Did I Screw Up?

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Murphy Slaw

Joined
Sep 22, 2023
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Grandson is graduating boot camp in a few weeks. I can't make it, so I sent his dad, my son, a Leatherman Free T-2 to give him. Handy, small, pocketknife/multi-tool that isn't intimidating, evil or imported.

I got to thinking about his future, constantly flying, security issues, oversea stuff and realized this might have been a bad gift.

Who would have thought we'd gotten to a point where giving your grandson a pocketknife could be a problem.

Should I tell my son to just keep it and do something else?
 
I wouldn’t worry too much about it but if I remember correctly, AIT (Advanced Individual Training) is the next step before he gets assigned an active duty station.

My AIT training still had restrictions that were similar to Basic Training but that was a long time ago. I would wait until he completes AIT.
 
In my experience, the Marines tend to be a bit more liberal about the carrying of knives than the army. When I was doing my joint tour with the army, the soldiers frequently asked me how I got away with carrying my kabar on my web belt. I would just tell them that it was a standard part of my 782 gear. To my knowledge, we all (Marines) carried one type of knife- fixed or folder. In garrison it was a folder but in the field or deployed it was typically a kabar or similar fixed blade. I was an artilleryman so the rear echelon people may have a different perspective. I think that your choice of gift is well thought out and shouldn’t cause an issue after boot camp. I used my leatherman and gerber multitool much more than my kabar in the field.
 
I served from 2013 to 2017. They let you carry any knife you can come up with. The most practical knives for a soldier are small pocket knives that don't weigh much, but are razor sharp. Every soldier carries a multi-tool. So, buying your kid an upgrade is a great idea. Don't worry about security issues. Soldiers are allowed to carry all weapons.
 
It's a great gift and will be appreciated when he gets to his duty station. I can't answer as to whether he can carry it after boot camp. I was in the Navy from 1983-1987.
 
I wouldn't worry about flying. Military on orders get a huge amount of free checked baggage.

As for a foreign deployment and roaming around off base, I found something with under a 60mm blade (~2.3") to work everywhere I was sent. Looks like the knife you gave him fits that. Most of the time it's better just not to have anything though. A place like Korea, no one carries a knife unless they have a legitimate use for it.
 
I give pocket knives as gifts all the time (friends, family, coworkers). I always tell people to put it in their 'checked' luggage if they fly. To my knowledge, none of them have had issues. Pocket knives are great gifts.

Don't worry. He'll love the gift and remember who gave it to him!
 
Don't worry, he'll get plenty of use out of it. I still have my issued Gerber multitool. It's been mostly retired for sentimental reasons, but it still does a bit of work here and there.
 
My father was in the Army in the 1950's and he told my brother and I that all the knives were taken away in his unit because some idiots could not keep from throwing them at the ceiling. What's old is new again, I guess.
 
SharpBits said:
My father was in the Army in the 1950's and he told my brother and I that all the knives were taken away in his unit because some idiots could not keep from throwing them at the ceiling. What's old is new again, I guess.
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I have had numerous briefings about how cutting notches out of the steering wheels of government vehicles is wrong 😂
 
Murphy Slaw said:
Update;

Turns out my son had to keep it, and will have to mail it to him when he gets to his duty station.

It's a strange new world.
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That is apparently not new. I served from 1979-1982 and as I mentioned above, most of the restrictions in basic training were not lifted until after the training that followed basic training was complete.

Apparently, it’s been that way ever since.
 
I got out of the Army about 7 years ago, tanker, on post I carried whatever I wanted, always a multitool and usually a fixed blade on my belt plus a folder in pocket, many knife guys in the military.
He won’t be flying around all that often, and when he does fly commercial, he can stow it in his duffel with other checked baggage. If it’s a military flight then he can carry whatever he wants right onto the plane or helo.

Once out of basic training, no one bats an eye at knives. I wish him well in his adventures.
 
I feel compelled to add to this, please don't anyone give to anyone in uniform anything with a glass breaker on it. After reading this page there should be no explanation required.
 
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