We weren't allowed to carry fixed blade knives to BS summer camp, but we could carry whatever we wanted to on our regular troup campouts, that was during the early to mid 70's. I always carried a Western M-49 on our troop outings and it got a major workout from all of the guys.
-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Izula for a scout
- Thread starter chris in mo
- Start date
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2007
- Messages
- 4,293
I mentioned to the troop leader that I had read a thread about some troops completely forbidding knives all together. He gave me the strangest look and said "How in the world do they qualify for many of the scout skills if they are not allowed to use knives?" We boith just shrugged. For the most part all the kids in my son's troop use folding pocket knives. Sheath knives can be a little more touchy becasue you know some kid is gonna show up with a Rambo 2 bowie knife.That is not to say they are not allowed but it requires more policing. The most common knife I saw at camp was an SAK and unfortunately some really crappy SAK import knock offs.
There is a LOT of lattitude in the way a troop is run. If a troop in your area sucks check out some of the others around there is likley to be a variety the way they do things. We have a lot of people from different areas in the troop we are involved with because they like the way the troop is run better than ones in their immediatre area.
I think it comes down to the troop leader. I agree, boy scous with no knives is just.... communistic.
- Joined
- May 14, 2009
- Messages
- 1,410
even the communists had knives ...
scouts without knives is worse than communism ...
and I agree, the Izula makes a fantastic scouts knife apart from me always having been the one with the largest blade ...
so for me RAT-6 would have been ideal 
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2009
- Messages
- 19
I cannot recall if fixed blades are specifically outlawed by the BSA, but they are frowned upon. I am sure he appreciates the knife, as it is an awesome gift, but I don't know if he will be able to use it on Scout functions. Check with the Scoutmaster and other adults in the troop, but he probably won't be able to use it. The rule I was given was folders no longer than my four fingers were wide.
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2007
- Messages
- 4,293
Thats so dumb. Fixed blade knives can be and for the most part are more safe than any folding knife.
- Joined
- May 14, 2009
- Messages
- 1,410
I agree, and while I think it is useful to teach kids how to handle folders safely I still think there are knife tasks in scouting you really should use a fixed blade knife for, and it is equally important to teach that, too.
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2009
- Messages
- 374
I got an SAK from my parents when i joined the scouts.
Almost cut my fingers of the first time i used because there is no lock on it and it closed on me.
Never get you kids a cheap non locking knife, a cheap fixed blade or a folder with a good lock is not a problem.
Great gift for you son! He will get a lot of use out of that.
On the subject of scouts my son is in his second year of Webelos and we just had a 3 day "day" camp. My wife and I volunteered and did some of the crafts (shes and art teacher). Any way they had archery,a BB gun obstacle course and range, and slingshots with paintballs. My kid who's 10 had a blast. So I do think it has alot to do with how the local troop is run.
John
RAT Pack #73
On the subject of scouts my son is in his second year of Webelos and we just had a 3 day "day" camp. My wife and I volunteered and did some of the crafts (shes and art teacher). Any way they had archery,a BB gun obstacle course and range, and slingshots with paintballs. My kid who's 10 had a blast. So I do think it has alot to do with how the local troop is run.
John
RAT Pack #73
- Joined
- Jun 4, 1999
- Messages
- 359
Thanks for all the comments guys. I thought I would update.
Thursday night was parent's night at camp. I went to visit, have dinner and observe the Order of the Arrow call out. Once we ate I gave my son the Izula. He liked it a lot when he opened it. He said Oh cool as he admired it and checked it out. We agreed that it may be best for me to return home with it. I will see what the leaders thoughts are on a small fixed blade at a troop camp out. We do a lot of camping on our own so the knife will be used as intended whether at the scoutnig outings or on our owh. This past February we rented a cabin that used a small wood stove for heat. My RC-4 split every log we burned over that weekend!
In wood carving he slipped while using his SAK and got a small cut on his index finger. He was so proud that he had his kit in his pack with his knife. light. compass and FASK in it and cleaned up the cut and bandaided it all on his own.
I have to say more than the knife and his favorite magazine that I brought along with me the thing he apprecieated most were the letters I brought from his Mom, little sister, and myself. He read each of them through before touching the magazine or the wrapped box that contained the knife. I think I was most impressed by the fact that communication from family meant more than a new gift! I still havent gotten a pic of him with the knife and I WILL post one of him with it when I have the chance later this week.
Thursday night was parent's night at camp. I went to visit, have dinner and observe the Order of the Arrow call out. Once we ate I gave my son the Izula. He liked it a lot when he opened it. He said Oh cool as he admired it and checked it out. We agreed that it may be best for me to return home with it. I will see what the leaders thoughts are on a small fixed blade at a troop camp out. We do a lot of camping on our own so the knife will be used as intended whether at the scoutnig outings or on our owh. This past February we rented a cabin that used a small wood stove for heat. My RC-4 split every log we burned over that weekend!
In wood carving he slipped while using his SAK and got a small cut on his index finger. He was so proud that he had his kit in his pack with his knife. light. compass and FASK in it and cleaned up the cut and bandaided it all on his own.
I have to say more than the knife and his favorite magazine that I brought along with me the thing he apprecieated most were the letters I brought from his Mom, little sister, and myself. He read each of them through before touching the magazine or the wrapped box that contained the knife. I think I was most impressed by the fact that communication from family meant more than a new gift! I still havent gotten a pic of him with the knife and I WILL post one of him with it when I have the chance later this week.
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2008
- Messages
- 676
The knife in my avatar was my first real knife my dad bought me for scouts (thought it was very appropriate considering a knife forum) my troops never allowed fixed blades. One leader told me it was because a lot of them came with cheap sheaths and if someone fell on it it could easily go through it. Which knowing what I know now my response would have been so just say that all fixed blades have to be ok'd. I mean come on I didn't even know you could " baton" with a knife til out of high school. Just somethings you can't or shouldn't do with a folder.
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2009
- Messages
- 372
i always carried a SAK when I was a scout. I would have loved to have had an Izula
- Joined
- May 14, 2009
- Messages
- 1,410
I gonna check out the situation in Germany, I've been invited to teach lockpicking at a national scout camp. But fixed knifes seem to be allowed, as they will be sold on camp site by the management ...
I'll take my Izula with me, it is a bit of a shame I'm not able to get an extra one, to give to someone there ... well, they will see its usefulness anyway ...
I'll take my Izula with me, it is a bit of a shame I'm not able to get an extra one, to give to someone there ... well, they will see its usefulness anyway ...
- Joined
- Jul 14, 2009
- Messages
- 490
Great gift, im glad you found a good local troop. keep and eye on it.
i still hold a grudge agianst the scouts to this day 20 some years.yea managment sucks but local ones rock. but heres the reason for the grudge....
when i went on my first week end camp out as a boy scout they said bring your knife. well the only knife i had was a 5 inch buck knife that was my dead grandfathers. it was confiscated becouse it was to dangerous. yet there was 9 accidents with the crap folders. i was repremanded over the fixed blade for the entire camp out. then when it was time to go home my knife was conveniently missing. and i was called a liar by the scout master. I later found out she gave it to her own children.
so i switched troops.. and it was great. they gave me a fixed blade knife , we went to the woods every week. 3 guys ran it retired mil guys. then the counceil stepped in cause of my previous troops. and combined out troops and moved us from out cabin that was donated to a church and told the 3 guy who ran it to leave. they sold our scout cabin.
to this day i scoff at scouts and what they teach them. some of the new policies are crap and how they run the local ones is so hit and miss. im lucky i dont have a kid i feel sorry for the new crop of kids. the last scout i talked to said he never went camping , just to cabins. and that there are a ton of great out door software packages out there... so i can figure the local scouts are now more of a computer group/social networking then outdoors/scouting.
i still hold a grudge agianst the scouts to this day 20 some years.yea managment sucks but local ones rock. but heres the reason for the grudge....
when i went on my first week end camp out as a boy scout they said bring your knife. well the only knife i had was a 5 inch buck knife that was my dead grandfathers. it was confiscated becouse it was to dangerous. yet there was 9 accidents with the crap folders. i was repremanded over the fixed blade for the entire camp out. then when it was time to go home my knife was conveniently missing. and i was called a liar by the scout master. I later found out she gave it to her own children.
so i switched troops.. and it was great. they gave me a fixed blade knife , we went to the woods every week. 3 guys ran it retired mil guys. then the counceil stepped in cause of my previous troops. and combined out troops and moved us from out cabin that was donated to a church and told the 3 guy who ran it to leave. they sold our scout cabin.
to this day i scoff at scouts and what they teach them. some of the new policies are crap and how they run the local ones is so hit and miss. im lucky i dont have a kid i feel sorry for the new crop of kids. the last scout i talked to said he never went camping , just to cabins. and that there are a ton of great out door software packages out there... so i can figure the local scouts are now more of a computer group/social networking then outdoors/scouting.
- Joined
- Jun 4, 1999
- Messages
- 359
Here is the pic I promsed. Out of uniform and just a quick snapshot.
- Joined
- May 14, 2009
- Messages
- 1,410
As I spend last weekend at a national scout camp in Germany, I can report that although German knife laws are stricter than US knife laws (I exclude some states for simplicity), German scouts can and do have fixed blades. A scout can carry a knife larger than 12 cm blade length if he is on hike or at camp or going to his scout meeting.
The scouts in camp were carrying mostly Scandinavian blades and bigger fixed blades also were available at the camp store.
The scouts in camp were carrying mostly Scandinavian blades and bigger fixed blades also were available at the camp store.
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2009
- Messages
- 913
He must be happy as all get out. look at the death grip he has on it. i think his knuckles are turning white. Great job..........Drew