Wow little kids with pocket knives...

[gaj999]

I got my first knife around age 6 or 7. I was allowed to drive a tractor by myself when I was 7. Guess which was more dangerous.

Gordon

[yablanowitz]

I am surprised with the intelligent and measured response to my post. Am surprised my friend VampireW has not gone postal. Still worried about kids.

Keep an eye on those little ones.

BTW the Tenacios is certainly one cool folder. Still looking for the new fly.

MountainMan, my fav FB is the Street Beat also.

The problem with sweeping generalizations is there are always exceptions. A knife forum is a pretty good place to find exceptions to the one you posted.

I know more adults than kids that I wouldn't trust with a knife. I've seen too many of them hurt themselves with scissors, usually while trying to use the scissors for a knife. People are strange. Kids can still be taught safety, responsibilty and respect for the capabilities of the tool. Adults are often a lost cause.

[Water Bug]

Cool video! Thanks for sharing that!

I've watched quite a few knife reviews on YouTube, and that youngster is just about as good, if not better, than a lot of the adults. He sounds so mature and well-informed as he talks about and handles that :spyder: , but every once in a while the kid in him comes through.

I found it neat to hear him describing other brands as he went along. For example, as he talked about the lanyard on his knife, he noted how it was tied like the ones on Chris Reeve knives.

He also did a box review... hadn't seen that done on YouTube before. It was humorous how he noted that Benchmade boxes had more padding on the bottom.

Yeah, I'd say he's more well versed on knives than a lot of adults. Good for him!

Back in my younger days I had a Buck Stockman that my father had given me... and I've been kicking myself ever since I lost it back in college. I also found an Imperial Boy Scout pocket knife when I was little. It was lying out on the street getting ran over by a car when I noticed it. I still EDC that pocket knife today.

[stonetone]

My earliest knife memory involves my grandfather on my dad's side. I used to watch him sharpening his kitchen knives and old Case slippies in a haze of Camel smoke and oil fumes. When he finished a knife, he used to run it across the underside of their kitchen table to remove the burrs. He passed when I was 7 or 8, and I have no idea what became of his blades.

Like many others my first knife was a Scout model, but I cannot remember how old I was when my dad gave it to me. It was right after I joined up, though, which I did at the earliest possible age, so... 10? 12?

That knife was lost to the ages, well, ages ago, but I still have and use the first SAK I ever got. It's got to be more than 20 years old. I bought it while I was in high school, but can't remember exactly when. I used to carry that knife to class, which of course isn't possible these days.

Around that time, my Dad and I started giving each other assorted Case knives for the occasional birthday and holiday (CV only!) I lost most of mine, and he broke most of his. Our knife exchange ended for many years after I graduated school and went about my life.

In September, I tried to revive it by giving him a large Stockman for his 65th birthday, and he promptly broke the tip of the big blade. I gave him some grief about prying, etc., and then got him a yellow handle Peanut for Father's Day. Last month I was at their house and noticed it sitting - still in box - on his workbench. He says it's too small, but I think he's also afraid to break yet another gift knife from me, which makes me strangely sad.

Incidentally, during that same trip I brought along a few of my Spydies for him to check out. He was intrigued, but also wary of those "strange" shapes. The edges impressed him though, to the point where he climbed up into the garage rafters and returned with his mid-60s Case fixed blade hunting knife, one of the ones with the black handles. He said it was the last knife his father ever sharpened, right before he died, and my dad has scrupulously avoided touching that edge for more than 30 years. It was still sharper than any non-factory edge I have at the moment.

Anyway, sorry to be so long-winded, but I owe both those men for my love of knives. They taught me well, but gave me room to learn the hard way about giving edged tools the respect they deserve.

[gaj999]

People are strange. Kids can still be taught safety, responsibilty and respect for the capabilities of the tool. Adults are often a lost cause.

What a great insight.

Gordon

[Tecun]

I gave my 11 year old daughter a nice pocketknife this year--she loves it and is extremely safe with it. We practiced knife safety first. Imagine that.

[Wanderer]

I've been carrying a pocket knife since i was like 8 or 9. Now that I'm 10 or so years older I can afford to carry bigger stuff. I'll say one thing, I learned a lot of hard lessons about a knife edge (those were accompanied by some stitches on one occassion :eek: :) ).

[Jazz]

I gotta give props to the kid. He's trying and obviously doing something he likes. As long as he keeps using common sense he'll be OK. Notice he said the Kershaw had blood on it from him cutting himself. You know how to not cut yourself? You cut yourself on accident a bunch of times and then you get better at not cutting yourself. Even then you still do.

Always good to see young guys (I'm only 36) getting into knives. I want them to be around much longer than me and also be acceptable to carry.

Nicely worded, Dave. I agree. I honestly don't remember when I got my 1st pocketknife. I was thinking recently while admiring my orange Ladybug how much I'd have loved to have that as a kid... :o

- best wishes, Jazz.

[phaust]

My father bought me a two-blade slippie at 7 with the longest blade maybe 1.5-2". My brother got a smaller one at the same time, with maybe a 1-1.5" blade, and he's about 3 years younger. Neither of us got seriously cut (no cuts that I remember actually) or have scars from knives :)

[BHDKnifer]

That KID is 29 years old. Read his profile.

[bell]

I have maintained that any child up to at least 10 should not be given a knife. Not only do they have no use for a knife, trial and error as a teaching method for knife craft leaves a lot to be desired.

The leading cause of death in children age 1-10 is accidents. These may not be knife accidents but reflect perhaps that the little one shuould not be "running with scissors".

The many posts on this topic, from many venerable knife people, obviously come from the survivors of childhood edc and you have the scars to prove it.

I seem to have taken this thing off track and commend the original poster for a good review of a super folder.....for adults that is.

[yablanowitz]

I agree that trial and error is not the best learning method with pretty much anything, that is why we need to teach our children. The time to teach them is before they find out the hard way, and that means way before ten years old.

A little story that I've told here before, but it bears repeating here. When I was five years old, knives were simply forbidden objects. No reason was given why this was so, it just was. So when I found dad's Camp King in the garage, I was curious, as kids are. Since no adult was present at the time to say no, that was all the justification needed in my mind to find out what these forbidden objects were all about. And since I had never been taught how to use a knife safely, it didn't take long for me to slice open a finger. From this end of my life, it was a pretty trivial cut, but at the time it was awful, the worst injury I'd ever had.

What if I'd found one of dad's guns instead of a pocket knife? Would it have ended in tragedy? Not a chance. I had been taught what guns were, how they worked, and what they did from the time I could walk. There was no mystery to solve, nothing new to discover. Curiousity satisfied, next subject please.

Ignorance leads to accidents. Curiousity leads to accidents (also known as learning experiences). If you want to prevent tragedy, enlighten your children. Satisfy their curiousity before they do it for themselves. Teach them safety and respect for the tool, and do it before they are old enough to know everything, because then it is too late.

[skcusloa]

It's been a while since I've visited. I'm 25. I've had knives and guns since I was 6. Real guns and real knives. I have never shot a person or stabbed a person. The sooner you understand real danger and real responsibility the better.

Judgement is key.

The kid seems extremely comfortable with blades. He has blood on the kershaw, leaving it on there isn't the brightest idea, but think about when you were that age, it's a trophy, and I imagine he learned a lesson. Look at all the pictures on this forums where we've had accidents. We're all still typing :)

[CopilotATS-55]

that kid knows his stuff. ive been carrying a knife for like 4-5 years now

[grunt0331]

I agree that trial and error is not the best learning method with pretty much anything, that is why we need to teach our children. The time to teach them is before they find out the hard way, and that means way before ten years old.

A little story that I've told here before, but it bears repeating here. When I was five years old, knives were simply forbidden objects. No reason was given why this was so, it just was. So when I found dad's Camp King in the garage, I was curious, as kids are. Since no adult was present at the time to say no, that was all the justification needed in my mind to find out what these forbidden objects were all about. And since I had never been taught how to use a knife safely, it didn't take long for me to slice open a finger. From this end of my life, it was a pretty trivial cut, but at the time it was awful, the worst injury I'd ever had.

What if I'd found one of dad's guns instead of a pocket knife? Would it have ended in tragedy? Not a chance. I had been taught what guns were, how they worked, and what they did from the time I could walk. There was no mystery to solve, nothing new to discover. Curiousity satisfied, next subject please.

Ignorance leads to accidents. Curiousity leads to accidents (also known as learning experiences). If you want to prevent tragedy, enlighten your children. Satisfy their curiousity before they do it for themselves. Teach them safety and respect for the tool, and do it before they are old enough to know everything, because then it is too late.

i know there's no manual for raising a child, but when "they" write one, that should be included.

i have a 2.5 year old and a 1 month old, both girls. my 2 yr. old owns a pink Jester SE. she is allowed to take it out of the box when Daddy is sharpening his work knives, but only Mommy or Daddy can open it. she knows that it causes owies and she is not old enough to handle it with the blade open. i know it is an early start but she shares my fascination with exotic tools. she, at two, is already immune to the rebellious desire to "experiment." when she turns 3, she will learn proper maintenance of an AR-15. (i kid)

...i was gifted with my first knife when i was 6. it was my uncles old Barlow. it is still in the family... somewhere.

[Cave Dave]

..

The leading cause of death in children age 1-10 is accidents. These may not be knife accidents but reflect perhaps that the little one should not be "running with scissors". ..

Maybe you should do a little better research.

Some US stats for yr2000:
- 6,466 children (0-18) were killed in motor vehicle crashes.
- 1,946 children (0-18) died in fires
- 1,236 children (0-18) died from drowning.
- 174 children (0-18) died from unintentional firearm-related injuries.
- 238 child deaths (0-18) of other or undetermined causes in the United States. (This would include running with knifes)

The big childhood accidental deaths are car accidents, fires and accidental drowning. So therefore kids should not be allowed to swim or take baths till they are 18, smoke in bed and or be allowed to drive except when daddy is drunk. :rolleyes:

[Jazz]

This thread is highly entertaining... :D Come on - we learn from our mistakes, and why dis knives for young'uns when you, yourself like them? Teach them, and let them learn and thoroughly enjoy them like we did and do.

- best wishes, Jazz.

[MasterExploder]

I have maintained that any child up to at least 10 should not be given a knife. Not only do they have no use for a knife, trial and error as a teaching method for knife craft leaves a lot to be desired.

The leading cause of death in children age 1-10 is accidents. These may not be knife accidents but reflect perhaps that the little one shuould not be "running with scissors".

The many posts on this topic, from many venerable knife people, obviously come from the survivors of childhood edc and you have the scars to prove it.

I seem to have taken this thing off track and commend the original poster for a good review of a super folder.....for adults that is.

If you change that to "your child", we don't have a problem. "Any child" includes my own, and you have absolutely no say that matters as to when my child is responsible enough to be allowed to own a knife.

There are 6 year olds who are more mature than some 10 year olds.
In fact, they can be more responsible than many 30 year olds, and that is not an exaggeration.

You are entitled to your opinion, I am just extremely happy that I did not grow up with you as a father.
My father chose to educate his sons rather than to bury our heads in the sand until the age of 10.

My ex-wife killed her two boys last year, ages 5 & 9, by drowning them in a boat accident on the glacier-fed Nisqually River after getting drunk and failing to provide life preservers for any of them.

Who is more responsible, a 6 year old child with a knife, or my 37 year old ex-wife with a bottle of booze and a boat?

Drowning is the 3rd leading cause of death for children up to 10 years old. Knife accidents don't even rank on the list.

MasterExploder

[gaj999]

I have maintained that any child up to at least 10 should not be given a knife. Not only do they have no use for a knife, trial and error as a teaching method for knife craft leaves a lot to be desired.

I had lots of uses for a knife. What, does your kid live in a plastic bubble? Trial and error? My parents weren't idiots. I was taught which side was sharp.

The leading cause of death in children age 1-10 is accidents. These may not be knife accidents but reflect perhaps that the little one shuould not be "running with scissors".

Scissors are *way * more dangerous for kids than knives. Why? Hold a pair of scissors with your thumb and finger through the holes. Now imagine falling, and reach out with that hand to catch yourself. Oh, crap. Do the same with a knife. No sweat.

The many posts on this topic, from many venerable knife people, obviously come from the survivors of childhood edc and you have the scars to prove it.

No scars. One minor cut. "Testing" the edge. At that age, it was enough to make a real impression. I was safe as houses from then on. With a slipjoint. I can't remember the last time I got bit.

The younger you learn something, the better you learn it. My grandfather didn't learn to drive until he was around forty. I'm not sure he saw a car before he was thirty. Scariest dude that ever hit the highways. The first time he got lost in the woods and had to spend the night out, in Canada, in the middle of winter, when he was 13 years old, he had a knife, knew how to build a fire, and was much safer than he was in LA, driving, sixty years later. :-)

Gordon

[The Deacon]

The many posts on this topic, from many venerable knife people, obviously come from the survivors of childhood edc and you have the scars to prove it.

Oh **** yes! Scars from falls from tricycles, bicycles, scooters, roller skates, sports, wounds from those homemade things we called zip guns (wood body, heavy rubber bands, normal ammo was a piece of shingle), from screwdrivers and other hand tools, from broken glass at the beach, and one from a nasty run in with a strand of barbed wire. Heck, might even have one or two from knives. BFD. Don't regret a single one of them. Well maybe the barbed wire one. :o :D

You can't wrap kids in cotton wool and store them safely in the cupboard till adulthood. They will find ways to have fun. **** near all those ways will be dangerous to some extent. Many, if not most, a good deal more dangerous than a reasonable size pocket knife could possibly be unless used with bad intent. If your child cannot be trusted with a knife, they probably can't be trusted with a bicycle, or allowed to cross the street.