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First knife??

Pa_Slasher

Pa_Slasher

Joined
Jan 10, 2012
Messages
259
Ok so I have a 9 year old son who is the apple of my eye. I was trying to think of a knife to get him for his first blade? He owns 2 guns, know all about safety, and everything is locked in my gun safe. So trust is not an issue just was wonder if I should get him a folder or a Bk 11 or 14. What the groups thought on this?
 
All my kids first knives were folders, but I think a fixed blade would be great if he will be using it in the yard or woods. I love my BK11, but the handle on the 14 looks better to me (one of my next purchases). I think the 11 or 14 is plenty of blade for what he will do; but then again, I favor smaller knives for myself and not just my kids. One advantage to a small-ish folder is he can leave it on all day, even when you run errands, and nobody gets creeped out seeing a "kid with a knife". He might also have an easier time learning to sharpen one of the folders in a softer steel. There's 500 options, none of which is wrong. My biggest boy - about my size - is drooling over the BK2.
 
I'd go with the bk11 only because of the bottle opener. His hands are probably a good fit for the smaller handle and having the bottle opener as an additional feature might help him appreciate the blade as a tool.
 
My oldest daughter got an Izula for her first knife.

I say, the BK14 and some one on one time to go over safety as thoroughly as possible.

And don't dull the edge. I see alot of folks dulling the edge to make a knife safer. Sharp knives cut better and require less force to make it happen. Dulling the blade, means he will have to put alot more force behind the cuts, thus creating a possiblility of slippage or injury.

Congrats, its great when a parent gets to get their little ones, their first knife. Milestone, really.

Moose
 
"And don't dull the edge. I see alot of folks dulling the edge to make a knife safer. Sharp knives cut better and require less force to make it happen. Dulling the blade, means he will have to put alot more force behind the cuts, thus creating a possiblility of slippage or injury."

Another advantage to keeping it sharp (this happened with my son) is that the inevitable cut will be clean and easy to close. I agree with the safety lessons, got them as a kid, gave them to mine; but do any of you know anybody that didn't get themselves when they were new to a knife. I've heard it's like laying down a motorcycle at least once.

BTW - I agree with the BK14 and new zytel scales.
 
It's been said a few times already, but the BK14 with new grips would be perfect. Even a 14 and let him choose some paracord to wrap it in, so it's distinctively his own!

My son is 6 and he has a slipjoint he can carry around when he's with me. He's nuts about knives right now and the 14 is actually really good for him. I keep mine pretty sharp, since I carry it with me everywhere, and with some one-on-one time he quickly learned to be conscious of knife safety. Kids will suck that stuff up, especially if they get the privilege of owning their own knife. Our agreement is that as long as he follows the safety rules we've put in place, he can use knives. If he gets careless and goes against the rules, the knives get taken away.
 
Start him off right, go for the BK9, strap it to him and put a Trash can lid in his left hand... Make him look and feel like a Spartin from 300 ;)
 
I started with a swiss army knife, and don't have any reason to think that was a bad choice.
It's useful in so many ways. It really ingrains knife-as-tool.

-Daizee
 
A BK14 was my sons first Becker. He got right to wrapping it!
 
I first knife was a SAK cadet. It's rather inexpensive, has a variety, and it will teach him caring for his blade because they're not the strongest knife.
 
My son is eight and is allowed to use my SAK (Victorinox Fieldmaster) if he comes and asks (coz it tends to be in my pocket 24/7) but he also loves to look at my bigger knives and is currently pressing me to buy a machete for some reason. We were looking at my BK11s a couple of days ago for the first time and they are a nice fit for his hand (one wrapped in paracord, the other wearing micarta scales).

When it is time to give him his own blades, I think something like an SAK for everyday and an 11/14 when we go camping will be a perfect place to start. I just need to convince my far superior half that he'll be OK (and given that she's just given me the green light to get my firearms license maybe there's hope after all).
 
I like the idea of the BK-11 or Swiss Army to get him thinking about knives as functioning tools. Heck, get him both!
 
Thanks for the all the suggestions!! I was thinking the Swiss army or leatherman either would be cool, and I thought about giving him my 11 and getting the 11CSM for DAD!! :thumbup:
 
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