First knife for a 9 year old - suggestions

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kirkhere

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Apr 12, 2002
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My son's been whittling in Scouts and has earned a "license to carry a pocket knife to Scout events" card. So he's pretty excited and would like to buy his own.

Knowing his age and dexterity, I'd like to find a folder that locks. Anybody make a simple pocket knife that's a good size for a boy this age with a locking blade?

If not, what other advice - or knife recommendation - would you pass on?

Thanks for your thoughts.

kirkhere
 
Buck 112 is a great choice as is the Spyderco Dragonfly in plainedge. Great knife for little or smallish hands and easy to open/close. I believe that are also a number of Swiss Army Knives with a locking blade although I believe that most of them are the larger models.
Matt
 
One suggestion that I have for you, kirkhere, is the Schrade 430T 'Pocket Beast'. Locking blade, great non-slip safe-t-grip handle, a 2 3/4" inch 50/50 combo edge blade, and best of all the price. I picked one up at the local Wallymart for about 20 bucks.

The Spyderco Cricket or Dragonfly are good choices, too. Easy opening, locking blades, good grips and that great Spyderco quality. ;)
 
I have a couple possible choices:

Spyderco Delica - A very nice knife, especially for a kid. Under 3 inch blade. Will last a while and not out grow it. Cheap, a great 1st knife.

CRKT Point Guard or Mini Point Guard - LAWKS system for safety. Nice flatground blade. Very cheap. Decent quality.

Camillus EDC - 154CM version. Great lock. All around winner.

Spyderco Dragonfly - Decent steel. Nice and small.

Personally, I would go with either the Delica or the EDC. Which ever one the kid likes the best is the one I would get.
 
Gerber makes a nice series of locking folders that have a semi-stop point when folding to protect the fingers. The folders have black plastic handles and are reasonably priced. The knife is not a one-hand opener, but I like this feature for a youngster's knife.

There are many good ones out there. Have fun.

Geode
 
Nothing beats a good SAK or slipjoint for a first knife, IMO.

How about a Buck Cadet mini-stockman? Great knife to learn how to whittle.
 
how about a spyderco salsa? it has some 'cool' factor that your son might enjoy... or better yet, let him pick from several knives that meet your standards of quality and age-appropriateness...

Another great one would be a SAK Rucksack or Trailmaster; they are very handy knives for scouting type activities..
 
Hey. I reccomend getting a slipjoint for him... My Dad got me one when I started scouts a long time ago... I know it was a great way for me to learn to respect a knife.... he showed me how to always cut AWAY from myself, and that if my fingers got in the way... OUCH! but I learned to respect the blade. My vote is... Trust your son to be careful around knives, show him good habits... and let him run with it.

Plus, slipjoints are pretty cool for kids.. they can have many blades... think back to when you were a kid... A Swiss Army Knife to a 9 year old is like a Ferrari to us.

-Dave
 
Ahh yes I remember it well, at age six my first
knife was a five inch switchblade from Tijuana
Mexico.:eek: I second the Swiss Army knife idea,
maybe the champion model, it has everything.
 
Any knife at wal-mart would be good, excluding the humungo ones of course.Just make sure you let him test out the lock to make sure he can disengage it, I remember having a heck of a time with my first lockback when I was 8.

Regards,

Steve
 
My daddy, 20 years ago, got me a folder on top of a fixed blade knife. Well, actually, he also got me an axe, a crowbar and a shovel as well.
He explained what each one was for, and how to use them properly, and that if he ever caught me using one of them incorrectly, or one in place of another, he would tan my hide and then skin me alive.

In my opinion, a fixed blade on top of a Swiss army knife will give him the tools so that he won't try to cross-function.
 
What price range are you considering?

I would think that you want something under 3". The Swiss Army ones are good and fun for kids that age. The locking Victorinox Swiss Army knives are about 4 1/4" closed and are really pretty big.

I second the vote for the Dragonfly. What a great little knife! I wouldn't get the Cricket, especially plain edge, unless you don't mind sharpening for him. The curvy blade might be frustrating for him to learn to sharpen himself.

Benchmade also makes great smaller knives. Check out the Ascent 820 models. They are just under 3" and you should be able to find one for under $40.

I also think the Spyderco Calypso Jr. Lwt, or Delica would be a great choice and would probably last a long time.

Good luck and let us know what you choose.
 
There is a lot to said for a sliplock penknife. You learn how to cut with respect. The classic slim two bladed one is best.

The SAK Huntsman is also a great learning knife. You can build an Empire with one.

Last would be a smallish fixed, for tough tasks and probing under rocks.

Whatever you decide ensure the knife fits, is light weight, has a slim grind, and cuts well.
Young people have not developed real strength so there is no need to go "heavy". The lighter the more control they have. They will also become frustrated if a knife fails to cut from a bad profile or dull edge. This will lead to using unnecessary force which will lead to an accident. (Grownups behave the same way.) The opening system doesn't have to be slick or one handed; there is no harm in having time to think.

Finally, keep the overal length of blade shortish, if only because of safety. Expect some blood as its part of the education, and another part is to be able to stop it yoursef.
 
Considering that he's only 9 maybe a Victorianox SAK would be the best choice. However, if I were 9 and I lived in the USA I'd want a Spyderco Delica cause they're very well priced over there :D
 
Geode makes a good point on the Gerbers. I think he was describing the LST line of knives. I would consider them ideal. The standard LST is sized right for a boy's hands, priced from around $14-20, so it's no big deal when he loses it or abuses it, easy to sharpen, good lock-up and very smooth action. No one-handed opening mechanism, but still possible to open one-handed with familiarity and practice. Very durable and stainless. I can't think of any knife that would be better for a Scouter. Without abuse, he could still be getting good service from that knife when he has a son in Scouts.

I'm not crazy about a boy that age starting with a Spyderco such as a Delica, even though I love mine. Start him on something a little more traditional. You don't want your boy to become known as that scary kid who plays with wicked-looking knives.
 
I think that the SAK Tinker or similar knife is a great way to start a youngster out in the knife carrying world.
 
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