children and knives

[IAFF318]

I have 6 yr old twin boys, and they are always wanting to see my knives. So I bought a couple of SAK knock offs at a flea market, cheap. Ground down the edges and points. Did this just to see how they handled them. Next thing I know they are sword fighting with them. Not sure if it was my "instruction" or the twin boy effect, but lets just say it will be a while before they get a real knife.

 

[otis williams]

i got my first hatchet at 3 1/2... first folder at 5. but i was a wierd kid.

 

[Gadgetaholic]

Of course he's had a small cut from his knife but that's a good thing.

I think that it is important to closely supervise a child when they are learning to use a knife, but they will end up cutting themselves at some point and they will learn from that.

I remember cutting myself like it was yesterday - mainly because it was yesterday. I have learned from it that I have to be extra careful when sharpening an Opinel, man those things get sharp! (the cut went a little deep into my little finger, but not wide enough to need stitches or anything)

 

[Joezilla]

START THEM YOUNG.

That will be my motto once I spawn.

I've already started my first nephew. Here he is at about 2 months

[youtube]O4LKoOqFy8E[/youtube]

 

[230grains]

I remember being six years old and my dad handing me a swiss army knife while I was sitting on my parents bed. I don't know why I did it, I really don't but I just had to test sharpness. I opened the knife and dragged it across the bed, cutting the comforter and sheet. Needless to say, I didn't get that knife back for probably a year.

 

[longbow50]

If they show an interest in your knife when they see you using it, you can start them at almost any age. When they are too young to use a knife, meaning that they are not physically and mentally mature enough to handle one safely, they can be instructed by watching you and you explaining what you are doing,, how and why. Attention spans, what they are in young kids, usually means they will be off and playing, but when they come back, start it over again. I began with knife safe handling and I have started the same with my grandkids. Trying to put an age to it is impossible, because like you said, all kids do not mature the same. You will find that girls are going to be more apt to learn knife usage at a younger age, but for any child, you will know when they are ready for handling a sharp object with proper guidance from their teacher.

 

[dougo83]

I got to use my dad's knives when I was in the 6yr range and got my own when I was 9 or so. I bought my youngest brother a SAK when he hit 8, after teaching him how to handle, clean, maintain, and sharpen it. I figure it is a purely case-by-case thing because I wouldn't trust my 22 yr old cousin with a knife.

 

[Robert.B]

my parents hated knives so needless to say i didn't get one until i was about 12...and my parents didn't know about that either, I traded for it at school for spent .308 cartridges i found on the hunting trail near our house. It was just a small Chinese clip point, eventually my parents realized i wasn't going to go on a murderous rampage by owning a knife and let me buy more with my pocket money.

I grew up in a fairly liberal environment, as it is my dad doesn't agree with my stance on home defense and certainly don't agree with me getting a CCW when i can. My kids will get their first knife probably around 8 years old when i buy them their first hunting rifle, an alox model SAK likely since they are good sturdy knives.

 

[BWSkipper]

My Papa gave me my first knife not long after I started kindergarden, so I must've been 4 or 5 years old at the time. I still remember him telling me a boy needed a knife to sharpen his pencil when he was at school. Times sure have changed since then.

Kids are gonna cut themselves with knives, heck I still do and I've been using them regular-like for almost 40 years now. I reckon you just train'em as best you can, hope most of it sticks and they don't get hurt to bad.

 

[nodh]

My brothers kid got a Fallkniven U2 when he was about five month old. I dont think he will use it until he gets older but that is up my brother

A SAK is a great gift for a first knife. It is better to start with a knife that doesnt have a blade lock, then you learn how NOT to use it, hopefully with just a couple of near misses.
Also if someone borrows it they can fold it again. "Average Joe knife ignorant" does not understand the principle of blade locking.

Since you use knives to cut food there shouldnt be that a big step to learn how to cut other things. One thing is to instinctively (!) put the knife back in its sheath or fold it before you move around. If you teach your kids to use a knife in relaxed setting, like on a dayhike by the bonfire, they will see it as the tool it is.

By the way, why is there really so much fuzz about learning to use a knife. You do not have "that special talk" when you teach a kid to use a hammer

 

[SouthernCross]

G'day TF

Southern Cross - what knife is that in your sons hand - it looks nice.

TF

He's using a different folder in each pic. Cleaning the fish with a Fallkniven TK4 and whittling with the Fallkniven U2 . At this point in time, he prefers the U2.



Kind regards
Mick

 

[Todd A]

It really depends on the child. My son started at 6 with just a SAK. He has proven himself safe and responsible with knives and firearms.

He also has my knife disease. He is ten now, and I just took this photo of his knives that are in his room.

He has a few more at his Mom's (my ex) house.

Most are hand-me-downs from me, some he bought.

 

[Robert.B]

he has more folders then i do! lol

 

[Skimo]

Teach 'em young.

Cuts happen, I've still got scars from some of my first cuts.

Got my first knife when I was 10, but was using kitchen knives all the time.

I say teach 'em in a kitchen, perfect place to learn, right next to bandaids and running water.

 

[u812]

I have noticed something about age of kids.
I started my son with a knife at 7 and he learned fast.He did very well until this year (13).He is much more forgetful and not as careful.I have come to believe that it is the few years of puberty that is to blame as my daughter went through the same thing between about grade 7 to 10.She seems to be coming out of it this year.

 

[Chinpo]

Does he help in the kitchen? Maybe a good start would be on food prep for dinner. Both you and your wife can guide and supervise him. From this you can judge his maturity, ability to concentrate etc. If he does well, your wife will hopefully acknowledge his competence and allow him to step up to the 'big leagues' (Carving, fire prep etc).

 

[notos&w]

Started my son at 6 with the Victorinox Model "My First Victorinox Plus" on page 1.

 

[Loosearrow]

It really depends on the child. My son started at 6 with just a SAK. He has proven himself safe and responsible with knives and firearms.

He also has my knife disease. He is ten now, and I just took this photo of his knives that are in his room.

He has a few more at his Mom's (my ex) house.

Most are hand-me-downs from me, some he bought.

Nice collection. I was thinking about a wave multitool needing a sheath and wanted a ferro rod attachment to it. I think you gave me a good idea with the folder and the ferro rod pictured.

 

[shangchi108]

I've seen articles about Inuit children who use knives at the age of 3. I was using a sharp hatchet to open coconuts when I was 5. I know that children in Central America, and other "third world" countries, learn to use machetes and other edged tools at an age that would shock most American parents.

I think it depends a lot on the culture. If you're born into a culture that uses knives or machetes on a daily basis for work and survival, you will have a different mindset about knives than someone who lives in a culture that views most knives as weapons.

I think if there's any fear in giving a child the responsibility of using a tool that can potentially do them great harm, then they are too young.

 

[TwinBlade]

I bought our son a Deluxe Tinker SAK for his 8th birthday. He was easily ready and responsible enough for it. He got bit a couple times, but now respects that edge. He now owns 4 or 5 other knives that I used to own and have passed on to him at the age of nine.

My Bark Rivers are off limits for a while however...