Suggest a pattern for a 9 year old boy

J

jamesbeat

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Jul 26, 2009
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I have a 9 year old step son who doesn't own a knife!
Well, that's not strictly true, I bought him a Leatherman Micra for xmas, but he doesn't own a proper knife.
When I gave him the Micra, I told him that he can keep it in his room as long as he brings it to me or my wife if he wants to use it.
He's kept his promise, and I've been teaching him how to use a knife without cutting himself.
He's used his mom's kitchen knives (Victorinox, shaving sharp) under supervision to cut fruit etc, and he's always very sensible and thinks before he cuts.

I want to reward this responsible behavior by buying him his first proper knife, but there's so many patterns that it's difficult to pick one.

Do I get a multi bladed one, or is the simplicity of one or two blades better for a child?
Do I get a small knife for his small hands, or one he can grow into?

I've been toying with the idea of a barlow, because bith myself and the barlow pattern are originally from England.
I also like the idea of a peanut, but peanuts are small and easily lost.
I'm not particularly keen on trappers or stockmans, although if there is a compelling reason why one of those would be particularly suitable, I would consider them.
I personally love doctor's knives, but they aren't reallly a good all round user pattern.

I suppose a scout knife would be ideal for a young boy, but I want to get him a knife, not a primitive multi tool.

I have recently developed an inexplicable love for the congress pattern, but I doubt it would be to his taste (or a lot of other people's taste for that matter...)

I also love canoes, and I think that would probably be a good choice, but I keep thinking of the barlow as being the traditional boy's knife....

... And so on!

Please give me your thoughts and suggestions before I drive myself nuts :D
 
One of my first knives was a sodbuster. It was bullet proof. I used it for a long time, until my parents gave me a Schrade stockman. I still have that old stockman, and it still serves me well. I loved having the extra blades, and found different uses for each one. But, one group of knives that have really drawn my interest in the past few years has been Victorinox knives. And, since I've come to love the Vic's, I've had the opportunity to give several children their first knives. My two oldest got Vic Camper models as first knives. And, my nephew got a camper model Vic as his first knife. There is just something FUN about having all those blades/tools to use and work with. They loved them.

Since those initial gifts each of my kids have grown to love knives and have several. My young nephew will be getting another knife for Christmas this year, and it will probably be a Case stockman, just like his uncle carry's regularly.
 
He's 9 years old, so odds are the knife is going get dropped. Why not make it a visible one?

Case makes a yellow handle line of knives, and the pen knife is a good candidate. Not too big, easy to spot or keep track of, and won't break the bank if lost or broken.

Or you can try a Wenger patriot. Alox handles, near bomb proof, comes in red or other colors, and most of all, has a lanyard attachment keyring. Easy spring for young little fingers to pull open. Not to mention sak's are very low on the radar.

Keep in mind, those little fingers will not be able to pull open a knife you find easy to open.

Carl.
 
I'd recommend either a Case Texas Jack or Peanut both are simplistic, usefull, and well thought out patterns IMO, and just the right size.
 
My first knife wasa old timer small stockman (the good one not the china stuff) in carbon steel blades I found it in a drew one day in my house when i was 7 and ask my dad every day if i could have it until he said yes. :D buy being a kid i lost it :(
I would suggest a pen knife from case
 
Yea...I was going to say one of the Schrade Old Timers. They come in a variety of sizes and blade configurations, they are not overly expensive, and they are tough with good steel (talking about USA ones of course)

My choice would be the 34OT. It's about 3.5 inches, has a clip, sheepsfoot and spey. Seems like a good size for your boy with a good blade selection.

Another option with the old timers would be an 18OT. This is a single blade knife, but is a lockback. There were many times when I was young that I took a fingertip off with a monster snap slipjoint. The lockback might provide a little more safety for a 9 year old...because ever 9 year old wants to stick his knives in trees and such. It's safer to do that with a locking blade.

Just my 2 cents. You can probably find all on many of the evil auction sites.

Finally...gotta love the old carbon blades. Kid needs to learn to sharpen on carbon steel.

And better yet...here is a link to a fellow knife-lovin site that lists all of the Old Timer patterns made. You can look at the specs and see if there are any you like...then go search on the internet to look at pictures and prices. http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/schrade_knives/price_list/old_timer.php
 
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If you can, handle some knives in person at a shop. For a 9 year old boy, you'll need to find a knife that doesn't have too stiff a pull or too strong a snap. Pulls can vary between patterns, brands, and even between examples of the same knife of the same brand.

My suggestion would be Case of some sort, sub 3.5". The smaller ones fairly consistently have lighter pulls (although, again, try it in person if you can, first). I think a 6344 pattern stockman would be a good choice for a young kid. The main blade, obviously, is the most useful for general stuff, and the sheepsfoot and pen blades offer great versatility. The sheepsfoot is great for controlled cuts, like opening packages, and the pen blade is great for detail work. Small blades are great for teaching someone (even older adults on this forum) that you don't need a giant knife to get the job done, and can even be the worst choice in a knife. You wouldn't remove a splinter with a 2lb khukri, would you? The 6344 is available in CV steel too (non-stainless), if you want to teach him to maintain a blade, rather than give him one that's kid proof.
 
My first knife was a Kamp King. It's what I carried until I could prove I could care for, and be careful with knives. Then I was given a Boker Barlow, and shortly thereafter, given a SAK. Still have all 3.
 
I would like to recommend a victorinox cadet. A great knife to start and thin enough to use as a gentleman knife when he is older
 
I was teaching an 8 year old to use a knife
Regular slipjoints were harder for him to hold
I needed a knife with enough handle for his motor control
I had a # 6 Opinel, which he found very comfortable to hold

And they have a locking ring
Easy to teach sharpening with the blade
Not expensive for when he loose it....
 
Well my first knife was a Barlow pattern. I still remember it's black handles and patina. Man, that must have been almost thirty years ago but I still remember it well.

The best part about that knife was that my father gave it to me, it was a rite of passage.

Good luck with your decision and more importantly good luck with your boy.

Cheers,
Shane
 
to me vic cadet or a 91mm regular vic SAK, it's a classic, will have good snap but won't be hard to open, the blade's design is classic
otherwise a soddie, would either go 1 blade or 2 like the sak

or maybe an opinel 6? received one when I was like 6 and still have it, available in carbon and stainless, with a lock
costs few bucks btw

then maybe in 1-2-3 years he can get a more trad slippie
Maxx
 
My 5 yr. old daughter has about 40 knives in her collection. She gets these out from time to time, opens them up then wipes the blades down, closes them and puts them away, often unsupervised even though i prefer her to do this with me present.
So far, no cuts. The purpose of me telling this is that i think we too often under-estimate a child's ability to be responsible.
One of her knives is a single blade Victorinox with a rounded tip. Although very sharp, i think this is one of the safest knives to use as there is no tip to poke oneself with.
I think for a 9 yr. old child a basic 4 blade Camp style knife is a good option: The Master blade can be reserved for cutting, the punch(awl) for poking at something or digging into old wood or the ground or whatever, the screwdriver blade for tightening up a screw, etc. These and other things a child will want to do with a knife and need not be tempted to use(mis-use) the Clip or Spearpoint blade, but reserve that for just cutting. The reasonably large, wide handle gives plenty to hold on to and keep fingers out of the way while closing a blade and the bale (bail ?) allows for attachment of a bright colored lanyard making it easier to spot when placed on the ground. Find one of these with reasonably soft springs so blades are easy to open and closing snap on the gentler side, and i think you'll have a good knife for your stepson that he can use properly in a variety of situations .
roland
 
I would agree with the Opinel suggestion. It's fairly cheap, so if it gets lost, no biggie. You also don't have to worry about him cutting himself while trying to open the blade against the backspring like you would on a slip joint. And lastly, it locks, so there isn't the risk of it closing on him while using it. If it had to be a slip joint, I would make sure it isn't one that he'll have to fight to get open. Following wJacknife's suggestion of the yellow Case, I would recommed the pen pattern. The blade can be easily pinched open.
 
I'd go for a Texas Jack. I LOVE peanuts, but I do find the pen blade a bit hard to open. For little fingers, it'd be a real bear.

-- Mark
 
*slaps forehead*
An Opinel! Why didn't I think of that?
That's perfect guys, thanks for your help.
I'll order a carbon steel model right away...
 
opinel and saks are always the best way to start the passion, thumbup
get him a 6 or 7 and he'll be fine, a 8 is maybe a bit too big?
carbon is always a great choice
Maxx
 
I always give the small swiss army, victronix executive I think, that has the knife, scissors, screwdriver, nail file, tweezers, toothpick etc. It is more useful to a child since it has more than a knife (e.g. scissors). It is also something they can carry all the time (except school) and not get in trouble or scare their friend's mother. It builds the habit of carrying a knife. If the boy camps, get him an Opinel for that.
 
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