My son asked me for a knife...I'm clueless

knarfeng said:
There is a separate law that is only for k-12 school campuses.

626.10. (a) Any person, except a duly appointed peace officer as defined in Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 830) of Title 3 of Part 2, a full-time paid peace officer of another state or the federal government who is carrying out official duties while in this state, a person summoned by any officer to assist in making arrests or preserving the peace while the person is actually engaged in assisting any officer, or a member of the military forces of this state or the United States who is engaged in the performance of his or her duties, who brings or possesses any dirk, dagger, ice pick, knife having a blade longer than 21/2 inches, folding knife with a blade that locks into place, a razor with an unguarded blade, a taser, or a stun gun, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 244.5, any instrument that expels a metallic projectile such as a BB or a pellet, through the force of air pressure, CO2 pressure, or spring action, or any spot marker gun, upon the grounds of, or within, any public or private school providing instruction in kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, is guilty of a public offense, punishable by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by imprisonment in the state prison. [Ed. Note: This is the paragraph dealing with legal carry on K-12 school grounds.
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Right, that limits things. Non-locking utility knives less than 2.5 inches. Wenger or Victorinox Swiss Army knives (careful some of the Wenger ones lock, most of the Victorinox are to long), a Scout type knife (Case makes some nice ones, though again they might be a little long), a stockman, pen or trapper could be ok (again though length might be an issue).

I think though that you should ask your son what kind of knife he wants, if he doesn't know then you can show him some pictures of knives (go to the manufacturers sites, Wenger, Victorinox, Case, Buck, etc.) and let him pick. Make it a big deal, kind of a ritual of adulthood ("You are 16 now, you are responsible, I trust you, you can make life choices now."). This will make him proud and happy, and also it will make him more likely to not abuse the knife (ie break it doing something stupid, trade it for something, threaten someone with it and so on).
 
Good question, I always remember my first knife as a boy scout to be a Swiss Army Knife.

For a first knife I think something traditional would be best, this way you will create a better understanding of knives for your son. Have him understand knives before he starts getting "cool" knives.

I would recommend Swiss Army or Buck 110. Both are affordable (under $50), reliable, durable. They haven't been changed for so long because they are GREAT!
 
The Spyderco above looks like something he's after. That would be assisted opening though, right? Alot to think about. We are going to Big 5 today after church (FoxHole Atheist, ahem), and look at what they have in their cases just to hold them and feel them, but not purchase any, as I told my boys. This is a research project still.

Off topic, I knew an atheist pilot who's engine conked out on him at 7,000 feet. I asked him what he did in that situation, and he started to recite the Lord's Prayer! I'll never forget that.

One more thing, i mentioned that the gun forums talk about Marble knives, among others. No one has mentioned that brand so far. Is that a cheapo?

Salute to Vets.
 
IMHO a SAK or Spyderco S30V Native from Wal-Mart would fill the bill nicely.
 
I'm a college student now, but in highschool I would often have a swiss army knife in my backpack or coat pocket. It wasn't ever a problem, but you're son's school might be different.

the spyderco delica is a good knife for a modern folder, and if one hand opening is a problem the buck 112 that's already been mentioned isn't a bad choice at all. Either one might be a bad choice at school.

When I was 16 my parents would say "buy whatever you want, just use you're own money." As long as I didn't get into trouble with it was OK.
 
I 2nd the suggestion for the Spyderco Delica. It's a do everything knife, from picking splinters to cutting rope to self defense. It's also not an assisted opener, i.e. there is no spring assisted blade launching mechanism. However, having said that, there is no knife that presents a blade more effortlessly. It's also got very high end steel (VG-10) and is completely ambidextrous. Spyderco quality is top notch.

It's what I carry most often.

End of commercial!
 
California knife law- no blade length limit, assisted openning fine, no balisongs (butterfly knives) or automatics.

Carry at K-12- leave them all at home

Carry at college- same as state law.

Sugestions- Benchmade Griptilian, Spyderco Caly 3, Benchmade 520, Kershaw Cyclone, Ka-bar Mule, Spyderco Para-Military

For a first knife, I think the Griptilian would be my first choice. They are light weight, durable, non-tacticle looking, and reasonably inexpensive. Available in several styles, both in combo or plain edge. (combo edge refers to the back half being serated and the front half being smooth)

P.S.- when you are ready to sharpen, get a Spyderco Sharpmaker
 
i second the Delica 4. I'd also reccomend the Spyderco Dragonfly etched. Snazzy, useful, and not overwhelmingly large.
 
Wow. Lots of knives and a lot of opinions. I, myself, detest slipjoints.

My suggestion is a CRKT M21-02. It has a nice 3-inch spearpoint blade and a secure locking system. It's also has a lot of appeal. The Spyderco Native also gets the thumbs up, as does the Cold Steel Voyager.

For self defense at school, he can carry one of these small plastc blades. The points are usually dull, but both sides of the edge have modest serrations. Yes, it will stab if pushed hard enough. And the serrations can be used effectively. Not a great tool for offense, but then that's the whole idea.
 
jonnyt16 said:
I'm not sure where you got that information but it is completely false. Suprisingly, in this far-left, liberal, politically-sensitive state of California we have no blade length limit at all except for full-automatic knives (the limit there is 2"). Assisted openings of any size are tolerated.

Weird how you can carry a monster of a folding knife of any size with you concealed but yet you are a criminal if your gun is packing more than ten rounds. Wacky state.
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This is to the best of my knowledge:
If the knife is conceiled ie. deep pocket carry, the blade must be 3in or shorter. If the blade is over 3in, the knife mush be carried in a holster on a belt so it is visable.


Iwould look at a Benchmade mini or regular Grip. But if you want something a little more robust then look at the 520 or 525 Presidio. Benchmade has excellent warranty coverage and customer service.
 
Astrodokk said:
The Spyderco above looks like something he's after. That would be assisted opening though, right?
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No, the Spyderco Delica is not an assisted opener. I'm a big Spyderco fan and would second the recommendations of both the Delica or Native. The Native which can be purchased for under $40 at Walmart is one of the greatest values out there.

That said, I also carry a Victorinox Driver also - the screwdriver/cap lifter/can opener blades are handy along with the toothpick and tweezers which get used regularly.

I bought my daughter a Vic Driver when she was 12 and have a pink Delica on the way for her 14th birthday.

Good luck with the search!!

David
 
I would suggest the spyderco native. If you can find it at walmart it is 40 dollars. Online its around 42-50.
-S30V steel will hold up well
-Affordable
-Pocket Clip
-One hand opening
-Could be easily used for self defense
-Made in USA

The spyderco delica is also an awesome choice.
 
I would look at the Spyderco Byrd folder line up:

I would start with an inexpensive starter knife, IMO.

The Byrd lineup comes in various blade lengths and shapes with some good quality for the price. Most are under $30 bucks, plenty of knife to learn from.

If it's broken, stolen etc it's not a big deal, it's easily replaced. Then at high school grad a custom or high end knife would be sweet moving on up gift.
 
The Victorinox Trekker (formallyTrailmaster) Black, I think would be an interesting knife for a teenager. Looks neat. Fun to try the different tools. The tools are ones he would actually find useful. Could last a long time with reasonable care. If it gets lost, well $29 isn't too bad these days.

http://www.newgraham.com/detail.aspx?ID=4617

Rich
 
rebeltf said:
The Buck Ranger was a good idea.
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I've only owned one knife that had such a poorly fitted lock, that having it snap shut on my fingers was a real possibility. So I tossed it in the trash.

Give you one guess what it was. Ironically, the Buck Folding Hunter I own is rock-solid. So was the previous one I had.
 
We went to Sports Authority, Walmart, and Big 5. Big 5 had the best examples of knives, SA didn't. Wally's were out of stock on alot of them, but they carried alot of Bucks. I would not mind ordering online or from private party either. Both my boys really liked the CRKT M16 ($40) at Big 5. The box was labeled as assisted opening, so I think anything with a hole or peg would be considered that (not just with spring). I really liked the Mossberg. It was a little larger than the CRKT M16, but felt good in my hand and the blade was black. It was $50. I will go to the respective websites to research them and the above mentioned great suggestions to learn more about them now that I have time.
KFLEISIG: Some folks have told me recently what you said. So I was glad about that. But...
Tiny86: today at the store I also heard that deep conceal in pocket can't be over 3". So I'm confused but will clear this up before I buy too short of a blade and then find out later that it can be over with no limits. Need to confirm that. Thanks for all the info. Any word on Marble knives? (not that I want one, just curious.
 
Astrodokk,I do not know if this was posted in your thread,I just went through it real quick.But definitely,you came to a great place to ask.IMHO,for the money,the Kabar/Dozier folder,the clip pt.,or the original one (like a spear point),are pretty darn hard to beat for $20 bill.AUS-8 is not the best,but easy enough for a touch up sharpening job,and will hold up well enough for general use.They are a nice size 4" or so handle/3" blade,and feel good in the hand,and pocket.
-Vince
 
My father gave me a Buck folding hunter when I was little younger than that. I have used and abused it for almost 30 years now. Lots of good suggestions posted here, for what it's worth, I am considering getting my sons a Buck Ranger this christmas.
 
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