Outdoor knife suitable for a child?

whaleofaday

My 12 year old daughter loves the outdoors and did a sort of introduction to survival skills course on her summer holiday and she was really inspired!

She has asked for a knife for Christmas so that she can cut branches off trees and bushes in the back garden, make bows and arrows etc...she has been borrowing my vegetable knife up till now!

I was going to just get her a swiss army knife, but there are a lot of tools I don't think would be very useful and when I google "camping knife" there are loads of scary looking suggestions coming up.

Any ideas on what might be a good choice for her? I'm clueless. I would be happy to spend up to €25.

Also, I saw a little set with a flint/stone and wondered if this would be a wise thing to buy a mature almost teen? (She was taught about firelighting over the summer). Has anyone else given their kids these kinds of tools?

porsche boy

What knife to give a 12 year old????

No. Just no.

emo72

bit dodgy buying a knife for a 12 yo. not sure thats a good idea to be honest.

whaleofaday

Really? Not even if she has been taught how to use one and it's only allowed in the back garden?

She knows she would not be taking it outside of the house btw! Only the back garden.

emo72

whaleofaday wrote: »

Really? Not even if she has been taught how to use one and it's only allowed in the back garden?

She knows she would not be taking it outside of the house btw! Only the back garden.

l

well shes your child, and you know best. id be worried she might be a bit clumsy and and stab herself. i know when i was older than that i managed to cut myself a few times and still have the scars! maybe ask whomever gave her the survival lessons if she is ok to use a knife unsupervised? still think you might be leaving yourself open to trouble if some accident befell her.

whaleofaday

I'm obviously confident that she's sensible enough to have one otherwise I would never have entertained the idea.

I'm curious as to what you mean about me being open to trouble if she hurt herself? Is it any different to her using a kitchen knife when helping me prepare dinner?

I'm genuinely curious! I honestly never expected a negative reaction, given the forum I posted the question in! Was kinda hoping some like minded souls would be able to answer!

Atlantic Dawn

I've had knives since 11 or 12, mainly for fishing, had the odd nick here and there but nothing serious that required stitches or anything. It's worth spending the extra on a quality knife and not something inferior that may come apart.

Really depends what they are using it for, if it's primarily for cutting down branches and trees then something like a plasterboard knife from a DIY shop might be a good entry level knife or sorts for cutting bushes, the serated edge will be safer than that of a traditional knife.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-02945-Soft-Grip-Hardpoint-Plasterboard/dp/B004PY6NMQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478114174&sr=8-1&keywords=plasterboard+knife





I found for fishing those French Opinel knives are safe in terms of the blade can be locked in place so won't come back on your hand when cutting, could be €25-€30 for an everage one. They are razor sharp and will slice your skin like paper should they come in to contact with it, that's the danger...



http://www.opinel.com/en/pocket-knives-and-tools/tradition

CJhaughey

I got my son an Opinel for his 10th birthday. It isn't one of the standard versions but is designed specifically for kids.
It's called my first Opinel or Mon premier Opinel. The tip is rounded but the blade is sharp and made of stainless not carbon steel.

Kristopherus

whaleofaday wrote: »

Really? Not even if she has been taught how to use one and it's only allowed in the back garden?

She knows she would not be taking it outside of the house btw! Only the back garden.

Well. is it not illegal to sell a SAK to a person under 18? If that is still the law, I'd be very slow to give it to my 12 y.o. child.

Harika

Got a swiss army knife when I was 12 from my dad, still have 25+ years later, and will take care of it as it is one of the last good memories of my dad.
I think this would be a good choice as it has a saw and a blade. Other alternatives would be something like the Rambo knife. Very popular when I was young.
Important is that the blade is sharp, contrary to popular belief you will injure yourself more likley with a blunt than with a sharp knife.

emo72

im not here to upset you, im taking the time to answer honestly! well yeah, if she is used to using sharp knives in the home maybe its fine. id still be worried letting her out in the garden. i think theres more effort cutting tree branches and the like, than comparing it with chopping vegetables. so she'd need more effort and brute strength. its when pushing that hard for a 12yo that an accident might happen.

myself personally, im the type that would say "let them out they'll be grand", and my missus reigns me in a bit with the kids. so im prone to taking a chance! but still, alarm bells would be going off if i seen kids walking round with survival type knives. sorry, honest opinion and i wish you well.

whaleofaday

Atlantic, thanks for the tips. The serrated type one looks like it might be just the ticket. I can't decide if getting a cut from a super sharp knife is better than a blunt one.

I'm just reading a page from the Scouts about their guidelines on kids with knives and have just discovered that the law in Ireland is stricter than in the UK (where I'm from). Probably not an issue since its only for home use.

Gravelly

I got my son the Victorinox Camper when he was 10 - this is a good model for general outdoorsy stuff for a kid. If she wants a larger blade for bushcraft type stuff you could go with an Opinel.
If you are confident she is responsible there is no problem giving her a knife as long as she knows not to bring it to school etc. I got my first penknife for my 7th birthday and both my kids got their first knives at 9. Neither I nor they have had any issues. Regarding the fear that she might stab or cut herself, she almost certainly will - unlikely to be too serious, and will help teach her responsible knife use and basic first aid.

Atlantic Dawn

Kids use chisels, saws, jigsaws, power tools, stanely knives and other dangerous items in woodwork and art classes in secondary school from age 12/13, all are dangerous and accidents do happen but with a bit of common sense she should be fine.

whaleofaday

CJhaughey wrote: »

I got my son an Opinel for his 10th birthday. It isn't one of the standard versions but is designed specifically for kids.
It's called my first Opinel or Mon premier Opinel. The tip is rounded but the blade is sharp and made of stainless not carbon steel.

That looks ideal, thanks!

Kristopherus wrote: »

Well. is it not illegal to sell a SAK to a person under 18? If that is still the law, I'd be very slow to give it to my 12 y.o. child.

I know what you mean! But then how do kids manage when they join the scouts or bushcraft groups? There must be some kind of allowance in the law for kids to be given knives for this kind of use? I need to find out!

Harika wrote: »

Important is that the blade is sharp, contrary to popular belief you will injure yourself more likley with a blunt than with a sharp knife.

Ah, that's what I was wondering! Lovely that your knife reminds you of your dad

emo72 wrote: »

im not here to upset you, im taking the time to answer honestly!

myself personally, im the type that would say "let them out they'll be grand", and my missus reigns me in a bit with the kids. so im prone to taking a chance! but still, alarm bells would be going off if i seen kids walking round with survival type knives. sorry, honest opinion and i wish you well.

I know, I didn't mean to come across so defensively! I appreciate you taking the time to reply. I'm pretty hands off myself and tend to be on the "they'll be grand" side of things too. Good to have another opinion, I just wasn't expecting it, delicate flower that I am!

Gravelly wrote: »

I got my son the Victorinox Camper when he was 10 - this is a good model for general outdoorsy stuff for a kid. If she wants a larger blade for bushcraft type stuff you could go with an Opinel.
If you are confident she is responsible there is no problem giving her a knife as long as she knows not to bring it to school etc. I got my first penknife for my 7th birthday and both my kids got their first knives at 9. Neither I nor they have had any issues. Regarding the fear that she might stab or cut herself, she almost certainly will - unlikely to be too serious, and will help teach her responsible knife use and basic first aid.

I'll check these out thanks. I'm thinking that getting a few nicks would certainly teach her safety pretty quickly! But I'd rather she didn't bust an artery!

Tigger

mora companion heavy duty https://www.heinnie.com/mora-companion-heavy-duty
round off the tip if you must, those opinel's i find very hard/dangerous for kids to open and the blade is easily broken in carbon.

i think 12 is grand for someone to be taught to use a knife if they seem responsible

my3cents

One I'd recommend for lots of reasons is the Hultafors SK 203mm Safety Knife, I have one that I got from Amazon.co.uk but they don't have it in stock anymore.

Its yellow, you can't loose it, it has a solid sheath that keeps the blade safe, it has the point ground off to make it a little bit safer and its cheap so no tears if its lost just get another.

Axminster have it http://www.axminster.co.uk/hultafors-safety-knife-sk-134839 but not sure if that includes the sheath.

Mora make very similar knives and come recommended the Mora Unisex Basic 546 Bush Craft Training Knife would be one worth looking at.

I'd rule out any form of folding knife as they can fold on small fingers as I can still remember to my cost.

Depending on the childs interest and the amount you want to spend you could also get a decent sharpening stone. Nothing more dangerous than a blunt knife. Picked at random https://www.amazon.co.uk/Master-Class-Combination-Whetstone-inch/dp/B003ASDAGU/ would be the sort of thing I'd suggest for sharpening.

wolfeye

victorinox have one with a rounded blade tip for a first knife.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Victorinox-8-functions-Childrens-Taschenwerkzeug-Transparent/dp/B001AXCU5Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1478115431&sr=1-1&keywords=Victorinox+Pocket+My+First+Vx

Tigger

wolfeye wrote: »

victorinox have one with a rounded blade tip for a first knife.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Victorinox-8-functions-Childrens-Taschenwerkzeug-Transparent/dp/B001AXCU5Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1478115431&sr=1-1&keywords=Victorinox+Pocket+My+First+Vx

shes not gonna stab herself its the edge that will hurt you
folding knives are acually more dangerous for kids than fixed blades
a mora or a hula will be a much safer bet i still have my companion Dad got in Norway whan i wa 12 not my first knife, my first knife was a butterknife shaped 4" fixed blade he made me from a bit of tool steel that i got when i was 8

my3cents

whaleofaday wrote: »

Atlantic, thanks for the tips. The serrated type one looks like it might be just the ticket. I can't decide if getting a cut from a super sharp knife is better than a blunt one.

I'm just reading a page from the Scouts about their guidelines on kids with knives and have just discovered that the law in Ireland is stricter than in the UK (where I'm from). Probably not an issue since its only for home use.

The danger from a blunt knife or any tool for that matter is that the user tends to force it to do the job and in the process can loose control of where the blade ends up. A sharp knife shouldn't need to be forced so you shouldn't loose control of it and end up cutting yourself.

Tigger

how about this and then work up to a companion
(or just cut down a companion)
http://www.nordicoutdoor.co.uk/mora-high-q-electricians-knife.html

wolfeye

Tigger wrote: »

shes not gonna stab herself its the edge that will hurt you
folding knives are acually more dangerous for kids than fixed blades
a mora or a hula will be a much safer bet i still have my companion Dad got in Norway whan i wa 12 not my first knife, my first knife was a butterknife shaped 4" fixed blade he made me from a bit of tool steel that i got when i was 8

Any knife can be dangerous in the wrong hands.
Once a person is shown how to use it safely it lowers the risk.

Tigger

wolfeye wrote: »

Any knife can be dangerous in the wrong hands.
Once a person is shown how to use it safely it lowers the risk.

ive seen two kids take the top of their fingers off with a sak
it offeres no advantage as an outdoors knife and if op wanted a multi tool a leatherman is far better than sa sak
i own three saks but i dont rake them as anything other than an edc knife that wont frighten people if i pull it out

i love folding knives and have a decent collection but for outdoors stuff fixed blades are much better value

my3cents

Another safety feature of a fixed blade knife can be a good comfortable handle that stops the hand slipping off onto the blade. Noting much to stop that happening on a SWAK.

Tigger

my3cents wrote: »

Another safety feature of a fixed blade knife can be a good comfortable handle that stops the hand slipping off onto the blade. Noting much to stop that happening on a SWAK.

like the hultafors you mentioned

dazza161989

Since she is into the outdoors maybe get her a firestriker or maybe a junior pop up tent to pitch in the back garden etc. There's lots of other elements of being an outdoorsman she may like and will be much safer than a knife.

I'm speaking from first hand experience as I have a 14yr old nephew(who is a scout) who decided it may be fun to make a camp in there back garden and put the blade of his Swiss army through his thigh. Safe to say that after a trip to A & E and a number of stitches to a deep puncture wound, he no longer is allowed to use knives!!

whaleofaday

Thanks so much for all the input! You've all given me so much to think about and I feel more confident about being able to choose the right knife.

Funnily enough, after me being so insistent and blase when I posted yesterday, my usually mature 12 year old had a right old tantrum about something and I thought to myself "do I want her having a knife when she's feeling less in control of her emotions?" and so now I am thinking I might wait for a few more years.

A pop up tent is a brilliant idea and I know she would love a flint set.

Anyway, thanks for all the suggestions. Much appreciated.

Tabnabs

Many kids of that age and younger in Scandinavia will have a 'Speiderkniv' (scout-knife) design. It's designed for small hands and has a double cross guard to stop finger slipping forward onto the blade. I got one as a kid and still have it to this day and it gets an occasional use. They are quite cheap in Scandinavia, (around €25 or less) but the price seems to rocket once it travels a bit.




For something very similar looking and closer to budget then this looks like a good choice

https://scandinavianoutdoor.com/marttiini/gear/knives-and-tools/puukko-knives/partiopuukko-508/

whaleofaday

tabnabs, that one looks like just the ticket with the guard between the blade and handle, thanks!

Tabnabs

I see Mora do a version also

https://www.springfields.co.uk/brands/mora/mora-scout-knife.html

or a "training" version

https://www.springfields.co.uk/brands/mora/mora-scout-39-safe-kids-bushcraft-training-knife-orange.html

aerosol

All my kids had their first penknives when they were 10/11. I guess you know your own child , their savy and maturity... all mine had been using v sharp knifes in the kitchen under supervision prior to getting a penknife. First ones for them all were opinels with a locking ring.

It was a great bit of one on one bonding time when I taught them how to whittle and use safely along with how to sharpen correctly.

Kids aren't given enough credit for their actual capabilities alot of the time.