advice on a kid’s first knife

[ladybug93]

i need some advice... my son is getting old enough to have his first knife and his older sister is asking for one as well (she’s not super outdoorsy and a lot like her momma, so i didn’t think it was something she would want).
anyway, i was trying to figure out what the best knife would be for them. i want something classic so they can be proud to have it, but it can’t be too expensive because i don’t want it to be much more than a sentimental loss if it disappears.
i was thinking of going with a swiss army knife. i use a camper model and i’ve let them try it for some stuff and they liked it.

my thoughts:
no lock giving a false sense of security, so they’ll learn from the start to be very careful.
multiple tools for developing multiple skills.
at least a blade, saw, and awl for woods play.
not too bulky or expensive.
i might replace the scales to give them the “plus” tools too, so they can have always have a pen.
i want the corkscrew because they wear glasses and i can put the eyeglass screwdriver on the knife for them.

so, camper (same as dad)? huntsman (so they can use scissors when possible to reduce likelihood of getting cut by the blade)? different model sak? different knife altogether?

thanks for your input.

[Bloke]

I think kids may be better off with a fixed blade they can have fun with particularly outdoors.

A Mora Scout 39 or a Woodcarving Junior would make great knives for any child to learn knife safety and basic skills. Even a little knife and sheath maintenance while putting points on sticks, making feather sticks and all sorts of other fun knife stuff plus both knives have a finger guard which is definitely a plus.

They’ll have them forever with minimal care and you may even like to buy those little SiC pocket stones and teach basic sharpening skills as well. :)

[ChrisinHove]

My wife and daughter have the little coloured Alox Victorinox Classic penknives, and I’m a little surprised how often they seem to have them with them.

For your lad, I think a fixed blade would certainly be cooler, but a SAK Camper more versatile, and depending upon where you are, less likely to cause offence perhaps.

[bearfacedkiller]

I grew up with SAKs. I agree that slip joints teach proper folding knife use. Also, if you decide to teach them how to sharpen at some point they are very easy to learn on. All these years later, with all the advancements in knives, I am still a SAK lover. I think it is a great place for a young person to start.

[Accutron]

All three of my boys' first knives were small Case slipjoints. My oldest son (turning 16 next week) now has a small knife collection, purchased in the following order: SAK, Ka-Bar Short USMC, Leatherman Rebar, Kershaw Link, Mora Companion, Manix G10. My second son (turning 13 in a few months) is more impatient and less critical of quality, so he's started buying crappy gas station knives at garage sales and flea markets. He'll be getting a Tenacious and some sort of mid-range Leatherman for his upcoming birthday, which will hopefully put an end to his Jarbenza fetish. My third son (age 9) has a Leatherman Style PS (a bladeless model), in addition to the Case knife.

[Doc Dan]

I agree that a good Victorinox would be a good choice. Another good choice would be a Buck 301. As for Spydercos, an Urban Light Weight would be a good choice.

[Evil D]

My son was doing well with my Dragonfly and Delica by 8-9 and I got him a Dragonfly for his 10th birthday. He'll be 16 in January and still uses it.

[ladybug93]

i think the dragonfly would be an excellent choice, but i’m worried they’ll lose it and that’s a significant amount of money to go missing. for me at least.

i thought about a mora companion for a fixed blade also. maybe i'll get them those also at the same time. there’s not really a lot of use for them where we live right now though. a machete would be more appropriate, but they’re not getting machetes. :D

any thoughts on which sak would be best? should i get one with scissors so they use the blade less, or just teach them to use the knife and be careful with it in the place of scissors? i’m thinking for strings and cordage, etc.; not paper.

[Doc Dan]

A Recruit is only about $15 at knifeworks. It is about the size of a good old fashioned barlow pocket knife.

[TomAiello]

My daughter's first knife was a Dragonfly. Simple lock, small, light, easy to grip. I had her name engraved on it, and I was also worried about her losing it, but so far both (my younger daughter also got an engraved knife, later on) of them have been able to keep track of their knives for several years.

I also like the Mora idea.

[Crux]

It's not a Spyderco sadly, but I've given one to all my kids.

[Doc Dan]

Another good knife that is not too expensive is the Esee Izula. You do need to buy the G10 scales for it, though. Still, it is an indestructible little fixed blade. It does come in stainless, but I think the 1095 is tougher and is a good steel to learn sharpening skills with.

The cheapest place to buy an Izula is https://www.knifeworks.com/catalogsearc ... ll&q=Izula

[ladybug93]

Another good knife that is not too expensive is the Esee Izula. You do need to buy the G10 scales for it, though. Still, it is an indestructible little fixed blade. It does come in stainless, but I think the 1095 is tougher and is a good steel to learn sharpening skills with.

The cheapest place to buy an Izula is https://www.knifeworks.com/catalogsearc ... ll&q=Izula

thanks for the link. that is a good price for izulas, but i was hoping to stay in the $30 range. i love my izulas and maybe i’ll get them for the kids after they’ve proven to me they can appreciate and be responsible with something a little less.



thanks for the suggestions, everyone. i think i’ve settles on the victorinox huntsman. it’s a good, classic sak with all the tools necessary for them to learn some outdoor skills and safety. the scissors will help save the blade and their fingers in the times they need to cut something that doesn’t necessarily need to be cut with a knife. it’s not too expensive and won’t hurt too badly if it’s lost. it’s a great place to start building a collection.

thanks again!

[Mr Blonde]

I went with a Victorinox Spartan for my daughter. It was what I got first and I appreciate starting out with no lock. And I figure the minimal tool selection also teaches her to be creative in using what she has. But the Huntsman is a great choice, it's what I carry when I need to pack a full sized SAK.

As a bonus, my daughter she got to make her first knife herself at the Victorinox Museum in Switzerland, which I captured in this video.

She's also likes to work with an opinel for whittling. She appreciates the '3d egonomic handle'. Sheez, only 9 years old!

[SpyderEdgeForever]

It's not a Spyderco sadly, but I've given one to all my kids.

Very Klingonish :)

[SpyderEdgeForever]

Why not give them the Norwegien-made Helle Scout Knife?

https://www.knifecenter.com/item/HE04G/ ... her-sheath

[ladybug93]

that’s a nice knife, but i think their first fixed blade will be a mora. i use and love mora knives, so there’s no need to spend more than twice as much on a slightly “churched-up” version.

[Tdog]

The Huntsman is a great choice. Safety first. :)