Knife for daughter joining the service? (Update She's Enlisted!!)

Strigamort said:
Great advice as far as waiting until after basic.

Excellent suggestions too!

What do you guys think about the folding Adamas or maybe the Bedlam?

I like the idea of it scaring away some of the guys although on second thought that may just attract the boys... dang it.

Edit- and a multi... yes, good idea. I'll buy her a SOG powerlock eod just like mine. Excellent tool.
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Congrats! My youngest daughter joined the USAF and is coming up on her four-year anniversary in May. My active duty time was in the Army, so naturally, I pointed my girl towards the AF and it has reallt worked out well for her.

She has always been my tag-along fishing-buddy, and no stranger to knives. She's added quite a few to her collection over the years, but the ones that seem to get the most use are her leatherman/gerber-style multi-tool, and a few slip-joints. She's pretty partial to either a trapper or stockman pattern from either Case or Great Eastern (she has several of both from both companies).

What I would not recommend is getting her a #23 Pioneer from Great Eastern, however. I made that mistake, and it's my daughter's favorite of all her knives; bear-trap springs, hair-popping edges and all. The only saving grace was that it's 4 1/2" length forced her to leave it stateside while she was stationed in the UK for the past 3 years.

Over the years I've taken to getting pairs of sequentially numbered slipjoints from Great Eastern, and letting her pick one when they arrive. That way I get a little something to remember the occasion too, and one day when she gets my collection she can pass on one of each pair to whoever she chooses. So far under this system she has acquired a couple of #53 stockman, a #53 furtrapper, a #48 trapper, a #73 trapper, the #23 pioneer, and most recently a 2-blade #47 hayin helper.

Your daughter may not take to this stuff the way mine did, but getting a matched father/daughter set of whatever you find most suited to her might be a fun thing to consider :)
 
Wait until she gets out of basic and finds out where she will be stationed.
It would be a shame if you got her a knife she couldn't carry because of a particular countries knife laws.
 
I think and Spyderco Para 2 and nice Multi-tool or SAK would be your best bets.
A main EDC and then a multi-purpose tool for the other tasks that require more than just a blade.
If I were going out into the field I would likely take my Para 2.
The DPX H.E.S.T. 2.0 could be a nice choice as well.

If you were to go in the higher range you could get her a Protech TR3 Integrity Manual knife which would be pretty perfect in my opinion. Tough but really nice and could handle any job.
A Sebenza or Umnumzaan are also solid choices. I love my Sebenza's and know they will be dutiful companions for life.
 
Still haven't figured out what I'm getting her. :o

BUT...

She's in San Jose right now @ M.E.P.S. and *just* called not 5 minutes ago. She has officially sworn in and is now property of the U.S. Government!

I can't believe how long the process is for joining the Air Force, but it'll be worth the wait to get an excellent job.

I've given a great deal of thought to this topic and this thread over the past few months.

I'm thinking mini-grip customized from BKC and a small Leatherman. Normally I would go for the biggest most expensive model, but I'm trying to take your advice on weight and size. I'll need to research because LM is not my go-to brand, but I want the best small one they make. I know they (use to?) make a model with a blade in s30v. Hopefully they make a small one with a premium steel knife...
 
One never spends too much for a daughter. That said, make sure she can have a knife in her possession, since times have dramatically changed. Personally, spend about $90.00 and get her the Spyderco Dragonfly 2 in G-10.
 
You must be super proud! Get her a benchmade 810 or benchmade 275 and call it a day, Good quality, Won't break the bank , and blade replacements are only 25-30 bucks if the blade gets messed up, but like others have said wait until she gets out of basic. Again Congrats to you and thank her for her future service! If benchmades won't do it you can always buy my strider SMF for her...lol
 
Wow, I can't believe after three pages I get to be the first one to mention this! Years ago someone asked Spyderco's owner Sal Glesser, "If your son were going into the military what folding knife would you send him with?" His answer was to design and produce the Spyderco Military. So that's Sals answer to your question anyway! :-).

Btw, I own the benchmade mini griptilian and its a great knife. I also own the spyderco dragonfly 2 and I end up carrying it everyday over the mini grip. It's small but it's a hell of a knife. In the mid size range I really like a couple of spyderco knives like the sage and the caly 3.

P.S. I kind of agree with the "wait til after basic" advice. Take a look at the dragonfly though. You cant go wrong with that one! You could get her that one now and no matter what kind of knife you might get her in the future, she will never stop loving the dragonfly!
 
Allen R. said:
You must be super proud! Get her a benchmade 810 or benchmade 275 and call it a day, Good quality, Won't break the bank , and blade replacements are only 25-30 bucks if the blade gets messed up, but like others have said wait until she gets out of basic. Again Congrats to you and thank her for her future service! If benchmades won't do it you can always buy my strider SMF for her...lol
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Haha I could give her my 810 or my SnG CC, but I don't think she wants either. She perked up when I told her about the Hinderer. I told her that she'd be buying one not me. I can't afford it!

I wish Hinderer would let me buy one of his knives FOR someone in the military. I don't have a clue what her starting pay will be but even at $400 she won't be able to buy one I don't think.
 
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