kids and knives

[mrs toilet digger]

just wondering what peoples views are about children using knives ( supervised ). i thought i had grown 2 heads when i mentioned in the school yard that i allow my 7 and 9 year old use knives / axes when camping ( always supervised and shown how to use correctly etc.. ).

 

[roger-uk]

just wondering what peoples views are about children using knives ( supervised ). i thought i had grown 2 heads when i mentioned in the school yard that i allow my 7 and 9 year old use knives / axes when camping ( always supervised and shown how to use correctly etc.. ).

My Cub pack use Mora sheath knives for whittling. Its done in a controlled space, adequate supervision [1:4] and the know any messing about and thats it. The concentration is amazing and they know they do not move until the have properly sheathed the knive.

Like everything else a knife has NEVER EVER KILLED ANYONE!! Its humans who do the killing.

Go for it

 

[Graham_S]

I think it's a good idea.
It reinforces the "tool, not a weapon" concept, and removes the lure of forbidden fruit.

 

[Tony]

I gave my boy a knife for his 5th birthday, he used it when we were about with him and he's never done anything daft, but that's him as an individual. I think that socially it's become a completely unacceptable thing and anyone that has a knife is branded just that same as someone that uses a knife on someone but it's s stance of those that have little experience outside of their own lives, most people around here, being a country area have no issue with my kids and knives, but in a city they would have.

Bottom line is that if you're happy, you make sure they're safe and taught good skills along with the law that governs them, then it's your business, I'd just stop talking to other parents about it or invite them to something like the moot where they can see lots and lots of people using them safely.

Get them on a first aid course as well

 

[Ogri the trog]

I'd maybe hold back a little on the axes, but knives - no worries;

Introduce them in a safe environment and start breeding good habits from a young age.

With axes, there is an element of physical strength needed to remain in control - even RM says that the most dangerous axe is a short one, due to the fact that it can hit the body if it misses the target; if the only axe they can lift is a small one, the danger is greatly increased.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[robin wood]

Kids should be taught how to use knives from a young age. I started mine before 3 in the kitchen with a table knife cutting up banana for fruit salad. When they have learnt to keep fingers out of the way and how to handle the knife they went on to sharp kitchen knives and doing other fruit and veg for cooking. At 5-7 depending on individuals they may be ready to carve wood.
Here are mine being taught by Wille Sundqvist, master Swedish Woodcarver. We had just visited the Frosts factory in Mora where the owners gave them a knife each, they are carving the traditional Darlana horses.

I did a blog post about the best carving knives for kids a while ago http://greenwood-carving.blogspot.com/2009/12/what-is-best-whittling-knife-for-child.html

 

[mrcharly]

I think there is a case for putting a long handle on a hatchet head, for kids to use. Long-handled axes aren't dangerous.

All my kids own their own mora.

 

[sasquatch]

Gotta be done, as already said it makes all the difference between tool and weapon that way in my mind. I made one for my lad when he was 4.

 

[Retired Member southey]

Kids should be taught how to use knives from a young age. I started mine before 3 in the kitchen with a table knife cutting up banana for fruit salad. When they have learnt to keep fingers out of the way and how to handle the knife they went on to sharp kitchen knives and doing other fruit and veg for cooking. At 5-7 depending on individuals they may be ready to carve wood.
Here are mine being taught by Wille Sundqvist, master Swedish Woodcarver. We had just visited the Frosts factory in Mora where the owners gave them a knife each, they are carving the traditional Darlana horses.

I did a blog post about the best carving knives for kids a while ago http://greenwood-carving.blogspot.com/2009/12/what-is-best-whittling-knife-for-child.html

Following this route with our two, they are two years old and cut there own fruit for lunch and puddings, its great to see how much they concentrate on the task,

 

[pastymuncher]

I've used knives, chisels, saws,axes and any number of sharp things since I can remember, and still have all my fingers, a few scars as well mind.
I think its really sad that people are so removed from working with hand tools that they assume everyone else cant use tools properly.
I get this at work all the time, we are not allowed any knife unless it has a sprung loaded blade, which makes it bloody awkward when trying to use it properly.

 

[Pict]

I started my kids with Mora's at about age six. My son has several pocket knives that I let him keep now that he's 10. He is very good about it and knows he can't take them to school. A few weeks ago he really started bugging me about letting him use a machete. I set him up with a black plastic handled 12 inch Tramontina with a rounded edge and rounded point as a trainer and a wood handled 12 as the real deal. He knows he can only use the trainer unsupervised.

 

[Barn Owl]

We were buying knives from the local shops when at primary school.

Using them all over the village and woods.

No one batted an eyelid.

 

[Ian S]

Fully in favour of kids being taught how to use knives as tools, and from a young age.

There was a father/son pair at the Green Woodworking weekend that I was at earlier this year. Father had taught son well, and son knew how to use his knife safely and carefully. Son is 7.

(We also had fun posing him with my Gransfors broad axe for father to take pictures. I'll bet he was the envy of his mates at school when they saw those pics, and I'll also bet that some parents were surprised!)

Cheers

 

[billybob0987]

as far as i see it civilisation was built with knifes and axes, before them we were stuck in caves, so i will definately be encouraging my daughter to sensibly use knives when the time comes, especially as i've been camping with people before of mid to late 20's, given them an axe to chop wood with assuming they know what to do, and then taking it of them before they even manage to split a single log, because they decided to hold the log at the top where there about to hit, or are sitting legs out front with the log between there knees, sometimes inexperiancve is dangerous regardless of age

 

[dp0001]

Something I read, I think on here, was someone saying their kids were taught a bit of first aid on how to deal with cuts and had to show they understood & could apply this before being allowed a knife. Accidental cuts and how to deal with them is after all part of knife craft.

 

[flare]

First aid was pretty much the first thing I taught my kids after speaking, they learnt a bit of marital arts and first aid and then I took them into the woods and showed them knives and how to use them. I want my kids to be able to help others as well as themselves.

 

[JonathanD]

Depends on the kid. And the parents

The kid..

The parents, well one....

Equals a big NO!!!!!

 

[garyford]

I got my 3 girls bushcraft knives from Nordich outdoors in Edinburgh,when we went to comrie croft in April,and other adults could not belive that they are 9,6,and 4.but they like useing them.

 

[roger-uk]

Depends on the kid. And the parents

The kid..

The parents, well one....

Equals a big NO!!!!!

Someone got a death wish.

 

[santaman2000]

Jonathan you're playing wit fire! Especially dangerous since you've already proven which of you cain't be trusted with knives. LOL