1st knife for son about to go through the order of the arrow and become a boy scout

[mjmcdowell]

Fellow fourmites, as the subject say's, any ideas I have a couple , the smaller of the dyads is at the top of this list as well as one of the many SAK,s . How about some input from my fellow knife people, Happy New Year, be safe, mjmcdowell

[Stevie Ray]

I gave my scouting son a SE Blue Delica for Christmas.
SR

[joshua]

My first Spyderco was a 50/50 Endura, my first knife of my own was a Schrade Lightweight with a 3 inch blade. My father showed me how to sharpen it and get it razor sharp, plus I was a little absent minded when I was younger so if I lost it (which I never did) it didn't cost an arm and a leg to replace. Ten years later, I still have that knife, it's amongst my collection of Spydies, Benchmades, and Emersons as my favorites.

[dynaryder]

If he's in Scouts he HAS to have a Scout knife. Victorinox makes some nice models w/the BSA logo,and there's nothing wrong w/the original(Camillus still making them?).

After the Scout knife,I'd go w/a Delica(all-round camp knife),a Spydersaw(for getting firewood),or a Jester PE/Photon combo(for whittling and finding stuff in the tent).

[AllenETreat]

mjmcdowell :

Why not a radical approach to scouting?
Better the Dyad jr.! Victorinox is old hat.
Meebee <img src="spyder.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0> will come up with their own version
of the "traditional" scout's knife! <img src="wink.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>

Why open with two hands when it can be done with one?

AET <img src="wink.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>

"All that is necessary for the forces of evil to win in the world is for enough good men to do nothing." Edmund Burke ( 1729-1797 )

[boxer93]

mjm,
I didn't see this post before I replied to the first one. Does he have a knife now, or will this be his first? Also how old is he, these boys are growing like weeds and some of these suggestions may be outgrown quickly. If he has no knife then the SAK is a good 1st knife just to learn how to handle one, plus not too expensive. If he's had one before then I'd say a CE version that would be comfortable to hold. My son is 14 next month and has had a Native (G10 BFC CE) since he was a 1st class scout. I'm working on some special ones for eagle and they are also the native model. The other one I would suggest is the Grey Calypso Jr. PE. The handle is not as wide as the native but that flat ground PE is superb, especially whittling. My son used one for his woodcarving merit badge. I've actually purchased these in the past (Black FRN ones) for scouts.
Good luck in scouting, if he makes eagle let me know <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>
Chris

Be Excellent to each other.

edited for spelling.

Edited by - boxer93 on 1/5/2004 10:43:01 AM

[dialex]

So there's where that black Calypso jr. PE came from! <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>
Tha Calypso jr. is a great choice, the Delica comes close.

<a href="http://users.pcnet.ro/dialex"><font color=blue>(my page)</font></a>

[boxer93]

Alex,
You're right. I actually emptied out JohnFjensen at the time. I still have a couple of them, but no need to save them like gold anymore with the Grey's avalable.
Chris

Be Excellent to each other.

[delicrazy]

i was a scout for a couple of years and quit about a year ago, growing political problems that werent worth dealing with. I got to 1st class, and can tell you that a fully serrated delica is one of the best blades you can get him. i carried the frn version, and it was great. i didnt really care about making nice smooth cuts, i wanted to slice through what i needed to in the least amount of time possible to get back to doing what needed to be done. serrated blades make outstanding hotdog stick makers, and are very quick at it. it was the blade that i carried all throughout scouts, i think it would be a good choice

[FullerH]

IIRC, Boy Scouts have a 3" maximum rule for folding knives, fixed blades are not permitted to the boys for reasons that always escaped me. My son used to carry a Cold Steel Voyager with SanMai blade. Since I was an Assistant Scoutmaster, he and the others in the Troop were allowed to carry somewhat larger knives than generally permitted, as I took responsibility for seeing that they did not abuse the privilege and the Scoutmaster agreed with that. So they carried a collection of 3.5" to 4" folders that they very much liked. My son loved his Endura when he got it in 1988 or so, IIRC, shortly before he outgrew Scouting. He continued to carry it through William & Mary, using good sense about when and where to let it be seen and never was hassled over it.

Trying to walk in the Light, Hugh Fuller, 1 John 1:5