Knife Safety - How did you learn it, or how did you/are you teaching your kids?

Did my part the other day as "the old guy". Neighbor kid who's friends with my grandson and I went hiking. He took along his Dad's Frost Cutlery modern.... partially serrated blade and dull as a kitchen knife. Pretty much a junk knife, but he doesn't know it nor did I put down that knife. I asked about it and he said that his Dad never uses it and thinks he got it in the army, so he won't miss it. Gave him a new Kabar Dozier Folding Hunter as his "own" knife. What did I tell him.... "don't cut yourself" and don't take it to school and put Dad's knife back where you found it. I feel sure he would prefer something a bit larger just because of the cool factor, but I think I gave him one that he can sharpen relatively easily if he tries and certainly be in control of the smallish blade. Next trip to the woods, I think I'll give him my old unused SOG NW Ranger which is partially serrated. It isn't a bad knife and he will probably like the serrations. That should do him for a while.
 
Everyone's answer to this thread has been super interesting, thank you! I appriciate your detailed response zzyzzogeton, that was awesome. I really like your grandfather's philosophy of "right tool for the job" and taking time to do things right. It's such a valuable lesson to learn in general, not just for knife safety.
 
I taught myself the basic safety. The internet was really helpful in learning some of the more advanced stuff. Having a sharp knife is what really made me understand safe use though. A dull knife just cannot be used safely IMO. I'd say half the battle in the safe use of a knife is knowing how to sharpen and knowing what NOT to cut.
 
I think I was taught three things about knife safety when I was a child:
1. Cut away from yourself.
2. It ain't a toy.
3. Don't cut yourself.
I actually can't remember ever cutting myself with a knife until I was in my teens.
I'm scared to death of my son getting cut, but he knows the basics (and then some. He's even tried his hand at a little sharpening).
But I'm still scared :-)
 
All my knife safety is self-taught. Kudos to you parents who are ensuring the same cannot be said for your children. :thumbup:
 
Captain Airyca said:
I didn't do any kitchen stuff with her B34NS, but that's something I think we should do in the future. I want to make sure she learns to try and not catch the knife if it drops.
Click to expand...

Yea, simple tasks like peeling and slicing fruit help build a lot of confidence and they get to eat the results. Great point about the catch the knife thing! That's where jump rope and hop scotch come in handy, even for us grown men in commercial kitchens :D

I used to be a volunteer for this skateboarding camp in my teens years ago in the sierras teaching kids of all walks some of these skills.

[video=youtube;_IlTAudmIBw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IlTAudmIBw[/video]
 
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