First knife for son

I have to agree with the one blade idea. I'm surprised that no one has suggested a Sodbuster Jr. It would not be overly large but still big enough for him to grow into, plus the blade can be pinched open. For something a little smaller there is also the Case Mini Blackhorn lockback.
 
Whatever you get him, don't choose something too expensive...he WILL loose it. That's a given, and part of the learning process. been there done that :D
 
I bought my first knife for myself when I was seven. An Old Timer Jr. Stockman I got from a vending machine. I don’t remember having problems with the three blades. But then, I was already working with tools when I “helped” my dad build houses. Nailing down subfloor and such. I’m sure I learned about slip joint safety the hard way. I was certainly treating knives with respect before I hit my teens.
 
I think a lock back is the way to go for a first knife. More safe than a slippy while he learns knife safety. My first was a locking buck.
 
I went through the same thing a couple months ago. The sak is nice but was too hard to open. I found an older imperial BSA knife with yellow handle. Its lost some of its spring tension but worked out perfect for him. I also have a Tidioute #25 with sheepsfoot blade that he likes. Its small and opens easily with the wider blade. One thing, make sure its shiney! They dont get the patina thing yet!
 
defaultuser said:
Whatever you get him, don't choose something too expensive...he WILL loose it. That's a given, and part of the learning process. been there done that :D
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I have to disagree with this. You only have one chance to give your son his first knife. My Dad gave me an el-cheapo Imperial Barlow as my first knife. I did not lose it, I loved it, and took great care of it. In fact, I still have it. Every time I go through my collection and look at the thing, I get irritated about what a cheapskate my Dad was. He could easily have sprung for something a bit nicer.

I'm not saying anyone should be giving their sons a Mnandi or a William Henry, but something of at least decent quality that will give the boy some pride of ownership. A first knife is an important rite of passage, don't cheap out on it!

My son will get a Case as his first knife. He's only two, but he's already interested. We were at the Case store yesterday, and he was pleading with me to buy one of the key-lime series. I think he just liked the bright color. I told him Daddy doesn't collect the ugly ones. :D I may just give him his pick out of my collection when the time comes. (probably when he's six or seven- that's how old I was when I got my first knife) If he loses his first knife, that's on him.
 
moonwilson said:
I have to disagree with this. You only have one chance to give your son his first knife. My Dad gave me an el-cheapo Imperial Barlow as my first knife. I did not lose it, I loved it, and took great care of it. In fact, I still have it. Every time I go through my collection and look at the thing, I get irritated about what a cheapskate my Dad was. He could easily have sprung for something a bit nicer.

I'm not saying anyone should be giving their sons a Mnandi or a William Henry, but something of at least decent quality that will give the boy some pride of ownership. A first knife is an important rite of passage, don't cheap out on it!

My son will get a Case as his first knife. He's only two, but he's already interested. We were at the Case store yesterday, and he was pleading with me to buy one of the key-lime series. I think he just liked the bright color. I told him Daddy doesn't collect the ugly ones. :D I may just give him his pick out of my collection when the time comes. (probably when he's six or seven- that's how old I was when I got my first knife) If he loses his first knife, that's on him.
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Good for you! my son got a Vic Farmer as his first knife (age 9). He lost it 6 month after he got it. I'm convinced he learned a valuable lesson so all is good. Whenever he wants to replace it, it will be from his own money. Buying him a replacement would be so easy...making him becoming responsible is my objective, though, so I must resist :o I think a nice Case is a great idea for a first knife.
 
My first knife was a Classic SD SAK at the age if 5-6, I enjoyed it and still have some good memories about it.
 
A month or so ago I bought a Queen D2 whittler for my 7yr old daughter to use. She can only use it when I am around and when she is acting mature enough to be trusted (which luckily is fairly often). We are learning to turn logs into tooth picks together. I picked the whittler as it is smaller than the stockman that she had been using and the blades seemed better suited to the task, plus it looked nice :p. My wife was a little nervous, but since she and I started, I have cut myself a couple of times and she has yet to get a nick! Steven
 
Victorinox cubscout pocket pal.

It's the knife I got when I was a bear so many years ago, and I've got it in my pocket now. Perfect size, slim two blades. Just great.

I was allowed to carry it after a year on weekends and summers.
 
Well, I got out a bunch of my knives this weekend and sat down with my son for an hour and showed them to him. I've talked to him about knives before, showing him a stockman and canoe and explaining to him the various parts of knives. I put about twenty different knives on the table in front of him ranging from a Kershaw Skyline to a Dowell Trapper. I let him sit there for awhile and look at them while I finished up a few things (look but not touch...he's just seven). I have to admit the sparkle in his eye was fun to watch. I then sat down and asked him to pick out a knife that spoke to him. I told him that knife would not be his, we were looking to see if he could open it, close it, and whether he liked it, and that we would be trying several different knives.

He reached first for a Schrade Walden 835Y. He's seen he carry and use this one around the house, so he associates it with me, and I have let him hold it before. Still, I thought my son has good taste.

I noticed he has trouble closing the blades on slipjoints and disengaging the locks on lockbacks. I showed him some framelocks and linerlocks. I demonstrated a Kershaw flipper (though I did not let him play with that...he thought it was cool and near magical).

In the end though, the two knives the worked best for him were the Spyderco Ladybug and the SAK Cadet (I must admit, he was enamored with the extra tools). As I put them away, I told him he needs to work on his hand strength, but he's getting there.

I am not quite sure he's ready for a knife. I think a few more months. I likely will pull everything out a time or two again before then. But, I know my son, he won't change his mind. Heck, for three years (ever since he rode his first roller-coaster) he's wanted to be an engineer and design roller-coasters. That's pretty consistent for a little kid.

Anyway, I thought you would like an update.
 
My educated recommendation :

The SAK ,you pick the model, sounds good. Otherwise, something not expensive, something light weight, maybe a single blade lockback and maybe a orange or other bright colored handle. (Buck 425 orange as example of the type)

Give him better knives along his accomplishment trail as rewards. Eventually letting him pick out his own when you think he has earned that privilege.

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Peruna1998 said:
I am not quite sure he's ready for a knife. I think a few more months. I likely will pull everything out a time or two again before then. But, I know my son, he won't change his mind. Heck, for three years (ever since he rode his first roller-coaster) he's wanted to be an engineer and design roller-coasters. That's pretty consistent for a little kid.

Anyway, I thought you would like an update.
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Very cool update. Thanks!

From time to time I'll sit with my 7-year-old daughter and/or my 5-year-old boy and let them carve on a piece of wood with whatever knife I happen to be toting that day. In that context (i.e. with me right there, watching their every move), they do pretty well. But I'm certain neither one of them is ready for a knife of their own yet. Probably when they are ready, they'll each get a SAK. I told my daughter that Victorinox makes a Classic with flowers on the handle and she has not forgotten that. :)

-- Mark
 
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