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My 9 year old wants a SAK. I don't think he is old enough to have one with a blade. Why doesn't Victorinox or Wenger make one without a knife blade?
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I want a bladeless SAK!!!!
- Thread starter shootist16
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I got my first pocket knife at age 8.I didn't cut anything that didn't need it and turned out as a respected member of the community.Give the kid a real SAK.tom. 
Get kids the real thing! The only ones who won't be happy will be the sheeple who don't think a knife is 'appropriate' for a kid. It is all in the training.
I detest 'made for kids' dumbed down Nerf junk that doesn't perform. If you get them stuff that only marginally works 'like dad's', then at some level they will be disappointed. Kid stuff made on the presumption that a kid won't know how to handle it and is going to bust it does them not only the disservice of not learning how to use a quality tool but may even turn them away due to the poor experience. Like the bow my daughter got from her cousin who didn't want it. The arrows were the weak point. The bow was perceived to be crap because the arrows would actually flip over about 30 feet out! I quickly relagated them to holding up tomato plants and gave her 'real' target arrows. My bro was dumbfounded.
As for the SAK.... I have done myself as much injury with those scissors as with the knives.
I detest 'made for kids' dumbed down Nerf junk that doesn't perform. If you get them stuff that only marginally works 'like dad's', then at some level they will be disappointed. Kid stuff made on the presumption that a kid won't know how to handle it and is going to bust it does them not only the disservice of not learning how to use a quality tool but may even turn them away due to the poor experience. Like the bow my daughter got from her cousin who didn't want it. The arrows were the weak point. The bow was perceived to be crap because the arrows would actually flip over about 30 feet out! I quickly relagated them to holding up tomato plants and gave her 'real' target arrows. My bro was dumbfounded.
As for the SAK.... I have done myself as much injury with those scissors as with the knives.
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- Mar 6, 2005
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- 106
When I was little and my parents would'nt let me get an SAK. I kind of thought the same thing, why not bust the blades off. When you look at the tools besides the blades on just about any SAK, most can cut or puncture you. When I got old enough to satisfy my parents, I got a big SAK and of course I cut myself a few times, despite being trained in cub scouts. My advice is wait until you think he is old enough not to be really stupid with knives, and then accept the fact he will probably cut himself a few times, even though you will show him proper technique.
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- Sep 25, 2004
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shootist16 said:
Great news. Nice to have a child that shares your interests.
My daughter has a Vic. Classic. The scissors and file are great and the blade has its uses though it is small.
She has difficulty opening the tools on the 91mm models like the swiss champ, but there are in between models when she wants a larger SAK than the Classic.
justin case
I agree that it's terrific that your 9-year-old wants a SAK, shootist16. It shows that he shares your interest in knives.
I wasn't the best or most responsible kids to be handed a knife. I grew up in the days of watching Fess Parker play Daniel Boone on Disney. For some reason, watching Mingo (Ed Ames) throwing knives and hatchets, on that show, caught my attention. It first started with my throwing butter knives into the dirt, and that wasn't too big of a deal, besides getting dust/dirt on the knives' blades, and scratching them up a bit (more or less).
Then I either found my Dad's old Boy Scout knife, or he gave it to me to play with. Bad move. I didn't have too much, if any, "training" in the proper use and/or care of knives, and that is my reason/excuse for what happened to my Dad's Boy Scout knife. I heard the tip break off of that knife as it fully sliced into the ground:
Yes, that's the knife that taught me, the hard way, not to *ever* throw knives into the ground. Now that knife is mine, the ultimate of "beater" blades. If you could see the full length photo, in the correct angle and lighting, you would also see a few/several areas of rainbow colors, where I also experimented with heating the knife's blade with a match, you know, to stereilize it, as if for surgery. This was, of course, before I learned that knife steels are tempered, and that exposing them to a flame could ruin them.
I keep that knife "as is," to remind me to never abuse a knife again. However, if I *need* to "abuse" a knife, for whatever reason, that old Kinfolks is the one I'd choose to use.
GeoThorn
I wasn't the best or most responsible kids to be handed a knife. I grew up in the days of watching Fess Parker play Daniel Boone on Disney. For some reason, watching Mingo (Ed Ames) throwing knives and hatchets, on that show, caught my attention. It first started with my throwing butter knives into the dirt, and that wasn't too big of a deal, besides getting dust/dirt on the knives' blades, and scratching them up a bit (more or less).
Then I either found my Dad's old Boy Scout knife, or he gave it to me to play with. Bad move. I didn't have too much, if any, "training" in the proper use and/or care of knives, and that is my reason/excuse for what happened to my Dad's Boy Scout knife. I heard the tip break off of that knife as it fully sliced into the ground:
Yes, that's the knife that taught me, the hard way, not to *ever* throw knives into the ground. Now that knife is mine, the ultimate of "beater" blades. If you could see the full length photo, in the correct angle and lighting, you would also see a few/several areas of rainbow colors, where I also experimented with heating the knife's blade with a match, you know, to stereilize it, as if for surgery. This was, of course, before I learned that knife steels are tempered, and that exposing them to a flame could ruin them.
I keep that knife "as is," to remind me to never abuse a knife again. However, if I *need* to "abuse" a knife, for whatever reason, that old Kinfolks is the one I'd choose to use.
GeoThorn
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- Nov 13, 2001
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- 378
I carried a Boy Scout knife in Cub Scouts (pre PC BS) when I was 7.
Dad taught me two rules; don't cut toward yourself and don't cut anything unless it needs to be cut. No carving names in trees or walls or any such nonsence.
No offence, but why won't you trust your kid with a SAK? Kids tend to learn responsiblity by being trusted (NOT the other way around) and many parents let their kids have knives. Nowadays just add "don't take your knife to school." You can always add an "adult supervision" clause. Check that, you can START with an "adult supervision" clause. But I would drop it as soon asa the kid proves he won't hurt himself, Independence builds confidence, worry fosters low self esteem and an inferiority complex.
Worrying about your kids too much is just as back for them as not worrying about them, but it is harder to not worry.
Dad taught me two rules; don't cut toward yourself and don't cut anything unless it needs to be cut. No carving names in trees or walls or any such nonsence.
No offence, but why won't you trust your kid with a SAK? Kids tend to learn responsiblity by being trusted (NOT the other way around) and many parents let their kids have knives. Nowadays just add "don't take your knife to school." You can always add an "adult supervision" clause. Check that, you can START with an "adult supervision" clause. But I would drop it as soon asa the kid proves he won't hurt himself, Independence builds confidence, worry fosters low self esteem and an inferiority complex.
Worrying about your kids too much is just as back for them as not worrying about them, but it is harder to not worry.
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- Aug 21, 2002
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- 397
I started using knives at the age of 7 or 8 years old, I cut myself a lot of times, but I learn how to use knives alone.
I recommend you, give him a real sak and teaching him how to use it.
Teaching is the most important part of my recommendation.
I recommend you, give him a real sak and teaching him how to use it.
Teaching is the most important part of my recommendation.
- Joined
- Mar 26, 2004
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- 24,583
I think it's a bit naive to worry about kids cutting themselves with knives, when most of us (c'mon, be honest) do it all the time ourselves. Of course, there's nothing wrong from wanting to protect our kids from seriously injuring themselves, but I feel that that's better achieved through teaching proper handling and respect for the knife rather than weening them with a less dangerous knife (but then, I don't have a kid, so what the hell do I know?).
Whether or not a kid should have a knife of course is up to the parent, since only the parent can really make that decision. We can say "I had a knife when I was..." or "I gave my kid a knife when he was...", but that says nothing about somebody else's kid.
If you want to give your kid a bladeless SAK, I'm all for it. You might have to get a regular one and break off the blade. I'm not sure I'd simply dull it, since the kid might still try to use it, and we all know the dangers of dull blades (they're never as dull or harmless as you think they are).
Whether or not a kid should have a knife of course is up to the parent, since only the parent can really make that decision. We can say "I had a knife when I was..." or "I gave my kid a knife when he was...", but that says nothing about somebody else's kid.
If you want to give your kid a bladeless SAK, I'm all for it. You might have to get a regular one and break off the blade. I'm not sure I'd simply dull it, since the kid might still try to use it, and we all know the dangers of dull blades (they're never as dull or harmless as you think they are).