knife as a present for a 12 yr old

Hal said:
At 12 years of age, I would have crawled through fire to get my hands on an Italian switchblade.... ;).

I'd have settled for a Chinese knock off :D

Back to reality - a small Mora is a great inexpensive knife.
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I didn't read carefully enough and tried to steal Hal's answer! Sorry @Hal I totally agree! :thumbsup:
 
A Vic Famer or Pioneer X in Alox. It feels and looks like much more than a forty-dollar knife, so it's something nice to have in your pocket, but it won't break the bank if he needs to replace it. I know times have changed significantly since I was 12, but learning on a slip joint is something that I think is important.
 
If the parents don't have a clue as to what to get him it is time for a family wake up call and they should all discus and make a decision together. Knives are very personal and even intimate,
12 years old should be a real and useable tool as a knife. Buck 112 or 110 or variants. SAK in at least the mid tier.
 
Hal said:
At 12 years of age, I would have crawled through fire to get my hands on an Italian switchblade.... ;).

I'd have settled for a Chinese knock off :D

Back to reality - a small Mora is a great inexpensive knife.
Click to expand...

Well I did get my habs on an Italian Stiletto switchblade at 12 or 13. And I used it like a spin/fidget thing till it wore the latches so it wouldn't stay closed or open either.

Part of the allure was keeping my folks from finding it.

And now, as a mature adult, I made a completely different recommendation.

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In a completly different direction:

Many years ago, I was a Scout Master and attended several Eagle ceremonies. What I saw was that every female relative of the new Eagle Scout would buy him an Eagle lamp, or paperweight or just a styatue (with or without a clock in it). lIKE EVERY YOUNG MAN WANTS ANY OF THAT STUFF!

What I would do is go to the local area Scout supply store and buy a nice, up=sale pocketknife with the BSA logo on it, then have the Keepsake shop at a mall engrave the blade. Another part of this was a gift box for the knife. I'd get a cigar box from "Drew Estates" from their "ACID" line of flavored cigars. They are made rom thick Mahogany with finger jointed corners, but marked with gummed labels, not impressed into the wood. They cost little to nothing to get and refinish nicely. I'd write up some sort of dedication on the computer in script and decoupage it into the inside of the lid. Years later on, someome had lost the knife but still had the box!
 
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We started earlier than 12, and our kiddo's first knife was a SAK. That was followed by another slipjoint, and then locking folders and fixed blades.

I learned to handle knives safely by starting with slipjoints, and that approach still feels relevant today. :)
 
Absolutely, it is important to teach them about edged tools (safety, usage, maintenance, etc.) and an opportunity to spend time with them. I gave my kids (2 sons and 1 daughter) Victorinox Swiss Army Knives, KA-BAR Dozier Folding Hunters, and Mora fixed blades.
 
Yeah . . .our grandson got his first knife at 9 or so (8?). But his parents are directly supervisory. These kids live in a controlled environment. And that seems to be working out well. At 12 now, the grandson was allowed to choose for himself between his big Buck 110 or his Gerber tool when the family went backpacking for a long weekend in the Rockies last month.
 
I know times have changed (I'm mid 50's) but dad was ex army and taught me how to use tools and knives etc... (he was in the Royal Engineers) so I had numerous folders from 8 onwards and would whittle etc. First fixed knife at 10 or 11 iirc was his Army Golock!

As long as he is shown the potential dangers, safety and how to use a decent folder as others have mentioned then perhaps a decent fixed blade with a guard perhaps. For me a mora bushcraft, Kansbol or companion would be a good first fixed blade.
 
12 is fine, but responsibility and rules go along with it. It isn't a toy. Having it at school is a no-go. Showing it off is also wrong. It is a tool. Also, basic knife safety has to go along with it. The bsa has the whittling chip that covers the basics. Safety and the fact that it is a privilege, not a right. At least for him.


If he is at all geeky, a tinker or one of the small Leatherman's make tools that fit in your pocket and might be the only pocket knife he ever needs.
 
My boy was about 12 when I got him his first knife. We used to go hiking so I got him a buck 105 and I carried a buck 119. I guess it's all about supervision. We used to go hiking in the jungle when he was the young boy and he learned a lot. Nowadays when I look at my 119 it brings back fond memories. He still has his 105. He takes it everywhere he goes. I guess his has sentimental value to him as well. This is just food for thought
 
mickb said:
Good points, I think it would have to be a case of it only being used at home or in the field, not any sort of general carry or show and tell type thing. I will pass this onto the parents
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In that case, (good idea), I’d suggest a guarded fixed blade. More robust, less likely to injure himself sheathing vs. closing, better guards generally available.
Hal said:
Back to reality - a small Mora is a great inexpensive knife.
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Yes! Like this one:
635412D9-83C8-478F-8048-ABE991ED0F2C.jpeg
gazz98 said:
I'm a fan of giving a youngster a locking knife as their first knife.
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And if you go folder, I agree with a locker to start. Yes, a slipjoint might teach knife safety more quickly, but it can also teach knife fear/dislike. I’d rather delay the bleeding a bit…
 
VorpelSword said:
The young man is 12. Give im something substantial that will still not be a tragedy if lost or broke. So, not a high dollar Randall or Chris Reeve etc.

Don't know your budget, but here goes . . . .


One suggestion: A Buck 110 or 112 are heavy in the hand and shiny . . .and a good enough knife. He will like one of these. Also start him off with a Lansky sharpening kit or similar with just a few stones, so he has something to do with his knife that isn't cutting. This can be a good male bonding activity with opportunities for instruction by example and so on.

Another suggestion: A multi tool from Gerber or Leatherman. The above supporting remarks apply here as well.
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Teach him to sharpen a knife freehand. This gift will stay with him longer than any knife you can give him.
 
12 years old and most likely NOT as nuts over knives as most of us are,
I'd suggest a Case or Old Timer Barlow
 
If he’s a sensible lad: yes, it’s an appropriate gift; and let him pick it out at any local shop with a small selection of knives and/or multi-tools.
 
Vlade said:
My boy was about 12 when I got him his first knife. We used to go hiking so I got him a buck 105 and I carried a buck 119. I guess it's all about supervision. We used to go hiking in the jungle when he was the young boy and he learned a lot. Nowadays when I look at my 119 it brings back fond memories. He still has his 105. He takes it everywhere he goes. I guess his has sentimental value to him as well. This is just food for thought
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Your son should consider himself blessed. You bought him a quality knife, taught him to use it and spent quality time with him outdoors
 
Bucklite Max (small) 673, or the newer Bucklite Max II 684... probably the best $20 I ever dropped on a knife.

I also like the Buck 102 Woodsman. Fine piece, but now you're 60-ish bucks in...

Or go great guns and grab the Buck 102 Woodsman Pro! If'n you ain't ascaired to drop $140 American on the lad.

The Bucklite Max is light, easy to maintain, dang near bulletproof and cost as much as a couple sixers of IPA. Get that one.
 
+1 on Vic Explorer or like, a Huntsman, Super Tinker, or Camper. Something cool with multiple uses. MacGuyver!
But yeah, it'll emphasize the utility aspect and hopefully become an asset.
 
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