What are your thoughts on what makes a folding knife "kid friendly?"

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bubblewhip

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I was wondering on everyone's opinions on what's a kid friendly knife? Say about 11 years of age or so. I think the usual suspects are SAK's or traditional slipjoints like stockmans. But I think that SAKS and the old slip joints or lockbacks really make poor kids knives because I find them generally a little bit dangerous to use.

The way the lockbacks and slippies are designed use a very tough back spring which can make the blade snap shut on you when you least expect it. I've had a couple of nicks from using SAKs that way and I think a lot of us also do.

I think any knife that uses some sort of spring system that includes lockbacks, backspring slippies, spring assisted or even axis locks, anything where there's a spring that a certain point of closing will snap shut the blade poses a pretty big safety concern with small children. I think the Opinel, friction folders or any sort of linerlock (except CRKT Auto Lawks are a bit too complicated) are more optimal since they only close with a detent that is very close the handle when closing. It promotes a much smoother and more predictable opening and closing. Most ideal I think is push button locks like the Gerber Obsidian. Since it's a button, it's obvious where the lock is and the closing is very predictable.

Those are my thoughts anyways, what are your experience or opinions on it.
 
I think liner locks are more dangerous than lockbacks because you have to put your finger in the way of the blade. As least with a lock back you can keep your fingers out of the path of the blade.
An Axis lock might be practical but not sure if it could be manipulated by a small kid.
I think that you dont want anything that locks up really hard or has a hard spring that the kid wont be able to do easily because if they need to go for strength then they will lose control.
A SAK was my first real knife though and I did find it would start to close sometimes because I was not familiar with all the knife mechanics.
I would say some small lock back would be best. I liked my gerber EZ-out when I had one.
 
Give your child the most dangerous knife you can think of. Some kind of rusty, serrated, unlockable monster of a thing. If they use that thing and survive long enough to reach adulthood, they are worthy of becoming knifenuts. :D Plus, once they master the fine art of 'not cutting themselves' with that blade, they will be able to go forth in the world and be able to use any knife at all in a safe and efficient manner. :p

But seriously, slipjoints, imo, make the most sensible 'first' knives for kids. They are, without a doubt, the most idiot proof knife design I can think of. To open them, grip the blade and place it in the open position. To close, place pressure along the spine of the blade until it is in the closed position. To clean it, run it under really hot water. Hell, you don't even have to oil them. This would allow a child to learn proper use and care of a knife without worrying about replacing torsion bars, omega springs, or breaking out the canned air and rem-oil every time their knife gets a bit dirty.

If a child is taught how to use a knife properly, they are also one of the safest designs I can think of. To close a slipjoint, you do not have to have your hands on the blade, in the path of the blade, or anywhere that they might be in danger. Not so with liner locks or back locks. Plus they're much easier to maintain than axis locks, etc. and aren't prone to wearing out readily.

Finally, there's a huge variety of quality slipjoints available all over the world at every price range. They're the most ubiquitous folding knife design I can think of. Pretty much anyone and everyone can afford one and because they're so sh*t-simple to use, everyone can operate one effectively.

That's my $0.02, anyway.
 
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I SAK with scissors, canopener and so on will show the kid a knife is a tool, not a weapon... Also teaches it needs to be handled with care while using it because it can close easily.

My vote's on the SAK!
 
Opinel knives are great, not expensive, and safe to use. I like the rolling lock. There is no way that blade is going to shut on your fingers with that lock engaged. Some opinel knives are made with carbon steel so they will be easy to sharpen. That is a plus for your son to practice his sharpening skills. This could be a little harder with some of todays harder steels. The knife has a great look to it and if damages it is easy to replace with a new one. The point here is that this makes for a great learning knife. It is not the eye popping super tactical, head turning knife that I am sure he will someday own.

I have two sons age six and eight and I bought them Mora Red Handle fixed blades. I thought at this age a fixed blade knife may be safer than a folder. I will defiantly consider the Opinel when they are ready to learn with a folder.

My first folder knife was a good old buck knife.
 
I did a post on this over on Spyderco forum recently.

Long story short, I got a very nice Case slip joint for my boy and gave it to him on a hike where we were going to be doing some whittling. He had a VERY hard time with the nail nick and the general stiffness in opening and closing the well made slip joint.

I offered up a Spyderco mid-lock, which he immediately loved because "the hole makes it easier to open". This sort of hit me funny, because he said it in a manner entirely different than a typical Spyderco enthusiast would say it (and he was deploying it with 2 hands).

Any way, long story short, I think once they are ready to handle a knife (meaning that they are ready to respect a razor sharp blade) the only needs are good ergos for smaller hands and a blade they can safely open and close.
 
I think every kid ought to get a slipjoint for their first knife.If they learn how to handle a slippy properly(without it folding on their digits),then they will be able to handle any knife safely.;)
 
My son had a few Swiss Army Knives from like 8 or 9, so for X-mas when he was 11 I got him a BM Mini Grip, the one with the sheepsfoot style blade.

He is 13 now and still loves it! The lock is trustworthy and safe to close since there is no need to put fingers in the path of the blade. Also the sheepsfoot style *kind of* deters the natural instinct of an 11 year old to stab everything in sight :)
 
Get a "Boy Scout" knife, or something similar, i.e. a SAK with 3-4 blades. My son got a Camillus "US" knife with aluminum scales and a large spear blade, bottle opener, can opener and a leather punch/awl. It was a proud moment to hand it to him and watch him go through the "Whittlin' Chip" training and ceremony on his first campout.:)

I think training is key. Whatever blade style, lock style, or material, training will make it safe.
 
I generally agree, that sliopjoints that snap closed suddenly with a strong spring are dangerous for kids and for adults too. If the blade snaps onto the fingers and you react by pulling them away as the blade has cut into the skin, the cut gets worse. That is a bad thing. I have one slip joint, made that way.

But i do not agree, that SAKs are dangerous that way. Their springs are soft and easily to handle for kids. Even in an accidently snapping onto the fingers. My kids never had a problem with those knives, as soon as they were able to open them. They never got cut by a snapping blade.

The Wenger SAK with a lock was terrible for my son as he was 5 years of age, for the lock was herd to unlock. That was dangerous in some respect. It took much to much force.

The nonlocking Wenger Evo, my daughter has, is so soft and smooth to operate, i never see any danger in that.

Opinels are easy to operate with and safe too, as long as the lock works.

Liner locks, as long as the blade doesn´t swing feely, are safe to use for kids too. My son never has had any problems with the one i gave him. He disengages the lock, grabs the blade with the second hand and closes it controled.

If he would try to do the one handed, he would get by safely.

IMHO.
 
+ 1 on the SAK for a first knife.

I'll tell you a story. As a kid I bit my nails down to the nubs with one exception, my left thumbnail. Even as a child I knew that I needed that nail to open my SAK, so it could perform its many tasks.

Giving a boy a slipjoint is the best way to discourage stabbing. With a little guidance, any child of average intelligence will rapidly learn that stabbing anything with a slipjoint is massively unsafe. Locking folders and fixed blades do not have that built-in educational feature, so needed for little boys.
 
I got my first knife, SAK Soldier, when I was 5 or 6. Never really cut myself too badly, just an occasional nick. Of course, that was 30 years ago, and we lived on a military base, so it wasn't uncommon to see elementary school kids with pocketknives. Especially with Boy Scouts/Cub Scouts.
 
I agree with many that although a slippie looks like a cool gift as a right of passage it's probably not the best choice because just about any brand of quality these days has a hard spring and accidental closure on small fingers makes for a lousy day.

I like the SAK classic as a good first if the locking thing is a concern otherwise any lock back style where you can get the lock buttom close to the butt of the knife to keep fingers that mucher farther away from the blade.
 
termiteslayer said:
Knives are made kid friendly by proper parenting.
Kinda like matches.

me - 2 cents
Click to expand...

There's a man I'd like to buy a drink for.

I like the Buck Redpoint. It locks open and closed with a button and keeps fingers away from the blade when closing. It has a nice sticky grip. The only thing that might not be as kid friendly is the serrated part of the blade. (Useful for cutting braided fishing line.)
 
termiteslayer said:
Knives are made kid friendly by proper parenting.
Kinda like matches.

me - 2 cents
Click to expand...

+1:thumbup:
Make the kid "knife friendly" , not the knife "kid friendly".
Instruct/teach properly, then most any knife will work OK.

1. That said, I go with a slippy, a Case Peanut, or similar non-tactical...
teach that a knife is a TOOL, not a weapon.

2. Get some Band-Aids...I've collected & used knives for over 55 years, and have eventually cut myself with most every knife I've owned.
 
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