I just put an order in for my son's first knife

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GEL99

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Jul 10, 2007
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The little squirt is only 18 months old but I figure it is not too early to teach him about good knives. My wife was pretty upset before I explained to her that the wait time for a Randal Model 25 is current 58 months long.

I then had to explain that the knife would sit in my gun safe along with my Randal until the kid was old and wise enough to take care of it. In the end she actually admited that what I said made sense.

There is a first time for everything I guess.

I know that the answer will vary from one person to the next, but generally speaking how old do you think someone needs to be before they can be trusted with a custom made knife like this?
 
I never have had the oppurtunity to own such a knife. My parents dragged me through safety and other various precautions about 6 years ago. I am better for it. I have only cut myself once in the six or so years of collecting and using that i have done. Do not be afraid to be sturn with him. I'd say ten years old is about right depending on your own preferences.

Your son is going to be one lucky kid! Teach him well and he will come to appreciate the usefullness of knives like I have.

Good luck!
 
I got my first knife at 7 years old.


That is GREAT that you ordered a Randall for him. What a nice gift.
 
I guess it depends on the kid and the amount of time you will have to discuss knives with him. Not just safety but talking about the whole realm of knives.

My stepson has two Randalls along with others. We spent a lot of time discussing likes and dislikes and I listened to his opinion on the subject. When he wanted a handgun, I told him he was going to have to prove to me he knew how to handle a gun and it was going to be at least a year with a lot of shooting sessions to show me he understood. He got a Glock for his 11th birthday and never misused the privilege.

Once he stuck clippoint in his hand and required 3 stitches. His mother freaked, but all I said was I guess you now understand what I was talking about. He asked if it was going to hurt to get it sewn up, and I told him, "Heck yeah, it's going to hurt you stuck a knife in through your hand."

My friend has purchased a custom for his 8 year old and I put a Case Baby peanut in his little brother's hand the day he was born.

I am sure your son will appreciate your efforts. You will know when he is ready.
 
i had a knife at a fairly young age, before i was a teenager but i was safe with it. i knew to always cut away from myself and i kept it sharp. if you raise your son to use tools safely and teach him what can happen if they are used improperly, you wont have to worry much about him getting hurt. get him a play knife and teach him how to use that safely. like mtf3 said, you will know when he's ready.
 
I would worry that the kid will destroy the knife more than anything else. I would give him a similar cheap knife and show that he can keep it in good shape for a year before I let him have custody of the Randall. I would pick a knife with a similar handle, perhaps a Muela Skinner http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/st...reId=1&catalogId=1&langId=-1&categoryId=48245

You could go cheaper and get a wood handle knife with a stick tang like an Erickson 601 (red handle, cross guard, carbon steel blade) from Ragweed Forge: http://www.ragweedforge.com/SwedishKnifeCatalog.html

The idea is to have the knife construction sufficiently similar to the Randall that it would show obvious damage if the kid hammers on it in a way that would damage the Randall. You could take a file and blunt the point of the knife as a safety measure. You could also opt for a knife with a shorter blade. For a youngster a long blade puts leverage working against their small hands. You could pick a Mora knife with about a 2.5 inch blade and maybe be doing the kid a favor.
 
Nice idea GEL99! Just make sure the little squirt doesn't throw it into any trees or sharpen it on the sidewalk when he gets older!
 
I don't envision that the knife will be his EDC or in his direct care for many years. Like marcinek and Jeff Clark, I worry that he might damage or loose the Randall. I anticipate that his SECOND knife will be something that will not trouble his parents if it gets lost. =)
 
You're way behind. :D My kid is the same age as your's and has had his first knives for over a year. Of course they're put away until he's older...

...the wait time for a Randal Model 25 is current 58 months long.
Click to expand...
Forget that! :thumbdn:
 
I just mailed the check yesterday for my 2 year old son's blade- a Blue Collar Hunter from Burt Foster in ivory micarta. My four year old son's blade, a BCH with ram's horn, sits in my knife drawer lightly oiled, waiting for the day he demonstrates that he is old enough to use it.

The next one is mine.
 
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