Small, cute locking folder as 8rd old GIRL's first knife?

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MatthewVanitas

MatthewVanitas

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Okay, I've refined my parameters for gifts for my little cousins.

13yr old anime-loving tomboy: CRKT tanto neck-knife
11yr old girly type: Opinel (size 5? 6?)

Now for the 8yr old. I've been advised that non-locking knives cause more injuries than any other type, so SAK and others are out.

Looking for a locking folder, blade around 2". Ideally, one that has "pretty" scales, like pseudo-pearl or something. Decent quality, but under $20. INOX preferable: I don't think that 8yr olds are big into stropping or running Rockwell tests.

-MV
 
Because I am too lazy to look, I don't know if they still make them, but for a long time Spyderco made little folders in different colors. I carried a pink one for years.

In case your wondering, I carried pink because I knew no one would steal a pink knife, and because if they did, it would be pretty darn easy to identify...
 
Buck Metro can be had in 6 colors I believe...

Very tiny with 1.125" blade and a liner lock that should make it easy for child sized hands. Got a lil lanyard hole on it to help keep from losing it.

http://www.1sks.com/store/buck-metro.html

And Swiss Army knives are available with locking blades if you like that idea.

Randy
 
Benchmade Mini-grip comes in a variety of colors, pink being one of them, IIRC. don't know about price though.


~tmm
 
Benchmade Mini-grip comes in a variety of colors, pink being one of them, IIRC. don't know about price though.
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I have a BM Mini-Grip, and it's quite more than $20, and a small adult knife, still too big for a kid. I think I paid $40 for mine.

The main leaders right now are various Case and Zippo (by Case) lockback knives. Probably a Case XX at this point. The Schrade "Uncle Henry" lockback is pretty cool too; do kids like stag?

Or should I just get her a Case Peanut, and hope that she's smart enough to not have it snap on her fingers? Some folks on BladeForum argued that a kid doesn't need a lockback for... whatever it is that 8yr olds do with knives. As I recall, I whittled mostly. Whittling at 8 mainly means sharpening twigs until there's no twig left, and then finding another twig.

-MV
 
Some folks on BladeForum argued that a kid doesn't need a lockback for... whatever it is that 8yr olds do with knives.
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I would agree that if you teach her to handle it safely a locking blade is not necessary. On the other hand, if she ever does anything like Girl Scouts I believe they, and most other scout like civic/religious groups mandate locking blades for safety any official event like a summer camp or troop meeting. Kids being kids I don't think a little extra safety is a bad idea.

The best small and colorful options I found were the Buck Metro & Approach, blue or purple; the Kershaw TwoCan, blue; the Leatherman Micra, several colors; and the Xikar Explorer, blue. Hope those help.
 
I'd get her a slipjoint Case folder. They come in all sorts of pretty colours and patterns and some can have a very femenine shape. Using a slipjoint will teach her to use knives safely before moving on to a locking blade.
 
Looks like I'll be going for a Case Peanut then.

Tons of them on eBay in pearl, pink, etc. Seems to be a pretty neat little knife.

-MV
 
An 8 year old is too young to own a knife. Any knife. So is an 11 or 13 year old.
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That's an opinion you are entitled to have, based obviously on life experiences you have had and people you know.
My mileage is varied though.
I was given my first sheath knife at age 7(ish), with instruction, guidance and goodwill from a father that wasn't too scared to let me learn.
I never did cut myself with that one.
 
An 8 year old is too young to own a knife. Any knife. So is an 11 or 13 year old.
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I know plenty of 30 year olds who can't be trusted with a sharp stick.

My parents were urban liberals, and I got a Swiss Army knife at age five; I turned out fine.

13 is too young? Two years later they can get a learner's permit and pilot 2,000 pounds of steel at 70mph.

Not picking on you, but I think a lot of people here would disagree with your assertion. If you'd care to make a detailed argument on this, perhaps we could start a new thread entitled "How young is to young for a knife?"



-MV
 
Got my first one on my 6th birthday. It was a barlow. Of course, I grew up on a ranch. I remember setting at my grandfather's feet and watching him with the Arkansas stone and sharpening it. He always said, "A dull knife is more dangerous then a sharp one."
 
Definitely a locking blade. I'm a big fan of lockbacks myself - as long as kids learn the "proper" way to close them (w/ all body parts out of the path of the blade + gripping the sides of the knife) they are IMHO one of the safest actions out there.

Spyderco makes several nice but inexpensive smaller knives under their Byrd (made in China) line. Spydercos can look kind of "techy" (with their unconventional designs) but the workmanship, human engineering, and materials are first rate. The quality on these is fantastic, esp. the SS lockbacks. I own the Robin and highly recommend it.

Robin

For a really small knife, there's the Finch

Pros - Very sharp knives, very sturdy, ergonomic.

Cons - Limited warranty, made in china, SS can be heavy, like most lockbacks action can be stiff before breaking in

One last thing - stainless doesn't mean stain/rust proof. Regular exposure to sweat and moisture can stain - my Robin has a discolored clip. You can solve this with an application of Sentry Solution Tuf-Glide if you're really concerned.
 
An 8 year old is too young to own a knife. Any knife. So is an 11 or 13 year old.
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Let's see. I had a Cub Scout pocket knife when I was in first grade... which would have been age 6. By 10, I had a small cigar box filled with a collection of Case, Schrade, Victorinox and similar slip joints. I spent a lot of time whittling sticks into toothpicks and hunks of wood into poor imitations of various animals. I also used them to open mail for my folks, cut twine on the bundles for my paper route, dig dirt out from under my nails, cut pieces of plastic models from their frames, and *GASP* occasionally play mumbletypeg.

I've got a grand total of two knife-related small scars from that time period... both of which proved to be good lessons which I remember to this day, over 30 years later. The first one was "never open all of the blades on a Swiss Army knife at the same time" and the other was "keep your knife blade sharp at all times".

I now have two sons of my own -- an eight year-old and a six year-old. They've had small pocket knives from the time when they showed me that they had the dexterity and strength to safely open and close them. Times have changed enough that they don't have free reign to carry them; however, when we are camping and for much of the summer they have them in their pockets almost all of the time.

Knives are one of the most basic of all tools. IMO, not helping a child become proficient in the use and care of one is borderline negligent. I teach my kids how to read, how to write, how to use a pocket-knife, how to hammer a nail, how to use a wrench, how to use the toaster, etc... It's all part of them growing up and becoming a responsible person.
 
I bought my daughter a Swiss army pocket knife (the kind with the blade, screwdriver/nail file, scissors, toothpick and tweezers) for her FIFTH birthday.

All day long we could hear her in one room or the other saying "ouch." "Darn." "Ouch." "Jeez." Until she finally came into the room where her mom, brother and I were sitting and said "Dad, I keep cutting myself with this."

I HAD given her a lesson, but she's never been very good at listening to instructions...

That said, for her 10th birthday I bought her a Ken Onion chive (the smaller of the two, chive and leek), an assisted opening pocket clip-on knife, the kind with the cool iridescent titanium or somethingum finish. A friend said I was the only dad she could ever imagine giving a daughter a switchblade.

It broke her heart not to be able to take either knife to school for show and tell.

I have a SIG P232 for her for her 18th birthday (sooner if the SHTF) with the same finish on the slide. That will never go to school either.

Get the girl started early on, with proper safety instruction, and she'll never go back.
 
Would've wanted a sword at that age, myself. Still do. 'Course, I was a boy at that age, and I probably would've smashed some lamps, too.
Maybe make certain that you have a decent-sized grip to it... I've cut myself lately with a midget locking folder. Of course, I've cut myself with chain saws, too.
 
That's funny.

I cut the hell out of myself with a sushi knife several years ago (decades), and several times since with various pocket knives. Play with fire and you get burned sometimes...

I've also been swinging chainsaws for about 30 years and never cut myself until a month ago. Superficially. My jeans stopped the blade as it was winding down anyway thank God. Leg's almost healed and I found a really nice set of Husqvarna chaps for about $54 at Lowes.

My legs are worth more than that.
 
never too young IF you take the time to educate them... my sons collection that started at age 9 ( with the Perrin push dagger )
He really likes the Kershaw KO Speed Assists. And the Buck Mayo modded by Tom himself....

heck all my kids have their own knives , which are handled with supervision. My youngest is 3 ( and yes he gets watched closely ) , I would rather them learn how to handle things safely than to stumble upon one somewhere and have an accident...


another good option is a Kershaw Double Cross... nice dual bladed double linerlock http://www.knifeworks.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=7430
 

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I'm surprised no one has mentioned this but the gift of knife should be accompanied by a serious lecture about NEVER bringing the knife to school.

There are plenty of places in this country that getting caught with a knife in school will not only get the student expelled but also arrested and taken away in handcuffs.
 
my kids were given the knives but they remain in the safe and only get to handle with my supervision. Same with their firearms.
 
Both my daughters have pink Ladybugs and Swiss Army Knives. I believe they received them around 10 or so.

An 8 year old is too young to own a knife. Any knife. So is an 11 or 13 year old.
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That's just wrong.
 
An 8 year old is too young to own a knife. Any knife. So is an 11 or 13 year old.
Click to expand...

Well, thats your opinion. I am 35 and I grew up in a small town about 20 miles or so from Denver. I point that out because I want you to realize that I am not that old, and that I didn't grow up way out in the sticks. That point is relevant because I not only had my first knife by 8, I was regularly carrying a hatchet down to the South Platte river with my buddies and building forts and stuff at 8. Frankly, the most dangerous part of those adventures was walking across the highway to get to the river! Of course, my mom and dad had no idea we were crossing the highway, or they would have killed me, but I can assure you that I came to no harm from those adventures.

Maybe 8 is too young for some kids to have a knife. I honestly don't think I would buy my niece a knife right now, and she is 8. Why? Well, she is a good kid, but she has two younger siblings that I don't think need access to a knife, and I don't think she would keep it where they couldn't get to it. I think if you know your kid, it's pretty easy to figure out if they can handle the responsibility of having a sharp tool. For a kid, a knife is a sacred object: It's cool, it's neat and more importantly it is something that is theirs. My knife was very literally the very first thing I ever got in my life that was "grown-up", and it was MINE. It was something I didn't have to share (and, in fact, was strongly encouraged not to share), it carried an aura of responsibility, and it was something that I had to care for. Really man, it was a pretty darn neat gift, and I wish like you can't believe that I still had my very first knife. The point is, to arbitrarily sit there and say that no 8 year old should have a knife is short-sighted and closed-minded. Maybe your kid really shouldn't have one. Maybe your kid could handle the responsibility and you are cutting he or she short. I don't know your kid, but then again, you don't know my nieces and nephews either.
 
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