Giving your kid a knife

threatx3

threatx3

Joined
Dec 30, 2010
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I have a three year old and don't plan on giving him a knife anytime soon. I would however like to hear from some you more experienced fathers/mothers. How old was your kid when you gave him/her a knife and what was the knife you gave them.

Thanks
 
well im not a father, but i do remember my first knife. i was 3 years old ironically, and i was given a victorinox classic. the tip was snapped off and blade dulled by my father, but it still was mine
 
depends on the child....my oldest got his at 5 and my youngest is 6 and still dont get one......just depends on the how mature the child is...
 
My first knife was at 8yrs old, it was a buck cub scout knife I got for christmas. Ten minutes after I got it I nearly cut my thumb off, went to the bone and needed 10 stitches. Yeah, I kinda ruined christmas.
 
My kids got a small Queen slip joint when they were about 6. It was sharp and in new condition. They both still have it. Because I am in the industry it accelerated rapidly from there but I still think a small slip joint is a good first knife. My son is 14 now and uses a 24" machete to clear brush and helps us at Blade show where he has acquired a huge collection of swords and knives. I have seen a few kids (and adults) that don't need a butter knife but most kids will rise to whatever expectations you put on them. Guidance is a must along the way but even with that accidents will happen and they learn (hopefully).
 
I was given a Boy Scout Camillus when I first started in the Cub Scouts. I think I was seven or so... I'd think it would depend on the kid and their behavior although nowadays you'd have to ensure they don't take it to school or they'd get expelled or even if the principle is stupid enough arrested...
 
I agree that it depends on the child. I have tried to wait until mine were in their teens to give them a good sharp knife of their own. I taught all mine to use and respect sharp knives as soon as they could hold a knife. Just like with firearms, safety training is first, then comes supervised use, then let them come to you when they cut themselves (because they always do, didn't you?). Only one more son becoming a teen, then I have my grandsons to teach.
 
I don't remember the age exactly, but my brother and I were given slightly dulled swiss army knives at an early age and the deal was when you turned 12 he'd sharpen it for you.
 
My dad gave me my first when I was four. But I could not keep it on me, it was put up. I had to ask to use it and would needed a reason to get it out. When I was five they let me keep it.

It was a cheap two blade folder. Come to find out, it was my dads first blade my grandfather gave him when dad became a boy scout. I still have it. Along with his compass and a lot of the rest of his boy scout gear.
 
I was ten when I got my own knife, my mother didn't want me to have one, so until then my grandpa let me use his knife without her knowing. I've handled a small axe and my grandpas knife from an age of about four.
 
When I was 7 I went into my Dads drawer and stole his Swiss army knife. I took it out into the woods and learned to use it. When I came home for dinner that night he was less then pleased and gave me a lecture on knife safety and taking other peoples things. Consequently I received my first knife the following Christmas.
 
I got my first case slipjoint knife from my father when i was five, but it was something that I couldn't carry on my own until I learned how to respect it. I think thats the best approach to take. I received a buck 110 for my 10nth birthday, which was my first locking pocket knife.

~Robert
 
I got my first knife when I was 7 or 8. I Have no kids but have 9 neices and nephews. Three of them live on a farm and they got thier first knives when they were 6 or 7. The other ones still have no knives and probably won't get them for a good long time. It all depends on the maturity level of the individual child. One of my nephews got his first gun when he was 7 so he could squirrel hunt with the guys. It always stayed locked up and never came out unless the adults were right there supervising. The boy has turned into one heck of a shot.


mlrs
 
I'm not a father either but I got my first when i was about 7 yrs old - some SAK knock-off.

Now my sister allows me to introduce her two sons to knives - so we've been whittling together a little bit and they do EDC-tasks with my knives since they've been... 6 and 8.
I usually give them a BM710, mini ritter griptilian or an ESEE-3 -all of them shaving sharp- and have an eye on them and the knives at all times.
And we talk about knives and possible dangers - cut away from you, you don't have to do anything you're afraid of (i can help you with certain tasks), ... and we also talk about a lot of other stuff - so I think it's a great way to spend time with them and I think they enjoy that they're allowed to use those knives.

And yes - one child may be very careful using a knife, another isn't (until he's cut himself a few times) but I think it's always hard to decide if a child is ready to get a knife which (s)he will store and use for him/herself - and I'm glad that i don't have to make this decision yet... ;)

s_f
 
Small SAK is a good starter, I am shocked at all the posts about folks giving Izzys as first knives...
 
At 3 or 4 I got a cheap slipjoint that dad rounded the tip on and ground the edge flat to see if I could handle the responsibility of a knife. He caught me outside sharpening it on the sidewalk. :D

I know for sure I had a SAK Classic at 6 and a Camullis Cub Scout knife and full size SAK not long after.

I was just thinking about it and I'm not too sure I wasn't shooting before I had a knife. :D
 
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