First knife for my son

C

cloyd

Joined
Mar 28, 2011
Messages
22
Hi all,

I’m a pretty big fan of knives and have a collection of about 20 or so. All of mine are used as EDC and range anywhere from a cheap CRKT to a relatively expensive Emerson and everything in between. My son is about to turn 10 and has applied to be drawn for his first elk hunt. I want to get him his first knife as a present (assuming he gets drawn), and hopefully pass on my love of knives to him. I’m having a hard time deciding what to get him and was hoping you all might have some recommendations. I’m looking for something high enough quality that it will last for a long time, but I also realize he’s 10 and he may not take good care of it or could even lose it, so I don’t want to spend a ton of money. I want a pocket knife that is small enough for him to use now, but big enough for him to use 5-10 years from now too. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks!
 
I'm a big fan of Swiss Army Knives--one of the most useful things you can put in your pocket, IMO. Good quality and very affordable. If you want a fixed blade, go for a Mora or a Buck.

Another option would be to give him one of your folders. Let him know it's still Dad's knife, but on loan to him forever. Might make him take better care of it and, when he grows up, he'll have his Dad's knife. :cool::thumbsup:

Good luck, OP!
 
Something that’s high quality, 10 year old-friendly, will last a long time, yet won’t hurt too much if misplaced. You have quite a few options!

A Spyderco Delica or Endura in the vanilla VG-10 will serve him well. Got my Endura at age 14 and it was a great starting EDC blade. They’re also not as expensive as Spyderco’s other models. Then, if he likes the VG-10 model, he can get it later in more exotic steels!

An Ontario Rat 1 or 2 may also fit the bill. Many hail it as an awesome entry EDC blade. I don’t own the Rat personally, but I might check it out in the future. Aus8 steel is adequate for EDC tasks.

Finally, what I would recommend the most perhaps is the ESEE Izula, if you don’t mind a fixed blade. Get the Izula 2 for more handle length. Whether you’re 10, 30, or 50, it’s a great small fixed blade to have in your pocket. I just love that knife. If well taken care of, this is an awesome utility/mini bushcraft knife that’ll last for a lifetime.

I’m reluctant to recommend Cold Steel folders because the heavy lock disengagement might discourage him from enjoying the knives. But otherwise, they make some of the toughest folders on the market.
 
I second the Buck 112 if he’s a hunter. You can get a nice custom on Bucks website. If you wanna get him something to double as an easy carry knife you can check out the 112 slim select or even slim pro. About 2.5 oz and can skin out game still.
 
DangerZone98 said:
Something that’s high quality, 10 year old-friendly, will last a long time, yet won’t hurt too much if misplaced. You have quite a few options!

A Spyderco Delica or Endura in the vanilla VG-10 will serve him well. Got my Endura at age 14 and it was a great starting EDC blade. They’re also not as expensive as Spyderco’s other models. Then, if he likes the VG-10 model, he can get it later in more exotic steels!

An Ontario Rat 1 or 2 may also fit the bill. Many hail it as an awesome entry EDC blade. I don’t own the Rat personally, but I might check it out in the future. Aus8 steel is adequate for EDC tasks.

Finally, what I would recommend the most perhaps is the ESEE Izula, if you don’t mind a fixed blade. Get the Izula 2 for more handle length. Whether you’re 10, 30, or 50, it’s a great small fixed blade to have in your pocket. I just love that knife. If well taken care of, this is an awesome utility/mini bushcraft knife that’ll last for a lifetime.

I’m reluctant to recommend Cold Steel folders because the heavy lock disengagement might discourage him from enjoying the knives. But otherwise, they make some of the toughest folders on the market.
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Agree -

For fixed, it is hard to beat an ESEE. Either Izula, Izula 2, or ESEE 3 depending on how big his hands are.

On the folders- I agree with avoiding CS due to their lock strength. Unfortunately, I can not really recommend a folder, I have decided on the PM3 for my 10yr old but she hasn't gotten it yet so I can't say it has worked out as well as the (original) Izula with G10 scales has (she is small)
 
I could make a very good case for getting him a carbon steel knife.
A life lesson learned from that would be that if you neglect things - bad things can happen to them.
On the plus side - carbon steel responds well to resurrection if not neglected too badly.
 
Tiger knife?

Which was my first knife. I thought it was the coolest thing in the world back in the day.
 
My son is 6 so he is a few years away from hunting but he has a Swiss Army Knife. I made sure to give him one from my collection with a saw because he likes making stuff and a corkscrew so he can open my wine.

I gave him a Fenix flashlight and a headlamp at the same time. When we go camping or spend time in the woods he is expected to bring these items and keep track of them. I expect him to lose them at some point but I want him to learn to take care of his gear and be prepared.


For your son on his first elk hunt, maybe a buck slim 110. It has a pocket clip and is lighter so it can go in the pocket as opposed to a belt pouch. Or something from the Benchmade hunt series.
 
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What do you think he will use it for? Will you have him gut an elk if he harvests one? Or is it just a lesson in how important a knife is in the wilderness? If it's more of a lesson, I'd personally get him something like a Dragonfly 2. I have XL hands and it's still comfortable to use but it's small enough for a kid. It's also slower to open and close, which I think would be safer for a youngster than something with a more modern lock design.
 
timberweasel said:
I'm a big fan of Swiss Army Knives--one of the most useful things you can put in your pocket, IMO. Good quality and very affordable. If you want a fixed blade, go for a Mora or a Buck.

Another option would be to give him one of your folders. Let him know it's still Dad's knife, but on loan to him forever. Might make him take better care of it and, when he grows up, he'll have his Dad's knife. :cool::thumbsup:

Good luck, OP!
Click to expand...
That’s a cool idea, thank you!
 
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JBradley500 said:
What do you think he will use it for? Will you have him gut an elk if he harvests one? Or is it just a lesson in how important a knife is in the wilderness? If it's more of a lesson, I'd personally get him something like a Dragonfly 2. I have XL hands and it's still comfortable to use but it's small enough for a kid. It's also slower to open and close, which I think would be safer for a youngster than something with a more modern lock design.
Click to expand...
He might want to try to gut/field dress with his knife, but I don’t expect him to use it for that, it’s more about the lesson of having a knife in the field and taking care of it and himself when using it. Thanks for the suggestion!
 
Trailer_Ape said:
Agree -

For fixed, it is hard to beat an ESEE. Either Izula, Izula 2, or ESEE 3 depending on how big his hands are.

On the folders- I agree with avoiding CS due to their lock strength. Unfortunately, I can not really recommend a folder, I have decided on the PM3 for my 10yr old but she hasn't gotten it yet so I can't say it has worked out as well as the (original) Izula with G10 scales has (she is small)
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Mmm, yeah. Plus, with a fixed blade, the chance of injury is relatively lower. Just pull it out of the sheath and be mindful of the edge. No moving parts.
 
cloyd said:
He might want to try to gut/field dress with his knife, but I don’t expect him to use it for that, it’s more about the lesson of having a knife in the field and taking care of it and himself when using it. Thanks for the suggestion!
Click to expand...
For those purposes, a Kephart knife may be well suited. Plenty of helpful folks at the Becker forum!
 
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