Victorinox BSA logo Tinker for a newly whittling chip minted Cub Scout

H

Hard H2O

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My boy got his whittling chip at camp recently along with the other boys in his bear den.

The other dads in our den bought the cheap multi-tool like objects from the camp store.

My son wanted one as well. I told him to wait and I would get him something.

I just ordered a BSA logo Victorinox Tinker at a decent price.

I hope he will be as excited about it as I will be when it arrives.

The daughter wants to replace her Buck Solo with a Leatherman Juice S2 or Cs4. I might have to surprise her one day.

I am trying to keep them interested in knives as tools and not scared of them like their cousin, many of their friends, and the parents of their friends.
 
That will make a great gift for the new whittling scout. :thumbup: BTW please if at all possible get the girl the S2. We need more female members around these parts. I'm all alone at times. :D

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I am going to get her something or other eventually. I do not think she will need the corkscrew so that may be the deciding factor on which one.

My most used tools on my Juice S2 are the pliers and the scissors. I carry a Buck 382, the S2 and either a Benchmade Ambush or kershaw Vapor so the blade on the S2 goes pretty much unused. Personally i do not see much use for a corkscrew. All of my beverages are screw top, pop tabs, or bottle caps.

She will only be carrying the Juice.
 
The Tinker looks to be about perfect for a kid new to knives. It seems like it has a big enough main blade but not too big. I wanted a knife that he would use for years in scouting and this looks like it will serve him well.

I bought an Outdoor Edge belt sheath from Gander Mountain. I know the logos can wear off so I wanted something to preserve the BSA logo as long as possible.

This one was less than $20 so I think it was a bit better deal than the other dads were getting with the cheap models at camp. I can imagine those falling apart, loosening up, not sharpening up nice...

For less than $20 this one should hold up quite a bit better.
 
The tinker is a great SAK ....
I have been teaching knife safety to cub scouts for about 12 years now. My only concern is a locking feature. I could be wrong, but I don't think the Tinker has a locking blade. I usually tell parents to buy a decent folder with some kind of locking mechanism. Cubs notoriously get excited and forget to pay attention and close the knife on their fingers by using it incorrectly. I know they are trained right, but they are only 8-9 at bear..... Please take no offense, just an observation.

Doc

An old ( but current) Scoutmaster
 
I thought about a locking blade. He will be using under supervision so it shouldn't be an issue. With knives you never know.

At the price point, features, and with the BSA logo this looks like a good choice.

How many threads have we seen on this forum pertaining to getting bit by a blade? It isn't a matter of if you will get bit more when and how bad.

8 years old is correct. We will be camping overnight this Saturday. I am going to be sure he gets a chance to use it.
 
I am sure you and he will love the Tinker. It is a nice little knife and something that will last much longer and mean more in the years to come than the instant gratification cheaper knives.
 
Congrats to your son on getting his chip. I remember when my son got his and he got a Gerber lockback for attaining it. Boy Scouts and the men and women that that the time to be part of the troop and encourage the boys to stick with it all the way to Eagle are also to be given many thinks. About this time last year my son got his Eagle Rank and my wife and I gave him the attached custom scrimmed knife as his Eagle reward. Good Luck to your son and your daughter.eagle_scout 02.jpg
 
I think everyone should be given a non locking folder for a first knife. That way they learn how to properly use a knife and what not to do with it. Even locking knives can fail! The only secure lock is a fixed blade!

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Knife Crazied said:
I think everyone should be given a non locking folder for a first knife. That way they learn how to properly use a knife and what not to do with it.
Click to expand...

Agreed. My son is 7 and has been whittling (under my direct supervision) for more than a year. A few days ago he cut himself for the first time. It wasn't too bad, but bloody enough to make it a lesson well learned. With the exception of my Buck 55, all of his knife use has been with slipjoints. Of course one factor here is that he's just one kid, and he's mine. I might sing a different tune in the locker vs. slipjoint debate if I was dealing with a gaggle of other folks' kids.
 
Knife Crazied said:
I think everyone should be given a non locking folder for a first knife. That way they learn how to properly use a knife and what not to do with it. Even locking knives can fail! The only secure lock is a fixed blade!

Sent from Ash forum mobile
Click to expand...

At age 12, with neither encouragement nor otherwise from parents, I launched myself into knife carry with a scout pattern Kamp King. Over the next 15 years when it was my only one, with little guidance and relying mostly on my own experience, I learned how to handle it well and safely. For decades I haven't cut myself more than a slight nick now and then, but so seldom and never requiring more than a Band Aid, that I can't recall a single episode at this moment.

Slippies hold no dread for me. For as long as I can remember, I have Never cut myself due to a collapsing blade. It's all about knowing your gear. Frankly, though, I'm not sure I could have handled it at 9 or younger.
 
I've still got and use my 84mm tinker that my dad gave me on the way to the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico - and I sill pocket carry a later version in the full size along with a Kershaw "Chill" and ofter an old leatherman PST> and yeah i've given my son and daughter their own knives as well as my grandchildren - and now I have a "Chill" stuck away for a great grandchild due in November -to his Marine Mom and Dad! Semer Fi! -keep the tradition going!
Revvie
 
I got my first slip joint for Christmas in 1967 when I was 8. I have never had a blade close on me so I don't think the absence of a lock is any drawback for a first knife.
 
He sure wanted the instant gratification. The other cubs in his den who got the cheapies were pretty happy. I made him wait and got him something a bit better for not much more money.

I also believe that having a slipjoint for a first knife will help him learn to respect the tool a bit more.

That Eagle knife is cool.

We are going camping this weekend with our pack. I am bringing my sharpening kit in the hopes that I can correct some of the misinformation that the young staff imparted at the knife skills training. It wasn't too bad. Just a bit misguided. They talked about only cutting away from yourself yet when he talked of sharpening he showed them how to hold the stone in your hand and hone the edge. The edge was passing very close to the fingers and palm gripping the stone.
 
Good luck with the sharpening lesson. I need a stone sharpening lesson myself. :D

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Tradition would have required an authentic Camillus Cub Scout knife or at least the Camp King mentioned above. Overall, I think your choice is even better though. I gifted my nephew a BSA Tinker upon his reaching 1st class. How he made it that far without a knife of his own I am still trying to figure out.

OT: I still remember a BSA Wenger SAK that I lusted over in the local hardware store, not a Scout Shop. I saved my allowance for quite awhile, all the time keeping an eye on the case and hoping someone else didn't grab it 1st. At the time I was clueless but now I suspect the shopkeep knew the deal and was secretly holding onto it. It did eventually come home with me and was a trusted companion for many years. Time has seperated us, but I still hope it turns up somewhere, some time.

Eagle Scout - 86
 
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