Youngest turned 7 5/1 and in practicing lighting fires the last few days, she has said she wants a knife. What's your favorite, would like a locking, single blade, pocket clip that's removable as they're not comfortable to use but fun to hang somewhere or store in a pocket.
Thinking gerber lst or mini spyderco of some sort. I will keep it when not in use, so hope not to have it lost in the next little while.
When my kids were little I ended up deciding the best choice was a small sheath knife, worn as a neck knife with a breakaway connector. This made the knife harder to lose and no one cut themselves folding it closed. ragweedforge.com is an excellent source of little puukko knives that are great for kids. I haven't ordered anything from them since the owner died, but they're still a going concern apparently.
I'd personally avoid the pocket clips as I find 1 or two every fall on our back roads that have fallen out of someone's pocket as they're 4-wheeling the back country. Get one that burrows well down into ones pocket.
Think my first was a swiss army as well, still remember closing it on myself, don't remember how, but it was sharp and cut good, good lesson to learn I guess. Jack knife may be a good choice, but was more thinking H22 would offer up one of his collection for his favorite fat headed squid. Them sod busters spark a few memories as well. I'll keep looking, but need to get one pdq as interest is high. Jon
You don't want a lock blade for the kid's first knife - safety issues. Get her a basic, but quality slip joint. I started my daughter out at about 4 years old, first reviewing knife safety, then helping in the kitchen, then camping and in the outdoors. She just turned 10 in April and she has about 8-10 knives of her own now.
My recommendation for a first knife would be a Case Sodbuster Jr. or an Alox Pioneer.
Cadet - slipjoint has value, as mentioned above; handy little knife Robin - my son has trouble unlocking it 711 - sometimes you need a solid fixed blade, that can take a little harder use LST - great knife, and easy to unlock Vic parer w/kydex from BigDave - hard to go wrong with a simple neck knife, from one of our own forum members
Since you live in Erie, have you considered visiting the Spyderco store in Golden? My boys and I spent 2+ hours there, playing with knives. I love Spydercos, though, even though I have Benchmade, CRKT, Gerber, Kershaw, etc. in my backyard!
In my opinion this is an excellent knife. Have had one for decades. Light and easily carried in the pocket or on the belt in the leather sheath that comes with it.
My first knife wa a cheap barlow. Easy to dull but easy to sharpen. After a bit I got knives of better steel including the ubiquitous Boy Scout knife. Once Dad figured that I would take care of a better knife I suppose. It wasn't the knife so much as that Dad thought I could be trusted with one.
Youngest turned 7 5/1 and in practicing lighting fires the last few days, she has said she wants a knife. What's your favorite, would like a locking, single blade, pocket clip that's removable as they're not comfortable to use but fun to hang somewhere or store in a pocket.
Thinking gerber lst or mini spyderco of some sort. I will keep it when not in use, so hope not to have it lost in the next little while.
Thanks Jon
In your position i would settle on a Spyderco with a flat ground blade...you may as well get her something that will last and be useful.
I started carrying a boy scout knife @ 8. Of course, within 6 months I'd cut myself with it.
Ditto for #2 son and #3 son. They got simple Victorinox Swiss Army Knives
1) The standard Swiss Army Knife is wickedly hard to sharpen. It also has a lot of stuff on it that a kid won't use at first.
2) That Ka-Bar that Joken2 showed is about ideal for a first knife as far as I'm concerned.
3) If the kid is going to hunt something like deer, I'd also get him a Ka-Bar 4062 Folding Hunter for gutting and tell him to keep it in his deer kit.
4) A kid will lose a knife that isn't attached to him. Another reason I liked my boy scout knife and all my other EDC knives is that they had an attachment point (shackle or whatever) so I could put them on a lanyard that went on my belt and stayed on if the knife fell out of my pocket. I kept it the same knife all the way through to adulthood. I've never lost an EDC knife as a result.
In my opinion this is an excellent knife. Have had one for decades. Light and easily carried in the pocket or on the belt in the leather sheath that comes with it.
That was my first knife and I still have it! Dad bought it for me 45 years ago. Its on its third blade. Its an excellent knife for a kid or anyone.
Another option for the OP could be an Ontario Rat 2. I've heard for years that they are perhaps the best "budget knife" and can be had for around 30 dollars give or take. They are more "modern" in that they have a liner lock, one hand opening, and pocket clip which you can remove.
Youngest turned 7 5/1 and in practicing lighting fires the last few days, she has said she wants a knife. What's your favorite, would like a locking, single blade, pocket clip that's removable as they're not comfortable to use but fun to hang somewhere or store in a pocket.
Thinking gerber lst or mini spyderco of some sort. I will keep it when not in use, so hope not to have it lost in the next little while.
Thanks Jon
Jon Is it her first knife ?
If she is responsible ? Sounds like it . I'd get her a pink Dozier for 20 bucks . You can't go wrong with those . Perfect size ,lightweight , take & hold a decent edge . Soft enough to get sharp easily and also good to learn on for actually sharpening If she loses it .no biggie on price tag
I like the idea of a basic Swiss Army knife. Kids like different gadgets on the knife. A Barlow is also a very usualful knife that can start a life long knife user.
My dad used to get me the little black plastic handled Gerber lock backs. I say lock backs as in plural because I must have lost the first 6-8 pocketknives I ever had. I think I had a couple Imperial slip joints in that timeframe too, the black plastic handled ones. Never recall cutting myself but I sure could lose any little trinket I made a habit of carrying around.
I'm a big fan of the Opinel kids line of knives for a first one. The blunt tip keeps them from accidentally running one into their hand and the locking mechanism is secure and very easy to operate.
Just be careful with the Swiss Army knives, the last two I had were super sharp.
A knife should be sharp.
That's part of learning about knives, and how to maintain one.
Get a kid a whetstone along with the knife, and teach them the proper way to sharpen a knife as well.
More people are more seriously cut by "dull" knives than anything else.
If your kid isn't mature enough to own a pocket knife, then don't get them one. Just give them an old garage sale butter knife, and tell them to go play...
I cut myself more and worse with the real sharp suckers.
Dad had my uncle teach me how to sharpen a knife and I learned well at about 9 years old.
Several times over the years since then when hunting or fishing or working he would borrow my knife and end up cussing about a kid having a knife that sharp. Mine would always shave the hair off an arm, still, they werent scalpel sharp.
Mornin gang, my two cents. If your teaching her to light fires why not get her a fixed blade & show her how to baton & make shavings. She's a girl, she's a lot more mature than a boy at that age. Buy an orange handled one. She'll have the knife when she's married later in life!!! Put it on a quick release teather or one of those retractable ones & have her just take it off when it's time to use it. We want pics later, no cuts. Wait, that's more than two cents worth??? Bill out. 🐾👣🇨🇦
Youngest turned 7 5/1 and in practicing lighting fires the last few days, she has said she wants a knife. What's your favorite, would like a locking, single blade, pocket clip that's removable as they're not comfortable to use but fun to hang somewhere or store in a pocket.
Thinking gerber lst or mini spyderco of some sort. I will keep it when not in use, so hope not to have it lost in the next little while.
Thanks Jon
Small knives are like small handguns. They're cool but not the best for beginners.
In my family nobody got cut but a lot of knives got lost...start with a smaller Swiss and make a big deal out of using the lanyard and hook it to a belt loop. Anybody who recommends a high dollar knife for a kid's first knife doesn't know much about the attention span of 7 yr olds. For my grandsons, 6 and 9, I sharpen the hell out of the rear half of the blade for cutting baling twine, and leave the front half pretty dull.
My first was Swiss Army. Used the hell out of that thing.
^ yep; can’t go wrong there IMHO.
Lock blades are nice later on but getting them closed early in life when coordination is lacking presents more danger than having the blade not locked in use. YMMV.
My first knife, when I turned 6, was a Davy Crockett jack knife my grandfather gave me.My mother and my grandmother were kind of nervous and there was a little worried clucking going on, but Gramps prevailed.
Mornin gang, my two cents. If your teaching her to light fires why not get her a fixed blade & show her how to baton & make shavings. She's a girl, she's a lot more mature than a boy at that age. Buy an orange handled one. She'll have the knife when she's married later in life!!! Put it on a quick release teather or one of those retractable ones & have her just take it off when it's time to use it. We want pics later, no cuts. Wait, that's more than two cents worth??? Bill out. 🐾👣🇨🇦
My grandpa bought me my first knife when I was 8. I buck lock back. We got back to the house and he told me 2 things. "Don't tell Grandma and don't cut yourself." Took me about 30 seconds after he said that to cut my finger while closing it back up.
Sad you can no longer just go down to Sears or Montgomery Wards and get one of their branded moderately priced USA made camp knifes for your son or daughter anymore. Toss in all the locally owned hardware stores, gas stations, bait and tackle stores.
To add don't make their first knife some Mall Ninja Flipper China made BS.
Hundreds of thousands of USA made knives from former USA companies like Schrade, Camillus, Western, Imperial etc on fleabay for decent prices
Best knife for a 7 year old? IMHO it's one that you keep locked out of sight until the 7 year old is about 12.
What is your metric for a child’s readiness to handle a certain tool or task? Did we not all learn a lesson or two early in life by suffering a minor injury? I ask this with some sincerity as a parent raising a small boy but with some skepticism as a person who was shooting a 410 and 22 by age 5. My son is 4 but uses a 5” bait knife to cut catfish bait, under supervision of course, and shoots a 22 or BB gun while sitting in my lap. He ran the outboard on our boat for half an hour this past Saturday while we trolled for Saugeye, once again under close supervision on my part. I fully expect that by 7 he’ll be ready to carry a small knife in his pocket as I did.
Probably not what dad gave me. Dad and I were out in the car with him making industrial sales calls and me just staying in the car glad to be out of the house. We were at the sugar beet factory when the shop foreman caught one of the colored guys making what I think is called an "Arkansas toothpick" out of a file, took it away and gave it to dad. That knife is (yup, I still have it) a double sided 11" long dagger. Dad got it a sheath easily 2" too long, so wearing it on my belt as a child the thing hung down somewhere around my kneecap. I couldn't wear it at school, but I think I wore it most other places.
First, it's easier to sharpen a slightly larger blade. Second, it's safer - no folding blade to slip and cut while closing, no chance of collapsing while used - just out of the sheath or not.
While big enough not to easily be lost (especially the orange handled one!), the handle is relatively small and fits a young person's hand well.
Best knife for a 7 year old? IMHO it's one that you keep locked out of sight until the 7 year old is about 12.
What is your metric for a child’s readiness to handle a certain tool or task? Did we not all learn a lesson or two early in life by suffering a minor injury? I ask this with some sincerity as a parent raising a small boy but with some skepticism as a person who was shooting a 410 and 22 by age 5. My son is 4 but uses a 5” bait knife to cut catfish bait, under supervision of course, and shoots a 22 or BB gun while sitting in my lap. He ran the outboard on our boat for half an hour this past Saturday while we trolled for Saugeye, once again under close supervision on my part. I fully expect that by 7 he’ll be ready to carry a small knife in his pocket as I did.
Indy has a point. I think an older child is more likely to remember not to run with a knife and normally probably has a better chance of turning the blade away from themselves if they fall.
I've seen a few kids as patients who got a fingernail file or pen or pencil in an eye from falling.
Something nobody will cry over when it gets lost or broken. That old barlow I had came from a small town drug store. It was on a card hanging over the fountain. Didn't loose it but broke the tip using it hard but not really abusing it. Moved up to something little better. A buddy had a Swiss Army knife. My thought was what does anybody need all that crap for?
Best knife for a 7 year old? IMHO it's one that you keep locked out of sight until the 7 year old is about 12.
I know every kid is different, but If my kids hadn't figured out by age 7 that knives are sharp and can be dangerous if carelessly used then I've failed as a parent to the extent that they're likely to have bigger issues in life than cutting themselves with a pocket knife.
Just be careful with the Swiss Army knives, the last two I had were super sharp.
Yes, and the steel Victorinox uses in their blades easily takes a scary sharp edge especially on a Spyderco Sharpmaker. Their kitchen knives are the best bang for the buck.
I have a bunch of Victorinox paring knives I use in the kitchen, in the fur shed and out halibut fishing. The serrated ones can saw through a frozen salmon in about five strokes. I never have to thaw my bait.
The commercial fishermen always have one or two within reach on them in the event they get caught in a line and dragged overboard when working on deck with crab/cod pots or halibut longlines.
Youngest turned 7 5/1 and in practicing lighting fires the last few days, she has said she wants a knife. What's your favorite, would like a locking, single blade, pocket clip that's removable as they're not comfortable to use but fun to hang somewhere or store in a pocket.
Thinking gerber lst or mini spyderco of some sort. I will keep it when not in use, so hope not to have it lost in the next little while.
Thanks Jon
You're only gonna get her one? Surely you jest. She'll need a Swiss Army knife, and a lightweight folder with a 3 1/2 inch blade for hunting, just for starters.
Youngest turned 7 5/1 and in practicing lighting fires the last few days, she has said she wants a knife. What's your favorite, would like a locking, single blade, pocket clip that's removable as they're not comfortable to use but fun to hang somewhere or store in a pocket.
Thinking gerber lst or mini spyderco of some sort. I will keep it when not in use, so hope not to have it lost in the next little while.
Thanks Jon
You're only gonna get her one? Surely you jest. She'll need a Swiss Army knife, and a lightweight folder with a 3 1/2 inch blade for hunting, just for starters.
I was kinda hoping Uncle Don (H22) or Uncle Phil was going to provide the second one for the 9.5 year old and the 7 year old. Maybe an Ingram or a Menefee or some other well balanced fine tool! Heck, if you do, I'll get them hauling meat for you soon!
Thanks for the replies, she held my mora today, she's tiny for age 7, her hand goes around the mora, but she has to choke way up on it, her hand covers about 1/2 the handle. I like the thinking on the lock back and it being dangerous when closing, I've seen them work hard on some in the past. The opinel looks interesting, as does the mora firestarter and the simple little Buck. I'll decide and order in the next day or so. Thanks
What is your metric for a child’s readiness to handle a certain tool or task? Did we not all learn a lesson or two early in life by suffering a minor injury?
For a child, I think it will be appreciated more if a fun or interesting mechanism and perhaps bright colors as well. I suggest you look into the Microtech Troodon. It comes in many colors but I think pink may be appropriate here!
What is your metric for a child’s readiness to handle a certain tool or task? Did we not all learn a lesson or two early in life by suffering a minor injury?
For a child, I think it will be appreciated more if a fun or interesting mechanism and perhaps bright colors as well. I suggest you look into the Microtech Troodon. It comes in many colors but I think pink may be appropriate here!
Gramps gave me a Camillus 3 blade stockman when I was 5. It skinned a lot of muskrats and coons, dressed a lot of rabbits and squirrels and whittled a lot of roasting sticks for marshmallows. I still have it and it served me well for a long time. One could do worse than a good, traditional 3 blade stockman for a first knife.
I had a rusty no name piece of crap folder, got it from a friend in 2,3rd grade... that thing closed up on my knuckles, then I got my ass tore up with a belt and then dragged to the doctors office for a tetanus shot in my sore ass.
Youngest turned 7 5/1 and in practicing lighting fires the last few days, she has said she wants a knife. What's your favorite, would like a locking, single blade, pocket clip that's removable as they're not comfortable to use but fun to hang somewhere or store in a pocket.
Thinking gerber lst or mini spyderco of some sort. I will keep it when not in use, so hope not to have it lost in the next little while.
Thanks Jon
You're only gonna get her one? Surely you jest. She'll need a Swiss Army knife, and a lightweight folder with a 3 1/2 inch blade for hunting, just for starters.
I was kinda hoping Uncle Don (H22) or Uncle Phil was going to provide the second one for the 9.5 year old and the 7 year old. Maybe an Ingram or a Menefee or some other well balanced fine tool! Thanks
Good plan Jon. I'll spring for the Victorinox, and I'm pretty sure uncle Don has several nice Ingrams they can choose from.
Case XX Trapper. You can go to the Case website and get one personalized by having the name and date etched on the blade. You can get one in any color handle material you want.
Don't keep up with knives much anymore because I have so many but just saw that Buck now has a "slim" version of the 110 and 112 that is very light weight with clip and thumb stud more geared to pocket carry......for around $30.
Bought them each a light my fire mora and they love them so far. 9 year old whittled a point, made a fuzz stick, 7 year old made lots of shavings. Thanks for the tips, now to feed the addiction and choose the next one, hoping Smokepole follows through with his promise of a custom
On the last day of school, Thursday, we started some summer learning. About 12 minutes into it and a dinner break, she can back and got it in the first take. Dryer lint and some magnesium shavings help. She was and is proud, as am I.
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