What would be the best knife for a 11 year old boy?

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This would make a great gift for an 11 year old.. Not clear how old you are but assume you will involve your parents for final approval?
 
I vote for a buck folder. It looks more like a grown up knife. I had several SAKs before my dad got me buck folder when I turned 12 years old. And man I loved that knife! I felt like I had finally graduated to manhood.

If he's not very experienced with a knife, then I would also go with a SAK for practice.
 
Another vote for the SAK, I had one at age 8 and loved it. Could possibly still find it now.
Maybe also a small to medium sized fixed blade.
 
Leatherman's got a kid friendly tool coming out, with parents option for access to the blade, check it out.
 
mec003 said:
I vote for a buck folder. It looks more like a grown up knife. I had several SAKs before my dad got me buck folder when I turned 12 years old. And man I loved that knife! I felt like I had finally graduated to manhood.

If he's not very experienced with a knife, then I would also go with a SAK for practice.
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Goes with my "upgrade / reward" theory
 
One of the full sized swiss army knives with a bunch of gadgets would've blown my mind at that age.
 
dommpy said:
I was thinking about getting him this monstrosity as it is too heavy to bring to school.
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Please do not start your little Bro of with a counterfeit knife from Aliexpress....it is.....just please don't.
My suggestions.
Spyderco Delica , Man Bug , Cat , Persistence , Ambitious or Dragonfly
Byrd MeadowLark2
Ontario Rat 2
Kershaw Chill , Volt2
Any Victorinox
Fix blade-
Mora
ESEE Izula
I would also suggest getting him a sharpening stone and teaching him how to care for his new tool.
 
Something that can be replaced, loss is one of the biggest lessons many 11 year olds still have to learn. Buck knives come to mind. Perhaps a 110 for birthday and a fixed 119 for Christmas. Both are fairly large making them more noticeable and easier to find. The boy will like the masculinity of the large folder and belt pouch. A large knife in small hands is perhaps safer than a small sharp blade, and the larger handle will give him more to hold onto. When they are young they are learning and a robust knife will take the abuse that a young man will put it through.
 
First, assume the knife will be lost or broken...very few of us still have the first one.

I always recommend a small SAK, an official Boy Scout knife, if there still IS one, or a small Buck folder. The main thing isn't the knife, it's spending the time on the training that has to come with it.
 
My suggestion is that you pick up a Victorinox Tinker (two layer SAK). I carry the larger (111mm) Vic Adventurer pretty much every day which is similar.
 
Where you live and the kinds of uses that are tyical might be a consideration, but a SAK is always good. If he is out in the woods a lot, I might well lean toward one of the larger SAKs, but with a simple set of tools on it. The one handed Sentinel (only a blade) is a good slim knife, but very useable. But there are a lot of traditionals that would be very applicable. The Kabar Dozier folding hunter might be something that appeals. Price is right.
 
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Thinking to myself when I was 11, I would say a SAK or a small buck....
But the SAK is a "must have" ... At any age ;)
 
My kids started with a Swiss Army Knife, then shortly after Kabar Dozier Folding Hunter. Both boys love the Doziers, and man, can they take a beating, so far all my 11 year old and 9 year old can dish out.
 
Victorinox Swiss Army Knife

Huntsman, Recruit, Cadet, Farmer, Tinker, those are a few that come to mind.

Though if you are worried he will bring it to school the answer is you DON'T get him a knife. No point is giving him something so he could bring it to school to get expelled these days with our zero tolerance policies. You get yourself a knife that he can use under your (or parents) supervision and one of you hold onto it till you trust him to keep it.
 
By age 11, I was pretty much carrying adult sized knives that fit my hands. I often would been seen walking out in the woods with a 22 rifle about that time, but didn't get my own until I was 13.
 
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