Your first knife/your first Becker

[Captain Airyca]

Hey y'all,
I was just feeling all nostalgic the other day thinking about my first knife. I recently had a baby and have been pondering what his first knife will be. Do I start with a BK13? Jump straight to an 11? Start with a classic Victorinox? So many choices!

Anywho, so my first knife was a cheapo Victorinox knock-off from the dollar store that I got probably when I was in 3/4th grade or so. I think. It might have been earlier because I was in Girl Scouts before then and that's when I got mine. I had it for a couple years before it got lost. It was a piece o junk but I learned a lot with that knife.

My first becker was a BK11 from Fal'er back in 2010 or 11 that means a whole lot to me because not only did it start the becker sickness, but also I kinda "found my people" on the internet. I've always loved the outdoors and stuff, but I didn't know there was a bushcraft community on the internets that shared my passions. I've learned so much from everyone and I'm pretty darn thankful.

What about you?

Also pics of my 3 month old "little" guy with a BK 16 for scale

 

[Don W]

What a cutie! My first knife was a cheap Barlow. First Becker was a BK2.
My daughters first knife was Chicago Cutlery paring knife when she was 3 years old. She just moved into her first apartment, now 19 years old, that Chicago Cutlery paring knife is still in use in her kitchen.

 

[Xr6x]

Congrats on your little guy. My first knife was some cheap folder, don't remember the make, but I remember closing it on my finger a time or two my first Becker was the Camillus 2 . That 16 you have would make a great first knife, when you think the time is right .

 

[Rebel Nimrod]

Who puts a knife beside their baby for scale? Haha, only on Bladeforums, I like your style! Great looking son, enjoy every minute of him growing up. My two boys are 19 and 17, I miss those days!

First knife; my uncle gave it to me and it was a tiny, cheap folder, but I was proud of it being a 7 or 8 year old kid. However my first real knife was a Case folding hunter my daddy gave me the day he could hold his arm straight out and the top of my head would touch, even made me a belt sheath for it. BKT; well that was a BK-17 a couple three years ago, I really liked the look of it, still do. The incredible thing is that I’m now 53 and still have all three of them!

For your son’s first I would recommend either an Opinel Scout?? (the one with the rounded tip) or if going with a Becker, the BK11. I would round the tip off on it as well, might prevent loosing an eye for a beginner.

If I may make a comment about today’s sad state of affairs compared to when I grew up. I lived in the mountains of NC and carried a pocket knife to school almost daily from maybe the 5th grade on, I never used it to cut anything I wasn’t supposed to and especially other people! It wasn’t a big deal then, now they would shutdown the school and call a SWAT team. Gangs, terrorists and nut jobs have spoiled a lot of things for us today!

 

[The Warrior]

Congrats on the new baby!

The first I remember, is a folder that resembled a switchblade, but wasn't. It had a guard that folded out with the blade, haha. I thought I was the man with that thing.

First Becker was a Bk2. It's the one I ended up clipping.

 

[knoefz]

First knife I even got (from my dad) was a 2 bladed slipjoint that I lost as a kid on a walk in the woods with my grandpa.
I was so sad about it my grandpa took me to the local hardware store and bought me a replacement I stall have today... (about 35 years later)

My first Becker is just 2 weeks old and BK 7 begging to be taken out and receive some love marks

 

[Ulf Krogstad]

Very cute baby indeed! Congratulations. First knife I ever owned I believe was a SAK fisherman, that my grandmother gifted me, it's been MIA for some time. Wish I still had it.

1st Becker was a BK24.

 

[bush-haus]

Fantastic looking boy you have there! I agree, cherish every moment because the years quickly fly by.

My first was a cheap little knockoff 80’s survival knife. First Blood the movie started my craze for knives. It came with the cheap little starter kit of two fish hooks, a few matches, etc. My my how tastes change!

——————
Beckerhead #32

 

[Tanker 1/66]

Congratulations on your new Baby Boy. He is starting out with a very large Beckerhead family already. My first knife that I can remember was a Ontario pilots knife that I abused with wreck less abandon as a kid. The first Becker that I bought was a Bk3 that I bought for my son to take to Afghanistan. That was about 8 years ago. My first Becker was my BK9 and I cut myself with it. Thats when I must have been injected with some sort of Becker venom. I didnt seek medical attention I let the venom course thru my veins


This is an old picture The disease has progressed rapidly sense this picture was taken lol

 

[zfJames]

My first knife was this Leatherman Squirt P4. Probably the best small multitool I have ever seen. My first Becker (the BK7) has yet to arrive... Thanks, Amazon shipping!

Note that this picture is courtesy of the Leatherman website because I lost my P4 in the woods about four years after I got it...

 

[hhmoore]

My first knife was "like a Buck". A brass bolstered lockback, available in a few different sizes at a local department store. (I sized up every couple years; but, somehow, I didn't end up with multiple knives )
My first fixed blade was a stacked leather handled hunting knife - I was in the fourth grade (I know that because I used it to carve a class project)
My first Becker, more than a few years later, was a Camillus BK7. I used the heck out of that knife; and ended up giving it to the son of a friend (with permission, of course), because he admired it.

 

[austexjg]

First knife was one of those really small folders with wood scales - back in the day they could be found in the coin operated machines - given to me by my Grandfather. I'm pretty sure I still have it somewhere. I think I was about 7 years old. It was a thing he did at almost every visit - gave me a small pocket knife or $5 just as we were getting in the car to leave; we visited 2 or 3 times a year. I miss him greatly.

First BK&T was of course the BK2 and it quickly turned into an outright addiction from there.

 

[mchipman]

First knife was a Buck 119. First Becker is my BK7

 

[bacpacker]

Great Lookin Kiddo! And he is off to a good start with that 16 laying there.
My first knife was a small Old Timer 3 blade given to me by my Grandpa at 5yo when I was starting first grade. I carried it everywhere I went and used it as I was taught to for years. No idea what happened to it, but I sure wish I still had it. Wish I still had my Grandpa around even worse.
First Becker was a BK-2 back in the mid 90's. First of several I now have.

 

[bearfacedkiller]

First knife was an Old Timer 8OT over 30 years ago. I still love Stockmen patterns.

First Becker was a BK14. My gateway Becker.

Welcome to parenthood!!!! Mine turns three in a couple of weeks. It makes you look at the world differently and it makes you want the world to be a better place. Congrats and many years of health and happiness to you and your family.

 

[mbay1455]

Growing up on a farm my first knife(sometime around 1959 or 60)was one of my Grandfather's old and well used hand me down Barlows. The blade had been sharpened so many times it was mis-shaped but it was new to me.

My first Becker was a BK2 with micarta handles. I gifted that to a friend who was just thinking about and starting to look for a hard use camp knife. I've had the good fortune to be able to replace it a couple times over.

 

[gmoneyluv]

My first knife was a SAK handed down from my dad. First Becker was a 2.

 

[Gun Doc]

Good looking son! Growing up with a mom (and presumably a dad) that knows something about knives and the outdoors is going to be pretty cool for him.

I honestly cannot remember my first knife. I'm sure it wasn't the first, but I remember a Boy Scout knife that I thought was cooler than most because it had a Phillips screwdriver blade (until the Phillips part snapped off the part that held it.) I think that knife is still kicking around here somewhere. There are a lot of knives, tools, etc. from my younger days that I can still lay my hands on. In general, I don't tend to lose things, although currently I have no idea where my wristwatch is. My wife will tell you I won't throw anything away, so put those two facts together an you get a lot of stuff!

My first Becker was a BK7. I am fairly new to the Becker madness. Having said that, there are now other Beckers in the house.

For a first knife, I know there is a "My first Opinel" and a "My first Victorinox." There are probably others. They have rounded points, but I think they do have real edges, so you must be mindful of that.

I agree with Rebel Nimrod that kids nowadays get in all manner of trouble for things that barely got a second glance back in the day (I'm 64.) But I don't blame the gangs, terrorists and nut jobs nearly as much as I blame the dimwits who cannot tell the difference between normal kids and gangs, terrorists, and nut jobs!

 

[Aikiguy]

Congrats on Mini-Cap, Cap!

My first knife was a Victorinox. My Dad bought it for me, during one of our camping vacations. Was probably eight or nine years old. I was so proud of that thing. Must’ve cut myself a dozen times with that blade...

My first Becker was a 16, which led me to this place. My daughter was gifted a 14 from someone here when she was 6. She’s used it quite a lot, while camping, hiking, or sitting around the fire. As soon as she was able to follow directions responsibly, I let her play around with it. I liked that it had enough handle for her to, well, handle it, plus enough of a finger guard to prevent slips and cuts. She just recently received a 16 of her own, and is excited for next summer to come so she can break that one in.

As for a first knife for your lil’un, you really can’t go wrong with either a SAK or Opinel, as stated above. The kid-friendly models have locking blades (which I could’ve used when I was younger). As for fixed blades, I found an old Frost-Mora, with a full guard (cost me a whopping 50¢), at a garage sale this summer, which would’ve been an awesome first knife for a kiddo.
I think a 14 (or an 11, since have a fondness for them) should be a fine first Becker.

 

[zzyzzogeton]

My first knife was a small single blade peanut, given to me by my grandfather when I started first grade. He said,

Now that you've started school, you need your own knife. We can't have you borrowing every body else's.

My first Becker was actually my first "collection of Beckers" as depicted in THIS vvv thread

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/instant-becker-collection.1119473/

The thread has the whole story.