My daughter's first knife.

C

Clay Kesting

Joined
Oct 10, 1998
Messages
648
I want to give my daughter a knife for her 8th birthday, which is coming up shortly, and am unable to decide what it should be. I had thought of a lockback for safety and had a plain edge Dragonfly in mind, but decided that was too expensive (after considering exchange rates) for a knife she might lose so I then thought of a Gerber LST. I want something sized for her hands, that she will find easy to use. Maybe it doesn't need to be a lockback, I grew up with slip-joints and never cut myself. Possibly something more traditional looking might be nicer for a first knife, something to remember Dad by (sorry, feeling old).

Anyway I would welcome suggestions from the dads and mums (and prospective ones, no matter how far off) out there, what would you give your 8 year old for their first knife?

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Take care,
Clay
kesting@idx,com.au

Some people make things happen, some watch while things happen, and some wonder "What happened".


 
The venerable SAK!! Dad gave me one for my 7th b-day...I loved that knife!. Make sure she gets one with scissors.
 
One of the small Scandinavian/Finnish fixed blades won't fold up. That tradition emphasizes whittling and woodworking, and the manufacturers' catalogs include models specifically intended for a child's first knife.

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- JKM
www.chaicutlery.com

 
I'd agree with James here, get one of the Swedish fixed blades in carbon steel. The carbon steel will help her learn to take good care of her tools and the Swedish(and others, for all I know, but the Swedish I'm sure) have a true flat grind. The grind goes streight from the blade to the edge, a single bevel. This makes it very easy to sharpen on a stone, another important life skill.
Aaron


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My sheep has seven gall bladders, that makes me King of the Universe!
aaronm@cs.brandeis.edu

 
Clay and I have discussed this by email and, I feel, there is no "correct" answer.
Having said that : I believe that a slipjoint folder with carbon steel blade(s) is the way to go.
IMO, it would teach some basic maintenance skills and a few basic knife-handling lessons. My first knives were all carbon steel slipjoints......still have all my fingers and very few rusty knives.
And I started before year 8.
But , MY kids ? Would have to be stainless lockblades.......and not before age 21 .

smile.gif
of course.





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Brian W E
ICQ #21525343

My opinions are based on information available to me. Don't attack my opinions....give me more information.





 
I also have an eight year old daughter. So it's an interesting and relevant topic for us also. I asked my wife what she thinks; she said, "No, I wouldn't!" My eight year old said, "Yes, I would." She is the same girl who cut herself with my Spyderco Terzuola when she was two. (I mentioned this in another thread.) She and I often look at my collection together. I even taught her a lesson on "quality" by comparing one of the cheapo "fish knife" (the one that has a nasty "hooked" bolster) with beautifully crafted Moki with pearl and abalone inlay (which I promised to give her someday). I don't know about your eight year old, but mine is not ready to have a knife on her own. I can give her one, but I will keep it for her to use under my supervision.

slowjocrow
 
get her something nice and lady like.

a custom mad dog with nice bow wrapped around the sheath

a microtech nemisis with a black blade.

or a full size double action SOCOM in tanto point.

or something small and cute like a gerber applegate combat (4.5 inch)folding dagger.

or if none of those are viable options then i forgot the model number of the benchmade but it has a spear pointed blade 2.9 inches and was designed by mell pardue. the one that was an auto till recently.

my first knives were gerber lst lockbacks. cant go wrong there but get her something witha thumb stud. try a delecta 98 plain edge.
 
Geez , memnoch......kidding. right ?
This bloke was, really, looking for advice .
He , really, wants to get his daughter off on the right foot.




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Brian W E
ICQ #21525343

My opinions are based on information available to me. Don't attack my opinions....give me more information.





 
I suggest you try one of the Swedish Frost knifes. I am living in Sweden and that´s the knife that every kid over here starts out with. They are inexpensive and razor sharp from the factory. A typical workingknife. You´ll find half a dozen in the average home.

 
I don't have a daughter, but I do have two little sisters who grew up camping and fishing. My first knife was a traditional case three bladed knife. I still have the scars to prove it too. My sisters both shared a Boy Scout knife that my mom had bought when I was in cub scouts. It was a Camillus folder with "U.S.M.C." marked on the side. I assume that they are inexpensive knives, and they seem to do be quite purposeful for the things that little girls do.

I do agree with the premis of starting small and working your way up. When I do finally do have children, I hope to supply them with knives that will last them a lifetime, and be worth passing down to their children. For me this eliminates any "plastic" knives from the list. As much as I love Zytel folders, they do not seem to have the sentimental value potential of a nice bolstered lockback, or a well made hunting knife.

Another nice thing to do would be to order up a knife kit from either a supplier or a custom maker (Rob Simonich makes Cetan kits for about $40 3" blade 7" overall ATS34 and already heat treated) and together with your daughter finish the blade, attach and finish the handle, and make a suitable sheath for it. It would be worth alot more to her since her Dad made it/help her make it. That is the route that my Father took with me when I got into cars. I learned alot that way, and I have a greater appreciation for things that I have built than things that were given to me.

Maybe next year you can get her something nicer if she seems interested/responsible enough. A Busse Battle Mistress perhaps
smile.gif
?

YeK

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"No, it's a Vaquero Grande in my pocket, but I am happy to see you!"
yekimak@hotmail.com





[This message has been edited by Yekim (edited 04 February 1999).]
 
Thanks for all the great replies. There is much food for thought here.

DC, I had originally thought of a SAK but got distracted by the idea of a lockback. I have always found the scissors to be the most useful tools on these knives (apart from the blade that is). However the idea, suggested by several posters (including my mate Brian), of a carbon steel blade to teach the proper care of tools, has a lot going for it.

James, I like the idea of a knife designed specifically as a child's first knife. Are there any web sites where I could have a look at one. Perhaps you should add them to your inventory
smile.gif
. My first knife was a carbon steel FB (a German "Matador") given to me in the Cub Scouts.

Slowjocrow, I agree on the need for supervision. She understands that I will look after the knife for her and help her learn to use it, until she is a little older.

Yekim, I like the idea of making the knife together. Trouble is I have been trying to build a boat for the past 2 years. At that rate she could be in high school before she gets the knife
smile.gif
.

Memnoch, she has asked for a MD Panther for her second knife
biggrin.gif
.

Thanks again for all the good ideas, I will let you know what I decide.

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Take care,
Clay
ICQ#24192828

"Learning is not compulsory.....neither is survival."





 
www.kellamknives.com

They have a bunch of Puuko type knives, I thing that there were a few designed for kids. I think James deals with them.

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"No, it's a Vaquero Grande in my pocket, but I am happy to see you!"
yekimak@hotmail.com





[This message has been edited by Yekim (edited 04 February 1999).]
 
I gave my 9 year old Godson a Buck Prince for Christmas. It's a lock back so no closing on fingers. He's having a lot of fun with it.

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Take Care,

LD

"Every Dog Has His Day"







 
Not having any children of my own-
and having supplied both my sibs
and parental units with decent
knife like objects- I suggest
either the "pint-sized pukko" or
maybe a bubble-gum pink bone small
trapper style from Case.
BTW, did anyone see the Jim
March-sized pukko on Kellams site?
Gotta be a 12", if it's an inch.
Tactical Pukko!
smile.gif



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"The secret to winning any engagement is proper training and superior firepower."

 
Well, my Girls are 4 1/2 and 1 1/2 so they won't get one soon, but When My friends ask me for a knife to give their kids I usually recommend a Buck 444 (lockback with a 3" blade, plastic handles) Good all purpose blade for small hands and the price is right if it gets lost. or I also recommend a Micra. Kids I know are always fiddling with something so a mini tool is a good gift. (I always also give a caution about taking the Micra to school because of zero tolerance laws).

Jeff
 
Clay,
Have you considered a Cetan in kit form? It would not only provide a beautiful small utility knife, but also a lesson life. What better gift than something you two can share in the finishing of?
 
I have an eight year old girl myself and it just so happens I just bought her her first knife. I have been taking her to the custom knife shows here in NYC since she was five and this year when I took her to the one in November I told her I would get her her first knife.I thought hard about the SAK but I worried about it not locking and closing on her fingers.I looked around and what I got her was a spyderco ladybug but with a blade shape like a Rescue. Sheepsfoot, No POINT.As soon as we got home I taught her some basic knife stuff. Cut away from your body. How to open and close it without having her fingers in the way and then I gave her a lenth of string and made her practice. She loved the knife and everytime I watch her use it she is so careful it is a joy to behold.
 
At www.roselli.fi there's a knife called the "Little Carpenter" that has a finger guard, and an edge but no point. That one might take a while to bring in from Finland. The Roselli "Grandmother" has about a 2" blade and is available at my place www.chaicutlery.com/roselli.html and also at Ragweed Forge http://www.ragweedforge.com/cat-kniv.html#fin .

The Frosts of Sweden woodcarving knife #137 at www.chaicutlery.com is a bit more conventional, and very useful. Ragweed Forge probably has it or something similar too.

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- JKM
www.chaicutlery.com

 
Hello Clay, you got a lot of tips/suggestions already but I'll give you my thaughts also. I'm very active in scouting and both my kids (daughter 10, son 11) have been at scouting for 3+ years. When my son became 9 and my daughter 8 I gave them a SAK made not by Victorinox but by Wenger!, the Wenger SAK has a locking mainblade (also locking by pressure screwdriver) and the super usefull scissors, nailfile etc.
It's a special scouting edition and both my kids have used it safely the last years. It handles fine is not to big and has everything they would ever need at their age. If you would like to see a picture of the knife I could send a jpeg file to you.
The Dutch scouting edition costs between $30 and $40 depending on the number of tools. I could get you one if you want one just email me.
Best regards, Bagheera


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An addition to my suggestion: Look at the smallest Boye basic, #1. It is about 5" with 2.3" of blade and the blade is dropped eonugh to act as both guard and sharpening guide.
Aaron

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My sheep has seven gall bladders, that makes me King of the Universe!
aaronm@cs.brandeis.edu

 
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