How sharp should a childs first knife be?

pvicenzi said:
A first knife, should come with a lesson on sharpening.
Click to expand...

I like this idea. I remember when I got my first knife, I wanted to sharpen it myself. Plus, since s/he's not going to be great at it right away, how sharp it should be becomes a non-issue.
 
I don't think they should be given their own knife, until they have successfully proven that they can be responsible, over a period of time, with yours.


-Freq
 
I doubt most people give a kid, especially a young one, a knife and let them go run around wildly with it.

I know when I give them it at first they will only be allowed to have it when in my presence. Once they show they can be safe with it, then they can actually keep it unsupervised. Getting a first knife is special because it is their knife and not yours.
 
I don't have kids but when i received my first knife in my late single digits / early double digits i was taught how to freehand sharpen on my father's Hard Arkansas Stones. I sharpened my first SAK to nearly a warncliffe type flat edge i loved sharpening it so much. My first fixed blade was my fathers Vietnam era Randall, which i also sharpened to a shaving edge at an early age. I say leave it up to the child as to how sharp to get it, with the skills you teach him. IMHO hand sharpening a blade teaches you how to respect your knife and handle it with care. My first serious cut came from my SAK cutting a giant chocolate kiss, went right through the candy into my hand and had to get stitches, that wasn't till high-school, although i cut myself A LOT before then, just not seriously.

-- Adam
 
What do you consider sharp..hair popping, pushing paper, cutting a silk scarf...uhh no..severing your Achilles tendon sharp.

Sorry Bryfry, I remembered you and couldn't resist.:D I agree with most everyone here, sharp but not razor sharp. A workable blade. I think dull would be a bad idea. If the get used to pushing hard, on a dull blade and never have a mishap, so you think they're ready to have it sharpened. They continue using the newly sharpened knife, the way they always have and now have a mishap :eek: :eek: :eek:
 
VictGerbSogCamill said:
What do you consider sharp..hair popping, pushing paper, cutting a silk scarf...uhh no..severing your Achilles tendon sharp.

Sorry Bryfry, I remembered you and couldn't resist.:D I agree with most everyone here, sharp but not razor sharp. A workable blade. I think dull would be a bad idea. If the get used to pushing hard, on a dull blade and never have a mishap, so you think they're ready to have it sharpened. They continue using the newly sharpened knife, the way they always have and now have a mishap :eek: :eek: :eek:
Click to expand...

Haha! ...you got me! :D

I just hope my kids don't hurt themselves as much, or as badly as their old man! :o

...my problem is that I have always had a tendency to play with knives too much. Since I was little I was into throwing knives, balisongs, swords, and big choppers ....and never quite grew out of it. :)

I'm going to TRY and teach my kids to be more responsible with blades, but then my Dad "TRIED" plenty with me too. ;)
 
Sharp. Really sharp. As sharp as you like. AS SHARP AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE! :D

Or, alternatively, as sharp as your kids can keep them.

I stand by the old 'a sharp knife is safer than a dull one' adage firmly.
 
My first knife was extremely sharp. Never cut myself until it went dull and I was forcing it. Another vote for the sharpening lessons. It's additional time spent handleing the blade in a controlled environment too, where you can observe how they move and hold the knife.
 
Depends on the age. I gave my son his first folder at 4 years old. It is a liner lock I took and ground the edge entirely off, and rounded the tip out. He is 4 and knows how to open and close a liner lock folder.


If you are looking for a not too sharp folder, avoid Cold Steel folders, I have yet to have a CS knife come other than hair popping sharp.
 
well i am still thirteen but my first knife my dad being old fashion knives bought me a case mini trapper and damn it did look nice and it was shaving sharp and i kept it shaving sharp with my diamond stone that he gave to me with it on the other side a cut my self a few times not a lot
 
Crazy sharp. A knife is a tool that requires a degree of responsibility to use safely. The threat of injury is what ingrains safe handling and usage practices in the mind. The child will learn that by following the rules, the chance of injury is low.
 
a dull knife is a dangerous knife. If you want your kid to cut his finger off (probablly cuz it slips off something) get him a dull knife. A sharp knife will also allow him/her to heal faster. Ever cut yourself with a very sharp knife? If you have, you know that it heals much nicer and faster the sharper the knife.
 
I say a sharp tool is a safe tool. As long as they are mentally and physically sound, IE have the hand eye coordination and the judgement not to stab themselves, peoples' property or anyone else, as sharp as possible.
 
Mjolnir74
Well my experience with this subject is, my 7 yr old daughter wanted a knife when we went to bass pro a while back. I bought her the smallest Vic they had and showed her how to handle it. Within 5 minutes Of getting home she had cut her thumb deep. She told me I could have her knife crying. Every now and then she asks to see it again but is very respectful of it. I'm glad it wasn't any sharper or larger.
Click to expand...

I had to chuckle a little on this... My 7 yr old daughter and I were in the woods. I had just given her a small Victornox Swiss Army knife with a small 1.5 " blade and was teaching her how to cut wood sticks... wasn't more then a few mins and she cut her self....

I think that there are some issues with coordination at that age and I would not go sharper then a factory edge on a blade...We will still work on her knife handling skills, but I expect it may take a bit...
 
BryFry said:
I think my main concern would be that when dealing with a child, even if they are well behaved and well meaning, you still have to worry about their level of coordination. Some kids just have naturally fumbly hands no matter how well taught they are.

Guess it probably depends alot on the child.
Click to expand...

I think that while Yes it is good to teach them to respect a sharp edge and excercise caution, sometimes the motor skills are just not developed enough to be able to be in control of the limbs and fingers.
 
I took the top of my finger off with a utility knife because it was dull, never would have happened if I had replaced the old blade. I'd rather have my child get cut for doing something wrong than get cut for doing something right but his tool was ill maintained. At least he'll learn the right lesson.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top