My son is 4, and loves knives...

[Eric H]

...just like his old man. We are planning a camping trip, and I was thinking of modifying one of my knives for him to carry. I have a Parker Brothers copy of an M3 trench knife that I was thinking of grinding off the edge and rounding the point so he would have something to carry and make him feel grown up.

Now, he is very good with tools. I let him hammer in nails by himself in the basement (much to the chagrin of his mom ), and he knows to stay away from any knives other than butterknives.

Assuming of course, that I successfully grind the edge smooth and fully round the point, do you guys think this is a good idea?

(I know there is some collector value to the Parker Brothers M3, but not much. It's been a user, and it would probably cost me more to buy a trainer knife, than what I could get by selling the Parker. I also have a "Tomahawk" brand one-handed folder that I could do the same with...)

 

[numberthree]

I can't see the harm in it. I have a 4 year old son myself and he's very good around knives. I let him cut things with my SAK scissors, and he pays enough attention to carry screwdrivers and other tools properly so that he can't fall on the sharp bits. My boy much prefers to carry his toy lightsaber around on his belt rather than a real knife though, even if he was given the choice...

 

[Esav Benyamin]

"As the twig is bent, the tree will grow." The sooner you allow him to show any sense of responsibility, the sooner he'll develop it for real. Just make sure he only gets to carry and handle it when you are around coaching him. At that age, he will only play with any one toy just so long, and since it won't be a real cutting tool, he'll know he's just practicing.

 

[digdeep]

Excellent idea. I would especially spend a lot of time explaining knife safety as well.

 

[Spydiefan04]

You MIGHT also want to get him a trainer knife. For example the trainer versions of the Spyderco Delica and Endura, or the trainer version of the Boker Applegate-Fairbain. He can "play" with them and not worry about getting cut, and I wouldn't mess up a knife with any collector value personally. Also Victorinox has come out with a sharpened but blunt tipped knife called "My first Vicotrinox" it might be cool to get him one of those to learn with.

 

[STR]

I once took one of those Cold Steel fiberglass reinforced nylon CAT Tanto "grivory" blades and cut the handle off and replaced a blade in a folder for a 5 year old nephew. I even put a thumb stud in it and he loved it. (So did his mom because it was safer than a metal blade.) I reshaped the blade into a sailor blade or sheeps foot so it didn't really have a point on it and put 3/16 hole in it for the pivot. Made it so the liner lock worked and it had a pocket clip and everything. I had to cut a piece out of the remaining blade to remake a spacer bar for it also so the new blade would fit but in the end it worked fine and the little guy loved it.

Safety is the key I think. Starting them young is the way to go IMO. Sounds like a chip off the ole block.

 

[Alvin Hom]

.....

 

[Laceration]

Yes, start them young. By the time I was 10, I was killing & cleaning chickens for my grandma.

Just kidding, I should really avoid the computer when I've been drinking.

 

[jefff]

That is cool .. I have a 2 year old daughter and was thinking of getting her this .. lol

 

[basknives]

It's good to introduce kids to the safety issues of knives at an early age. I sell knives, collect knives, and recently started making knives. I have 3 kids and they are all taught a healthy respect for anything with an edge. we signed my oldest daughter (she's 8) up as a junior member of the ABS. She has shown an interest in knifemaking and we're even working on her first knife.

 

[Zerileous]

perhapse a dull edge, but dont tell your son that it is dull. That way it will be a real knife for him to treat like a real knife, but it will not do dangerous cuts. I am not talking of the trainer edge, but the kind of edge you find in the kitchens of ppl who are not knife nuts and bought the cheepest knives they could find 10 years ago and they have never been sharpened since. Or maybe like the dull steak knives you find in restoraunts. (sometimes they are sharp)

 

[lumpymike1]

Sounds like he is a reasonably responsible boy, so go for it. My son got his 1st SAK classic for his 6th birthday this year. And cut his finger with it the same day. He was so embarrased he bandged it up himself and didn't tell me until I tucked him in that night. He is great with it, and likes to use my Becker Necker when we are out and about. He can split wood and baton with it better than my wife. She is a work in progress.

 

[GarageBoy]

Give him a real one, mainly because he will learn to respect the edge. He's not gonna know how a real one cuts. Just take it back when he's no longer under your supervision

 

[spydutch]

I have a 9 year old son who likes his dad's Poilicemodel the most. Under my supervision I let him handle my knives. I can't give him a knife because his mother would freak out( my son doesn't live with me)

 

[mcswood]

Share all that you can with him. They grow up real quick.
I think the main thing is your rules ( that he must follow ).
My kids all carried " camping " knives while in the field with me.
I allways made it out to be a special " tool " , only to be carried/ touched while camping. And only under my watchfull eye.
If you slip up and he carries one to pre school , you'll be in for a rude awakening.

 

[cockroachfarm]

perhapse a dull edge, but dont tell your son that it is dull. That way it will be a real knife for him to treat like a real knife, but it will not do dangerous cuts....

Very good idea. It's entirely possible to teach knife safety with a rubber prop knife or gun safety with a water pistol. If you treat the lessons taught with those objects 'seriously', the real thing will also be treated 'seriously'.

 

[Merek]

NO dull junk for kids! At 50 I still cut myself. It happens. It just seems to hurt more when you are a little kid (or it is YOUR little kid) and gets so much worse when people freak out. Admittedly having a folder shut on your fingers can be real bad for a kid, but all the little slices, while messy and painful, are valuable lessons. There are many 'painful' lessons to be learned when growing up. Rocks, cactus, wasps, cats, stickers, darts, matches, roses and just plain ol' gravity. We have a sense of 'feeling', the extreme of which is 'pain', to teach us not to do that again. Healthy respect is usually well tempered at some level with a touch of fear.
Don't give them anything extreme, but small and sharp should not be a problem with proper guidance.

 

[Trout Tamer]

Give him a real one, mainly because he will learn to respect the edge. He's not gonna know how a real one cuts. Just take it back when he's no longer under your supervision

I like this advice the best; the is my mode of operation when working with my niece and nephew on knives (ages 6 and 4, respectively). I have shown them how to hold a knife, how to properly cut different materials, and how to clean the blades and return the blade to storage (sheath or folding into handle). Their mother, my sister, loves the fact that I am teaching them knife responsibility. They learn how to properly use the tool, they learn the proper perception of a knife, and we get to spend some quality time. And, I get more practice on my sharpening technique after we are all through

 

[marauder220]

My son turned 4 in June, and for the past 4-5mos he has taken a great interest in my Balisongs, usually because he likes to watch me practice drills with them and he really enjoys watching my Escrima practice sessions. I've bought him some foam Escrimas and he loves'em. I bought him a Benchmade training Balisong (40T) and we've been working on handling and basic knife safety, etc. I also tried to show him an 806 trainer, but he wasn't interested at all. The Balisong has him thoroughly captivated! On a few occasions and under strict supervision, I've let him use one of my 42's to whittle on some sticks, cut some soft training targets and such. He's always very careful with the live blade and is very aware of what it can do, and so far is very responsible when he's allowed to use it. He still can't quite master any openings or closings too well, but we're still workin' on it!