED IN THIS ROOM
BY THE
GIDEONS
THE PROPERTY OFTHE GIDEONS

I better let them have it back and get new one.

Anyway I like The Gospel According To St Matthew
Chapter 6 verse 5, 6, 7, my grand mother underlined the words in red
pencil so I would know.

Do not read Chapter 6, verse 6, first, read it in order the first time then go back and re-read 5,6,7. Else you will get the number 6?6 We do not want that to happen.

But do not worry 666 is already taken by some fool out there, and we do not care anymore.
 
Hmm...

Patrol Leader for 6 years, JASM for one, ASM for two. Eagle (Silver Palm), Vigil, Jamboree '97. The base BSA 4-blade is all I ever needed, and it still works fine, 12 years later. I've upgraded to the AGR Scout, but I would have no problem dropping that old Cam Scout in my pocket.
 
Sword and Shield said:
Hmm...

Patrol Leader for 6 years, JASM for one, ASM for two. Eagle (Silver Palm), Vigil, Jamboree '97. The base BSA 4-blade is all I ever needed, and it still works fine, 12 years later. I've upgraded to the AGR Scout, but I would have no problem dropping that old Cam Scout in my pocket.
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Man I wish I could have had something like that back then. If you know how to use a knife, you just don't need much. If you get good enough, then you can make your own knives. I would like to make some knives someday, the old way with old equipment.

You see my Grandfather, on my Dad side was a black smith in the deep south and he was half Irish mountain man and half Cherokee. My Dad showed me the ways of his family, so I only speak for myself, not others.

He used both hands equally well, just as I can today.
 
The Gideons give out free Bibles to individuals, so they probably won't mind you keeping it. When I was attending a Baptist university, one day after chapel the Gideons gave everyone a pocket New Testament + Psalms and Proverbs, even though this was a college where everyone already had a Bible since it was required to take at least 2 Bible classes and the Bible was the required text book for the classes.
 
Benjamin Liu said:
The Gideons give out free Bibles to individuals, so they probably won't mind you keeping it. When I was attending a Baptist university, one day after chapel the Gideons gave everyone a pocket New Testament + Psalms and Proverbs, even though this was a college where everyone already had a Bible since it was required to take at least 2 Bible classes and the Bible was the required text book for the classes.
Click to expand...


I like to joke a little bit, makes it more fun for all. But the experiences are real.
 
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