what is a good knife to give a 12 year old boy?

ALLHSS said:
...Many people talk about cutting themselves with their first knives. i may have dinged myself, but I didn't do any serious damage that I recall because I had seen others responsibly using knives....
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A knife bit me yesterday, and I'm in my 50s. A little direct pressure, and all was well. Handle knives often enough, and you will cut yourself eventually. The reason for bandaids.

Only once have I ever cut myself badly enough while handling a knife that I needed stitches, and by then I was in my mid-30s. Whittling at my quarters on a USAF base in Alabama and sliced my palm. A few stitches. There isn't even a scar. The young airman ensured I left with the hemostats to be put in my tackle box. Still have them in my tackle box. I'd rather have bought 'stats, but, hey, there was some good from the slice.
 
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SaintlyBrees said:
AND - they have a knife called "My First Opinel No 7 Junior Scouts folding knife. Note the lack of a point. Great starter knife, IMHO. Specifically designed for a young person's first knife. Not expensive, in the $15 range depending on where you get it. I bought one for my grandson (with daughter's permission) and it was a good choice for him.

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Best of luck with your decision. :)
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If I had a choice I'd say wait just a few years but apparantly it's not your decision so I agree with this Opinel and I know of a couple of similarly shaped Victorinoxes that could make a good choice. Accidental cuts (generally speaking!!) are less of a problem than accidental stabs.

I myself have a gruesome scar on my right thigh from a cheap dull "rambo knife" I was messing around with at that age. I was just taking it to some wood when I slipped and stabbed myself in the thigh. Had that thing been as sharp as I keep my knives today it could have been life threatening. Eventhough young children can be conditioned to avoid certain dangers they will always remain children, they're playful and have a lesser ability to predict the concequences to their actions. Imo parents sometimes give their children more responsibility than they can (or should be able) to handle. My kids aren't going anywhere near knives until I feel it's time.
 
I got my first pocket knife when I was 4, and was EDC'ing a Delica and Mini Grip by 12.

I think the optimal option would be a Spyderco Dragnonfly. Not large enough to freak people out, and plenty effective for daily use.

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The other option, that I think he will really love, is a Kershaw Chive. The assisted opening feature is the very definition of cool at that age, but the knife is still nice and compact. I got this very knife when I was 12 and loved it.

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Both of these knives are satisfying to own, useful, while still having a "safe and sane" 2" blade length so they shouldn't freak anyone out.

If you get him some blunt tipped safety knife he's just going to go out and buy something himself. At 12 you can do pretty much anything you want with sufficient willpower - you don't even want to know what kind of fun we were up to by then.

Get him something cool, but compact, and make him know that if he proves worthy of your trust, there will be plenty more where that came from.
 
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WhenI was 12 I was very happy having a SAK
It is a very useful knife and I have used it a lot for very different tasks.
It is very good memories :)

For a more robust usage I will go foran opinel
It is a proven , easy ands are design
 
cards94 said:
you're too young. carrying a knife as a 13 year old is insane.
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That's silly. I was 11 or 12 when I got my first knife and have carried one literally every day since. (When I was a kid most boys carried pocketknives.) Yes, times were different in the early 70's but kids haven't changed that much.

If his mom and dad think their boy is mature enough then he probably is, and I'm sure they'll make sure that he knows that if he abuses it he'll lose it.
 
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mark greenman said:
I got my first pocket knife when I was 4, and was EDC'ing a Delica and Mini Grip by 12.

I think the optimal option would be a Spyderco Dragnonfly. Not large enough to freak people out, and plenty effective for daily use.

If you get him some blunt tipped safety knife he's just going to go out and buy something himself. At 12 you can do pretty much anything you want with sufficient willpower - you don't even want to know what kind of fun we were up to by then.

Get him something cool, but compact, and make him know that if he proves worthy of your trust, there will be plenty more where that came from.
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I will second the suggestion for the Spyderco Dragonfly. Great knife all around.
 
CluelessMother said:
Ok, I'm going to be short because I'm not in a familiar area of intrest here. I am a 'step"-mom to a 12 year old boy. Who wants a knife for xmas. Both parents agree he is responsible enough, so althought I'm uncomfortable with it I waved the white flag and tried my best to bite my tounge.

Question 1. Is a Crk&t - f.t.w.s Elishewitz an appropriate and safe choice to give a 12 year old boy. (His first knife aside from a swiss pocket knife)

Question 2. What is a good knife to give a 12 year old boy?
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I understand if You feel uncomfortable with the subject of knives, but there are proper answers to kids & knives.

Our 4 children was between 4 to 11 years old, when they got their first real knives.
Knowledge of tools are important in Sweden, so knives are no exception and a part of Our cultural heritage.

I have personally teached them all in how to use edged tools.
There has been a few cuts in fingers, but nothing that needed more than a band-aid.

I got the 3 first stitches in my index finger at 6.
At 12 I bought my knives with my own savings.

Here's the knives of Our youngest daughter, who got these knives at 11 years old.

ciu3.jpg


She knows how to use them and here she's cleaning one of her first Trout's.

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To answer the Q's:

#1 No!
#2 A Childrens fixed blade Mora as in the above pic, is the perfect learning knife for a child.
It's a real, but inexpensive and very sharp knife for woodworking.
Team it up with a sharpening stone and You are good to go!

Good luck
Mikael
 
cards94 said:
you're too young. carrying a knife as a 13 year old is insane.
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Eh? :rolleyes:

I agree with some of the suggestions in this thread. A smaller and rather basic tool such as an Opinel n° 6 or 7, or maybe a smaller Swiss Army Knife such as a Victorinox Cadet will give your kid a lot of pleasure. If you're talking about a fixed blade with which he's gonna have fun building improvised campsites and the like, I agree with other suggestions such as Mora or Ka-Bar Becker BK11 or 14. The suggestion of throwing a basic sharpening stone in the package is a great one as well. That way you'll give a great incentive to him in order to keep his tools in working order.
 
Here is a link for the Ontario Rat II that I bought for my 12-yr-old grandson. It's about $30. It has an orange handle, so he can find it easier when he loses it.
The vendor is very good, and is one of our forum supporters.
http://www.knifeworks.com/ontarioratmodelii3insatinbladeorangenylonhandleskinfeworksexclusive.aspx
Below is a link that lists our forum's dealership supporting knife-shops, if you wish to shop. The link that I gave you is pretty competitive, probably within a buck or two of anyone else.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1089879-Paid-Dealer-Members-List

Merry Christmas
 
For a folder, the ESEE/BRK folder for about $30 or so, and for a fixed blade, the ESEE Izula. The beer is optional...:D



If you want to spend over $50.00, then the Spyderco Dragonfly is the way to go.
 
So you carry around a 9in knife?:confused::rolleyes: Just because you own those knives doesn't make it a good idea.

spydercobenchmadekai said:
I'm 13, and I have a 9 inch Battle Rat chopper. I guess it just depends on the kid.

I recommend a carbon Mora, a Becker BK 14 or BK 17, a Benchmade Griptilian, or a Spyderco Delica. Any of these should be a great knife for the kid.

I carry my knives everwhere except for school. I have used knives since I was 2, and got my first SAK when I was 5 or 6. I have since bought a ZT 350, a Sebenza, and many other knives (with my own money).
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FTR-14c said:
My son is 13 and has been getting my leftovers for years. His collection includes a SRK, Rat 3, Junglas, Recon1, BK2 and many more. He is very responsible and enjoys using them with me. My wife is having a custom display case made for them as a Christmas present.
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Sounds like me. I have cut myself, sure. Sometimes fairly bad, but never enough to need a doctor. For me, it is just part of knife ownership.
 
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mmarkh said:
So you carry around a 9in knife?:confused::rolleyes: Just because you own those knives doesn't make it a good idea.
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Only when camping/at my family ranch in Wyoming. Otherwise it is heavy and cumbersome. I carry neckers, my Paramilitary 2, ZT 350, Benchmades, and Kershaws (one at a time) around town.
 
mark greenman said:
If you get him some blunt tipped safety knife he's just going to go out and buy something himself. At 12 you can do pretty much anything you want with sufficient willpower - you don't even want to know what kind of fun we were up to by then.

Get him something cool, but compact, and make him know that if he proves worthy of your trust, there will be plenty more where that came from.
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You don't want to know what we 13 year olds do.

Get him a Mora, BK14, BK17, or anything from Kershaw (Thermite is a great option) or a Benchmade Griptilian or Spyderco Delica, and you will at least know what he has.
 
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NetshadeX said:
If I had a choice I'd say wait just a few years but apparantly it's not your decision so I agree with this Opinel and I know of a couple of similarly shaped Victorinoxes that could make a good choice. Accidental cuts (generally speaking!!) are less of a problem than accidental stabs.

I myself have a gruesome scar on my right thigh from a cheap dull "rambo knife" I was messing around with at that age. I was just taking it to some wood when I slipped and stabbed myself in the thigh. Had that thing been as sharp as I keep my knives today it could have been life threatening. Eventhough young children can be conditioned to avoid certain dangers they will always remain children, they're playful and have a lesser ability to predict the concequences to their actions. Imo parents sometimes give their children more responsibility than they can (or should be able) to handle. My kids aren't going anywhere near knives until I feel it's time.
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It sounds like you're children aren't/wouldn't be very responsible with knives. *No Offense Intended*

I was started cutting up food in the kitchen at 2, and so I guess I was "conditioned" at a young age. I am also allowed to use axes and hatchets unsupervised, as well as all shop tools (bench grinder, angle grinder, dremel, drill press, etc.) unaided. The only thing I can't do alone is the torch welder, and I can't run the table saw or chainsaw at all yet. The Battle Rat takes care of chainsaw work pretty well, though. ;)

I have never hurt myself in any of these activities more than a small cut or a light burn from hot metal.
 
I earn money petsiting. I earn about $15/hour. I visit some dogs 3x/day, so I can usually make $25 to $30 a day off of one job. This holiday season I will make $550+ dollars. Time to fund that Big Chris custom fixed blade in M4!
 
The Swiss Army Knife, Victorinox Recruit, can be ordered from wally world for about $12, and you still have time to order it online and receive by Christmas.

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