First Knife for a 10 year old

I've been mulling this question over also as my 8 & 6 year old grandsons approach knife owning age. I'm going to go with an SAK for a couple of different reasons. The first being that they come with several nifty things for kids to use. A subset of reason one is that it reinforces the idea of a knife as a tool. And C, they are non-threatening to the less enlightened.

Jack
 
Give him a slipjoint. With no mechanical lock feature to protect him, he will be forced to learn how to use a knife safely.
 
Stevekt just hit the nail right smack on the head. If the kid is started out on a lockblade or a fixed blade he will NEVER start off learning the correct way to handle a knife.

Yes he may cut himself, and he will learn from the memory. I'm sure when the training wheels came off the first bike there was a fall or two and sooner or later a sraped knee or elbow happens. Do we leave the training wheels on ?

A sak is the best knife for the lad, a soldier or tinker, or recruit, it will not matter. He will love it, and he will learn some of the most important leasons of his young life; caution, and responsibility.

We can't make the world foolproof, best learn to deal with it young.
 
My first knife was what is now called an A.G. Russell "Funny Folder". I thought it was a pretty good knife for not too much money. But that's just my opinion. Tkae it Easy and good luck
Scott
 
My 14 year old niece and 9 year old nephew have both been using a fix blade for a year now whenever they are spending the day at my shop. They have learned to use it safely on paper, string, cardboard, plastics, etc. And even to whittle pieces of wood just for fun. They do not sheath the knife. But rather place the knife in an immediate area close at hand if they need to use both their hands for other purposes. Nor they they leave the knife unattended. They will either put it aside in a safe area or return it to me if they will not be using it any longer.

I have not yet given a knife to my nephew to keep. But have given an SAK to my niece. She does not travel with it unless it is to my shop, home or to relatives/ friends who knows that she is responsible enough. The model is the "Bladeless SAK"! That' s correct. A small SAK that has no blade. But rather a scissor, flat driver/ cap lifter/ wire stripper, tweezer and writing pen!
So an SAK to keep. And a fix blade to use under appropriate supervision.

N2
 
I bought my son his first knife last year, he was 9. My son is in the Cub Scouts and he recieved his Whittling Chip, and learned all about knife safety. I bought him a official Cub Scout Knife.
 
I won a Wenger Swiss army knife in a sales contest years back and it had a locking single blade as well as scissors, saw, tooth pick, file, awl, tweezers, phillips and flat head and of course the bottle and can opener. Dirk/OUPA has it right now giving it new handles.

I think it or one like it would make a fine first knife. Maybe even one of the old USA Military ones from Camillus too for that matter. These are inexpensive and very useful knives. Well built too for the money. I'd go with one of these types over a single blade for a boys first knife.
 
I would have to say go with a SAK. It was my dream knife when I was little. I used to boost my big brothers just to carry it around in my pocket, and put it back before he got home. I dont think there is any better "First Knife" than a good ole SAK.

A couple months ago Wal Mart had the Champion Plus on sale for $15.... so I bought one for my ten year old daughter...... Her First. I must say.... It brought a tear to my eye when I caught her using it to fix one of her little brothers toys yesterday.

jessicasak1.jpg


I only wish I would have bought one for myself, but I already have a Swisschamp and SwissChamp XLT.
 
saks are good stuff, and i would also recomend them.

i carried the leatherman wave for about 3 years, and just recently switched to the leatherman ti. if you think he would be up to it, the old wave is one that will give him years of good service.
 
This is the first I've checked this thread, and though I mostly agree with the replies you've been getting, I'd like to add a few thoughts.
Just make sure the sheath is secure enough to keep it from being lost, and strong enough that the blade can't puncture it during falls or be cut while drawing or resheathing. Think kydex. I recall falling and/or rolling around on the ground a lot more when I was younger.

I figure stainless steel would be better than regular hi carbon. I always used to hate the dark patina and rust that appeared on my blades.

Sharpening? I always seemed to have a lot more time to devote to this subject when I was little. By the 7th or 8 grade, my blades could easily cut free hanging hairs. (and also shave arm hair without touching the skin) There's simply no reason to assume a kid can't learn to sharpen properly; just give him some good instruction.

Many of my childhood knife memories were formed with a SAK type knife, but mine was a metal handled GI type folder made during WWII. I did carry it to school every day from the third grade until some lowlife SOB stole it in college. So, I can understand everyone's SAK recommendations. Man, I wish I still had that knife. When I got it, it was in mint condition, though it was already 40 or 50 years old- complete with blade etching.

That brings me to another point. Though there is a chance that he might lose or destroy it, there is still also a good chance he won't. Don't skimp on the quality. He will form a lot of memories involving this knife, and it will become a symbol of his growing maturity. I can't tell you how many times I've heard someone fondly reminisce about the cheap little .22 their dad gave them as a kid, but then when they get older they get themselves a "proper" rifle that was more accurate, more capacity, better quality, or whatever. They now realize that gun they idolized when younger is really nothing special. Wouldn't it be great if that first gun/knife was good enough to appreciate even as they got older?
 
Isn't it great that there are so many choices out there? Whenever I get invited to a rite of passage for a friend's child (bar, mitzva, bat mitzva, confirmation, whatever--) I ask the parent's permission to give them a SAK. If they approve, which is most of the time, it si often the kid's first knife. I ususally sit down with the kid beforehand and ask what (s)he likes to do--some kids want a cybertool, others an explorer.

Of course the kidls LOVE it!!!! The last time I did this was for one of our neighbors' kids, and I took the SAK over to him at the same time that someone else was dropping off their mushc more expensive, elaborate gift. It was amazing to watch. Although he did his best to be equally appreciative to both of us, his eyes SHONE when he got that knife.

Of course, he had to promise his parents that he wouldn't take it to school. Zero-tolerance, and all that. Maybe kids don't have it all that good today compared to the old days.
 
the possum said:
That brings me to another point. Though there is a chance that he might lose or destroy it, there is still also a good chance he won't. Don't skimp on the quality.
Click to expand...

Well, I promptly lost mine :)

But, I think Vic SAK's have been recommended most here, and it's clear that they are very high quality. Some could (and would) argue that the vic quality is among the highest for ANY slipjoint. Sure you can get fancier and more expensive, but that's mostly the materials and designer/custom stuff. So I think a SAK would be good anyway, even if it doesn't get lost. :p
 
A Vic Soldier would make an absolute best first knife. the strong backspring will ensure that slip-ups don't happen often.

I'm more than 3 decades old and I just bought myself a Vic Soldier, even though I have other better knives....
 
Myakka said:
I bought my son his first knife last year, he was 9. My son is in the Cub Scouts and he recieved his Whittling Chip, and learned all about knife safety. I bought him a official Cub Scout Knife.
Click to expand...

So what is the "official Cub Scout Knife"?


I also read up there about the Wave and another post about loosing an SAK.
A Wave would be pretty damn hard to misplace.


The post about the giving an SAK to a neighbors kid, I'm sure that would happen with most kids. Recieving a gift like that shows that people think that they are reponsible and grown-up, and all kids love that.


An SAK sounds awfully good choice, although I kina always had this thought that they were so widely known and so many people had them that they were cheap, C*A*. So I have never owned one, because of that. It would be a good idea to give them some, anti-misplacement carry options (lanyard, keychain, etc, etc.)
 
http://www.1sks.com/store/buck-woodsman.html

a buck woodsman is a little longer but IMO a great first knife...mine will goto my first kid thats for sure. Has a small handle perfect for a kids hand, a length long enough to show him early how to sharpen a knife so he can get technique down, and it'll last a life time! the leather sheath when closed covers the ENTIRE handle so its very safe in that regards...

and your never too young with proper instruction, I'd rather my kids when i become a dad to have learnt about them early then to raid my draw for my knives out of curiosity and cut themself! 10 is a perfectly reasonable age...
 
Get him a proper SAK, not the tiniest model you can find or one with silly blunted blades. I remember my first knife, a Victorinox Classic paired with a Maglight Solitaire. Boy was I dissapointed. Being a kid, I didn't have any packaging or letters to open and the blade was completely useless for carving or relief work (the number of times that silly little thing nearly closed on my fingers!) and the Maglight ate batteries like a devil and the bulb went after a few months (the replacement of which was a real pain in the arse). What I really wanted was a proper SAK like my dad's Swiss Champ where you actually had useful tools (I was a kid, I didn't have my own tools and I couldn't lift my dad's tool chest) and a blade that you could do more than trim your nails with.

The merest suggestion that you'd take the knife away if it was used improperly is worth a thousand lectures. Trust the kid and get him something useful.
 
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