What's a good 'first knife'?

[danielocean03]

Or treat it like a new gun purchase........give him the price range and take him shopping. Let him pick out what he wants......with dad's pre-purchase approval of course. If he doesn't like the knife you pick out for him, he might not carry it which is just as good as owning a gun that you leave in the safe all the time.

Great advice here.

Personally, I think he'd be well served by a Swiss Army Knife (SAK), but if he doesn't care for it, he's a lot less likely to carry it.

 

[Jack Ryan]

whats so ridiculous about a swiss army knife?

Swiss Army knife is good and it's good for kids. They'd love it. They are expensive though if you get a good one. I had a couple of those as a kid. Most likely they were Swiss Army LIKE knives. First I always lost the tooth pick, after every one in my imediate group of friends used it of course. They I usually broke the cork screw before I lost the rest of it.

 

[Indecision]

I'm going to have to agree with a Swiss Army Knife.

 

[Jerry]

Something like the Buck Cadet

Which is just a small stockman style knife.
Another good option would be a SAK, like the camper or hunter (both include saws) from Victorinox.

My first knife was the little Buck... My friend got one of the SAK campers. We put both knives through their paces in the woods growing up. Mine is in my gun safe now living out its retirement as a safe queen next to my dad's old Case sodbuster.

 

[WoG]

How old is he?

He's 7. He's got a BB gun, which he handles well- and we do more and more camping and fishing, etc. so I think it could be a good gift for Christmas.

 

[WoG]

Or treat it like a new gun purchase........give him the price range and take him shopping. Let him pick out what he wants......with dad's pre-purchase approval of course. If he doesn't like the knife you pick out for him, he might not carry it which is just as good as owning a gun that you leave in the safe all the time.

Awesome advice. Thank you.

 

[Jack Ryan]

He's 7. He's got a BB gun, which he handles well- and we do more and more camping and fishing, etc. so I think it could be a good gift for Christmas.

Get him a good scout knife.

 

[Pale Rider]

I might suggest something with a locking blade.... I remember cutting myself more than once with my early pocket knives because the blade folded up on my hand. I'm sitting here now with my Buck Protege, one of my first knives as a scout that has always been great. BUCK I have a version with a slimmer hard plastic handle and pocket clip, my two best buddies in scouts carried the one in the. Great simple first knife.

 

[Cain71]

I bought my son a SAK at the Smoky Mountain Knife Works 2 years ago,they had one single blade with a round point.like a butter knife,worked really well for teacking a 5 year old the basics. nice thing about it only cost like 7 dollars and it holds a good edge. On another thought teach him to keep it sharp,more people get cut with a dull knife trying to make it cut than with a sharp one that they know will cut. This to me is as important as the rest of the saftey teachings of good knife skills. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Jeremiah]

I think that a slightly larger knife may be in order at 7 esppecially if going with a SAK, perhaps a model with scisors and then dull the blade down till he gets older.

 

[Armorer59]

I love my leatherman skeletool cx. it has an awesome blade and some other nice tools built in.

+1

 

[Bruenor]

I picked up a basic Swiss army knife (the actual brand name, not a knock off) at Big Lots for $8. I went back a week later and bought the other two that they had. I carry this every day at work, and for a desk job, it works just fine.