First knife for my boy.

I gave both of my sons Leatherman Sidekicks for Xmas one year, Menards had them for $13. I should have grabbed one for myself; I have a Charge Ti, but it would be $$$ to replace if I lost it. The older one promptly lost his, just like the Wave his Grandpa bought him for his 16th BD. Now, I make it a point to offer him one of the $4 Ozark trail multi-tools every time he comes over, just to rankle him....

I carry a Leatherman charge nearly always and have a couple other models as well. Locking blades are a must for a multi tool and a big plus for any knife IMO.
The SAK might be nicer if he carries it in his pocket. He will be thrilled with either one.

I prefer to provide a carbon steel straight blade as a first knife.
The recipient must learn to care for the tool.
If the knife must be a folder, I insist on a strong locking mechanism.
I don't favor a multi-purpose tool for a first knife. Let them learn on a basic tool.

I would recommend a locking knife with a single blade at first and a Leatherman or SAK later, primarily for the tools and less for the knife blade.

Spyderco Delica or something similar. Easy to handle, safe to use.

If I was 9 again I would want the SAK because it's more cool to carry around than a Leatherman. Plus the Hunter has buck insignia and gut blade which ups the cool factor.

Mn Fats said:

Leatherman now too??

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They have been for years.

Answering the OP's question. I would opt for the SAK every time. I have given them to my grandsons and they are ultra cool and easily replaceable when they are lost. Far different time than when I was in grade school and we played "stretch" during recess.

hso said:

Incorrect

The leatherman story has been debunked and BM is still under debate, but pretty well debunked now as well.

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Leatherman donated to John Kerry, not exactly a pro-gun person. He did say to not reflect on his company because of his personal preferences......

If you're looking at a Swiss Army knife, which for that age has a lot of cool factor, I'd look at either the Spartan /Tinker or the Recruit, depending on his hand size. The Recruit is a bit shorter at 3.3" and just lacks the back tools (which I don't see as a huge drawback). Or you could go up to tools with scissors or a saw, or both (Climber/Super Tinker,Camper/Hiker, Huntsman/Fieldmaster). I'd lean toward the models with screwdrivers vs. those with corkscrews. I don't imagine a 9 year old would have much use for a corkscrew for its intended purpose.

The four layer knives have a good tool selection, but might be a bit much to slip into a pocket. I'd stick to 3 layer or less. The Alox versions (Pioneer, Farmer, Pioneer X) will be slimmer and have somewhat better build quality, but are more expensive.

Note on the links: Those all go to Victorinox's website. Although they have "buy" buttons, they're not affiliate links. In fact, I recommend against buying direct, as you'll find better deals on other websites. (Knifecenter, who I've had good luck with; BladeHQ who seems to have a good rep; and Amazon though you need to inspect the product for defects since they just resell returns and also need to make sure Amazon is the seller, since some of the non-Amazon sellers may sell counterfeits.)

The Victorinox is cool, but does he really need all those tools? If anything, leatherman and similar gadgets are more user-friendly from a multiple tool standpoint, but not very "traditional" (I always had one on me in the military though). How about a case pocket knife? For a simple cutting edge to keep in a pocket where there is no tactical function or need for a lock, they are my favorite.

FL-NC said:

The Victorinox is cool, but does he really need all those tools?

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Not really, but it's cool. That's why I'd suggest the Spartan or the Recruit. The Recruit is ideal, since it dispenses with the back tools that aren't all that useful. Will he find use for a can opener, bottle opener and a couple of screwdrivers? Probably three out of those four.

If the OP's son likes fishing and bumming around outdoors, a pliers-based multitool would be the better choice. I was just running down some SAK models for the OP, because I like 'em, and b/c there are so many of them that I thought it might be helpful.

FL-NC said:

(I always had one on me in the military though)

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I always had a Vic Fieldmaster on me (and a fixed blade in the field), but I went into the service in 86, and Leatherman hadn't become a household name quite yet.