What is the appropriate age for a child to have a knife

Diligence · Sep 17, 2001

My father gave me my first knife when I was 8. It was a 3 bladed trapper.

AND...yes I did cut myself, several times. BUT, I also fell off my bike, got hit by a baseball bat, caught chicken-pox, and even had a fish-hook in my finger.

I'm now 31. I cut myself last week. Oh, and I slipped while scuba diving yesterday and wrenched my knee.....

Samurai6 · Sep 17, 2001

Got my first knife when I was around seven years old. Single bladed slip joint from the hardware store display. But within a year or so, I graduated to a genuine Cub Scout Knife!

There was a rule. Anytime I cut myself, the knife would get "put away" until the scab came off. It got put away a few times. Not too many.

All my colleagues of about the same age in the cub scouts had them too as I recall. We used them to carve our sand box derby race cars - and to play mumbleypeg.

The first pocket knife was a major right of passage, at least for a boy, back then, and we treated it with appropriate reverence. I don't know if it is the same any more.

Rick1955 · Oct 13, 2001

As you stated, it varies chid to child.

My opinion is, when they can properly possess and handle a knife.

Boy Scouts both Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts are trained to handle, care for and use a knife. Not sure about the age for Cubs but Boy Scouts can get their Totin' Chip training at 10 - but most already have a knife.

Oh - check the laws in your area - some restrict children from carrying any knife - or greatly restrict them.

I think we could all benefit from some basic training in knife handling, care, and use. I have taught more than one adult - both in Scouting and out. I once saw a materiel manager try to open a package with a cheap old pocketknife, that was so dull it would not slice into warm butter. I gave him some on the spot training in how to care for and sharpen that knife - he looked amazed - like he had never heard of sharpening a knife - but thanked me. I teach Totin' Chip to both Scout youth and adults - I am surprised how clumsy some people are with a simple pocketknife. But they learn with practice.

I got my first knife at age 7 - my dad taught me and I took good care of it. Still have it 40 years later.

I think one of the things that all boys looked forward to - and probably still do, is getting that first pocketknife. And they should - kind of a right of passage. I hope we will be able to keep our knives.

I always carry at least one pocketknife - couldn't at the State Fair of Texas this year for the first time - They were banned in the name of safety do to the 911 events. I felt no safer though - in fact - I felt less safe.

Originally posted by shootist16
I know this is going to vary from child to child, but in general what would be an appropriate age?

2beast · Oct 13, 2001

I gave both of my kids knives at about seven or so. I always like a blade with a lock for kids.
Another bonus to this is they each like knives and shows..........one more thing we do together.

Life is good...........
Greg

YoungCutter · Oct 13, 2001

Generically speaking, my parents gave me the option to carry a knife since I was about 8 or so... I didn't actually start carrying consistently 'til I was about 14 though.

Before I was about 14 I didn't have much that needed cutting that a scissors couldn't handle

PhilL · Oct 14, 2001

I don't remember a time when I didn't have a knife, but back when I was a kid so did everyone else. My Dad used to give me his old pocket knives, I'm sure he dulled the blades before he did. He would give me a bar of soap and let me whittle on that, but a lot of my knife training came from my Mom having me peeling potatos with a very sharp kitchen knife. It wasn't long after that my Dad showed me how to sharpen up a knife on a stone and that a folding knife wasn't a fixed blade. I've always had great respect for knives and have never had a folder close up on me, not even a slipjoint. I can't say I've never cut myself, but it was only when I forgot what I had learned from my parents.

Teach your children well, but expect them to screw up sometime.

Rick1955 · Oct 14, 2001

I like your signature on your message. There are those that believe that under at least certain circumstances knives are considered "arms". I do.

We need to protect our rights. I like this posting area because it is pretty clear that all of us agree that we chould teach children how to properly handle, care for and use knives - and to respect them.

Lack of this- with all things is what causes problems and results in restrictions of our liberties.

It is not the gun or the knife that does wrong but the person bearing it.The only thing that restricting guns and knives does is to deny us of our liberties.

Seems like we have a lot of caring people in this forum.

Originally posted by YoungCutter
Generically speaking, my parents gave me the option to carry a knife since I was about 8 or so... I didn't actually start carrying consistently 'til I was about 14 though.

Before I was about 14 I didn't have much that needed cutting that a scissors couldn't handle

Rick1955 · Oct 14, 2001

What you say is so true - if we take the time to spend time with our children, and teach them - they will likely do good.

It is people that do wrong - not our knives. A knife is just a tool and we need knives.

I find it strange that many people will use knives everyday in cooking and eating and yet panic when they see someone with a pocketknife - often gasping and declaring it a dangerous weapon. How strange.

Life is a learning experience and should be - hopefully the right things will be learned.

Originally posted by PhilL
I don't remember a time when I didn't have a knife, but back when I was a kid so did everyone else. My Dad used to give me his old pocket knives, I'm sure he dulled the blades before he did. He would give me a bar of soap and let me whittle on that, but a lot of my knife training came from my Mom having me peeling potatos with a very sharp kitchen knife. It wasn't long after that my Dad showed me how to sharpen up a knife on a stone and that a folding knife wasn't a fixed blade. I've always had great respect for knives and have never had a folder close up on me, not even a slipjoint. I can't say I've never cut myself, but it was only when I forgot what I had learned from my parents.

Teach your children well, but expect them to screw up sometime.

Jason Burns · Oct 14, 2001

My oldest son got his first knife when he earned his "whittler's chip" card in cub scouts at 7 yrs! Now he has three pocket knives and a machete I brought him from Nicaragua. I got my first knife from my dad when I was 8 and it was a small fixed blade. I chose to give my son a SAK because I remember always wanting to throw the fixed blade I had and figured that the temptation might not be as strong with a folder.
The whittler's chip card gets a corner cut off if he makes a knife mistake . . . when the four corners are gone he loses permission to carry a blade. He has not lost a corner yet!

Rick1955 · Oct 14, 2001

I got to teach a bunch of Cub Scouts Whittlin' Chip once.

A more enthusiastic group of boys I never saw. And most of them already had a pocketknife. They were all about 7 or 8.

The safety part of knives is easy to teach boys of that age, but how to sharpen a pocketknife blade is harder. Most seem to be kind of clumsy about it. But practice is the key.

Like I said in a previous post. I do not cut the corners off those cards - I take the whole card. Makes for a much better lesson.

The cutting of corners from those cards is not officiall sanctioned and is considered by some to be harassment. I don't think it is harassment but cutting the corners makes almost no impression on the boy - in my opinion.

Originally posted by Jason Burns
My oldest son got his first knife when he earned his "whittler's chip" card in cub scouts at 7 yrs! Now he has three pocket knives and a machete I brought him from Nicaragua. I got my first knife from my dad when I was 8 and it was a small fixed blade. I chose to give my son a SAK because I remember always wanting to throw the fixed blade I had and figured that the temptation might not be as strong with a folder.
The whittler's chip card gets a corner cut off if he makes a knife mistake . . . when the four corners are gone he loses permission to carry a blade. He has not lost a corner yet!