Eagle Scout Achievement Reward Knife

[pinnah]

The first thing to do is to work with his folks to get the info and contact Buck. They do a commemorative Duke 500 for Eagle Scouts.

Dwagfan,

I'm doing an odd thing in following up to my own post. Some more detail...


Regarding the commemorative Duke 500 from Buck, it's an officially licensed knife by the BSA specifically for this event. They engrave the knife with the scout's name and troop number. Definitely keepsake material.

Info here:
http://www.buckknives.com/index.cfm?event=view.newsMedia&contentID=282

After that, you might think, should the knife be from you with your tastes, be rooted in the history of scouting, or based on his tastes?

Expanding on my own comment...

I think there are 3 ways to gift a knife. The first is as a keepsake that is tied to an event in some way, like the Duke Eagle Scout commemorative.

The second is to gift a knife that means something to you or that represents you. For instance, if you always carry a stockman (or whatever), give him "your knife". Even if he doesn't carry it, it will be a connect between the 2 of you.

The third is to give him a knife that means something to him or that fills his personal goals or hopes. For that, you (and we) need to know more about him, his tastes or the kinds of things he would use a knife for in his post-scouting days. If scouting got him into backcountry travel, that's one thing. Into hunting, that's another.

Lacking any of this information, 99% of what you're getting in this thread is just people piling on with knives that *they* like. So, I guess that's a fourth possibility. You could give your nephew that makes some guy you don't know from Adam on the internet happy.

I would think a fixed blade suitable for camping/survival off hand; however, I'm asking in case you all come up with a suggestion I have not thought of. Thanks!

Internet knife forums are funny places when it comes to talking about camping, hiking and backpacking. The forums are full of knife knuts, so it's not surprising to get a lot of pro fixed blade advice.

Cliff Jacobsen's article that you posted a link to is in line with advice from Colin Fletcher ("The Complete Walker", generally considered *THE* book on backpacking) and Harvey Manning ("The Freedom of the Hills", generally considered *THE* book on mountaineering) who both advocated for a simple SAK/Scout style pocket knife. Lots of people thru-hike the long trails with nothing more than a Vic Classic, which I think drives the pro fixed blade crowd batty, but there you have it.

But this is just a debate about knives among people who go in the backcountry using different approaches. It has *nothing* to do with getting a knife for your nephew unless you want to get him a backcountry knife (as opposed to an EDC or gift knife).

Hope something here helps.

 

[cards94]

Whatever the Eagle scout wants.

He'll get whatever is given to him and like it.

 

[silenthunterstudios]

Microtech Makora ...

I think that something along the lines of the Queen Schatt and Morgan scout knife or Case scout knife jr would be appropriate, or maybe a Victorinox SAK, embossed by the dealer or straight from Victorinox, with alox scales.

 

[Thomas Linton]

Cliff Jacobsen's article that you posted a link to is in line with advice from Colin Fletcher ("The Complete Walker", generally considered *THE* book on backpacking) and Harvey Manning ("The Freedom of the Hills", generally considered *THE* book on mountaineering) who both advocated for a simple SAK/Scout style pocket knife. Lots of people thru-hike the long trails with nothing more than a Vic Classic, which I think drives the pro fixed blade crowd batty, but there you have it.

But this is just a debate about knives among people who go in the backcountry using different approaches. It has *nothing* to do with getting a knife for your nephew unless you want to get him a backcountry knife (as opposed to an EDC or gift knife).

Hope something here helps.

My point is that Jacobson's article is not in line with his advice for many years on the topic. Nor is it in line with B.S.A. policy. I know there is contention within BSA corporate over this (and other) issues. I suspect whoever Jacobson worked with at BSA corporate got him to "trim his sails."

Colin's book was the first great book on backpacking that I was exposed to. I was especially drawn to it because he wrote about backpacking in some of the placed where I backpacked years ago. But I didn't agree with him on knives then or his advocacy of backpacking naked.

The Buck "Eagle" looks great. (Interesting that B.S.A., which severed ties with Buck over profession of faith, is now doing business with Buck again.)

 

[G.Moll]

My vote would go for the ESEE 4 since your thinking fixed blade.

+1:thumbup:

 

[Distelfink]

Whatever the Eagle scout wants.

Why not meet the other person, in this case an Eagle Scout, where he is?

Most scouts tend to procrastinate and not get their Eagle until they are close to "aging out", so the limitation by many most BSA camps to folders may no longer be important.

Why not find out what the scout likes doing now, wants to do next in their life and what knife they would prefer?

 

[mrdabble]

I missed my eagle by two badges and projects...one of the most sincere regrets in my life.

While camping up at Owassippe for two weeks at a time, these were the summers where my previous knife binges belonged...showing off who's looked nicer yet who's could cut nicer, trading amongst each other so on so forth.

I bought a cheap SAK style knife from the trading post there with the Owassipe markings on it, and it has seen torture, loss and being found, the utmost of careless abuse as it survived the ups and downs of my knife hobby.

I wish to this day that I had kept that little junker as nice as the day I got it.

That being said I would most definitely recommend something sentimental. Doesn't matter what style. Have it relate to their achievement or just the BSA in general, whatever markings on said knife will be what really make it special.

That Owassipe knife is so very cheap and dull...but it's the only one that I have had for the better part of a decade...now that I talk about it I'm going to have to make it a priority to clean it and put it away. Hope this helps!

 

[Tripwire895]

This is what I got after my Court of Honor. It was a gift from my aunt and uncle, so it isn't the best knife out there, but I was thrilled when I opened the box. It's definitely a show piece, not something you'd actually use. I think it's really cool though.

If you want something he'll/they'll actually use, go Mora. I have one of their carbon steel models and I can definitely understand the hype. Plus, the sheath fits on the official scout belt. I just checked.

 

[dynamicmoves]

Becker BK16
Or 15
Or 17
Or 2
Or 9
...

 

[cards94]

This is what I got after my Court of Honor. It was a gift from my aunt and uncle, so it isn't the best knife out there, but I was thrilled when I opened the box. It's definitely a show piece, not something you'd actually use. I think it's really cool though.

If you want something he'll/they'll actually use, go Mora. I have one of their carbon steel models and I can definitely understand the hype. Plus, the sheath fits on the official scout belt. I just checked.

too much going on with that knife with all the engraving and hoopla. is he going to use it or hang it on a wall?

 

[cards94]

whatever you do, try not to let them talk you into putting a rainbow flag on there.

 

[dynamicmoves]

whatever you do, try not to let them talk you into putting a rainbow flag on there.

Or make sure to put a rainbow flag on it.

 

[cards94]

Or make sure to put a rainbow flag on it.

huh?