[Closed] Am I a bad dad or even wrong

MCTD I was reasonably confident in my actions just a little niggle when the majority response was a little negative. Im now 100% confident in the direction we are going and stuff the nay sayers. Biving and catching rabbits here we come. Next post maybe bivi kit for a 10 yr old

I know things have changed a wee bit, but when I was about aged 10 at my first boarding school, my dad bought me a sheath knife. We all had them hanging of our belts, didnt do any whittling but played games like chicken and stretch not that I'd recommend doing that.

I think you're doing fine.

jam bo- Realistically, carrying it home should be considered "reasonable excuse". But carrying a locking knife over 3 inches in a public place is illegal without reasonable excuse (ie, you were going to use it for a legal purpose that required such an article- fishing, hunting, carpet fitting, etc)

I agree with the others - good dad as long as you follow up with .22 or a 410!! Perhaps even a catapult - if you can still buy those!!

But please no conkers! 😉

I'd say good but slightly insecure dad. 🙂

EDIT: smiley added.

Correct DD. I look at my past and hope he does not do the same, but he enjoys what I enjoyed. I think he may need a bit of steerage later on so as not to sell himself short.

ur a good dad

Congrats for your actions. Better to introduce him to a knife as a useful tool than wait for some muppet to introduce them as a weapon.

good dad

my dad and grandad taught me the way with knives about that age. I knew to be careful with them because I found out I pass out at the sight of my own blood (not with a knife, with a light bulb!)

Anyway, just out of interest since this has been a bit of an STW love-in, is there anyone here who thinks Sturmey has been a bad dad?

Wouldn't worry about it, mine have had the same.

Plus quite happy to trust them with airguns too, they've all been taught to use them safely.

Luckily where my folks live the 'laird' is fine with them wandering over his land shooting at stuff.

If you want to be a pariah though, get them a scooter at 16...

Nothing to worry about...it's better to teach kids to respect sharp things as a tool of creation than one of violence.

Besides, it's not as if any of us are above introducing our offspring (or acquired offspring in my case) to an extreme sport that might injure them in the future.

As long as you don't teach him this little game

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/33/part/XI/crossheading/articles-with-blades-or-points-and-offensive-weapons

Basically if it's a folding (non-lockable) pocket knife with a blade under 3 inches then you're fine, otherwise it's an offence to carry it without a good reason.

Unfortunately my Victorinox, while it has a blade under 3 inches, locks into place, so technically is illegal to carry. Same goes for some leatherman's and such like if they have locking blades.

How can teaching him the dos and fonts make you a bad dad?!?! He is 10 and taking an interest in the outdoors rather than sitting inside on a PS3 etc! I think you've done well.
As for age I had my first knife at 8 and my grandfather roughy me to make whistles etc bu I wasn't allowed a Swiss army knife until I was 10 while one of my mates had a flick knife!!
Fair play to you I say

If ever he gets into trouble and has to be told off even for minor things he feels his world has caved in and is very upset with himself. So I'm confident he won't be daft with it and hasn't. It sits on a shelf in his bedroom and he always asks us before he shows it to a friend or wants to use it. I guess the title could have said " is it still ok?"

So what your saying is I can legally buy one, but not legally carry it out of the shop?

Glad I read this thread - worryingly I'd not realised until now that the 3" allowable blade limit only applies to non-locking knives and that all locking knives are illegal. I have quite often carried around an Opinel (locking version) or another locking bladed knife - not entirely sure I don't have one in the car right now!

You sound a great dad, I spend a lot of time intorducing kids to risk, adventure etc - and we plan to buy 20 knives this winter for stuff at work

it enabled me to stop playing the sodding clarinet

That made me laugh.

Good dad, in my opinion.

I had a good few swiss army knives up to that age, possibly even the odd sheath-knife as they were known then, not sure if that was a bit older.
I did live on farm estates though, endless fun fishing, whittling and perfecting the end-over-end throw to stick into tree trunks. tends to knacker your pen knife if it hits the wrong end though.....

not sure if the same deal would apply these days in urban areas, mind 🙂

Another "good" vote from me.

Did you buy him a "junior" version Opinel (ie a rounded end) or a normal one? Just curious.

My first penknife from my dad was a real proud moment. It got replaced many times til I grew up. I hardly ever loose them now!

Incidentally, Opinels wouldn't meet the description of a "lock knife" in the CJA98- they're not released with a button. But that's not really the sort of ambiguity you want to rely on in court!

As everyone else - making the right choice letting him learn about this stuff. I had knives ever since I can remember - usually just cheapo penknives, but when I was about 8 I was bought a proper sheath knife with about a 4'' blade from a gunsmiths. I loved that thing and because I appreciated it I was very careful with it.

CSW just a No5 with pointy end. Mrs Sturmey thinks a locking version would be a good idea sooner rather than later.

CSW just a No5 with pointy end

Proper one then!

Well done.

I'd follow up the "proper" bit with a "really serious" bit about school, outside the house etc etc and being resposible / proper adult material.

It sunk in for me.

I'd say the locking option will come naturally, you will know when.

Good Dad definately.
I had a penknife at about that age a small swiss army one I think.

Some people will frown at you for it and then buy their 10 year old the latest Grand Theft Auto game. 🙄

Hmm, quite interesting this. One of my best mates was given a sheath knife, swiss army knife and a black widow catapult (remember how cool they were in the 80s?) when we were about 8-9 yrs. No issue whatsoever. He also had a Webley air pistol about a year later.

But I'm sure things like the individual's personality come into play. We were always outdoors and doing outdoors stuff like exploring, building camps, making stuff etc. So maybe that helped channel our energy. Some kids these days will be different, especially given the media and all the other bollocks they're surrounded with.

I can't imagine having grown up without a knife to do whittling with. Me and my mates were always going about making dens and usually used our knives for cutting string and stuff. Made lots of bows and arrows with my knife too. I wasn't lucky enough to have an Opinel although I do have one now.

haha we made our own catapults out of branches, for protecting our den with 😆

Proper one then!

[i]Proper[/i] Carbon steel one, or stainless? 😀

Top tip - If its carbon use olive oil to stop it corroding and anything edible, like fruit, he cuts with it will be OK.

Are you a good Dad? That depends, did you let him win when you played him at splits or not? 😆

Blessed with two daughters myself and they are both a bit older than your lad. TBH they'd be happier talking on facebook about hello kitty or whatever than wittling sticks anyway but they can both be trusted with and know how to handle pocket knives. In fact come to think about it as part of the learning process I'm sure we probably have played splits with my No. 6 Opinel during a back garden bbq at some point! - I know its always present as I dig it out the camelbak when we have a barbie 'cos its useful for slitting open the packets the burgers and stuff are in. I grew up with knives, my grandad, now dead a few years, gave me that Opinel when I did Duke of Edinburgh so I was a schoolboy - I'm now 40 and its still going strong tho now relegated to the camelbak but it was my pocket knife (literally) for years. I still carry a little keyring victorinox on my car keys and use it all the time.

Interesting thread though. Times have changed the comments above about taking his knife out [i]anywhere[/i] public are important the consequences are serious but thats just common sense really and was even in the bad old days when I was a kid, when we could and did buy 10 inch "Rambo" style knives -the ones with hollow ally handle containing a survival kit- with our saved up pocket money from the local outdoor shop and take them down the woods to carve stuff and throw at trees, who can get closest to a knot hole in the trunk from a certain distance etc. 🙂 We certainly never contemplated taking a knife to school or brandishing one about. Common sense and if you're not teaching your lad that [b]then[/b] you are a bad dad.

BTW One of my mates still has his rambo knife and we used it this summer to cut some rope in the campsite at Cwmcarn. None of us gave it a second thought. Reading this thread I wonder what the consequences could have been if the heddlu had turned up looking for stolen bikes or something!

Oh and dont let him leave his opinel out on a torrentially rainy Dartmoor night. The handle swells up and its a bugger to open the thing for ages!

Good dad IMO. Just given my lad a swiss army knife for his birthday, explained the pros and cons, and know that he will inevitably cut himself at sometime. Much better to supervise him with it now and let him learn by his mistakes..... his hamster was far more dangerous, biting the top of his finger when he was younger! Hamster took a one way ticket outta here via Armitage Shanks soon after.

Good.
I bought my kid a scooter - you can bet your life he's hurt himself more times with that than your's will with a knife.

Anyone remember Dutch arrows? We use to make them when we were about 10, with my 5 year old brother. He managed to stick one right through his finger once.

I think you are a good Dad. I had my own knife when I was his age.

Its about teaching responsibility with an authoritive figure present.

If anyone thinks 'hoodies and knives' then there is a lack of moral guidance present in those cases IMO. Total polar-opposites.

Got my son his first penknife in the States at Easter. He was 10 at the time.

TBH it was a blwdy hard job to find a UK legal knife in the US! but he was pleased as punch - short, quite sharp blade with a lovely looking hardwood and brass handle. Have drummed into him how to use safely - especially opening and CLOSING!!!

Like you, I got a lot of very quizzical looks from the in-laws, and mrs rkk01 wasn't at all sure until I convinved her that he was old enough to learn to use it properly and respect both the danger and the usefulness...

Sign of how times have changed (and not necesarily for the better). At about 8-10 my grandfather told me to "always carry a knife - it'll save your life one day"... and we all did. Not for having a go at people, violence or intimidation, but as kids growing up in the country, in boats, fishing, shooting etc...

I can remember doing some whittling in the back garden with my penknife when I was 7, and my Dad arriving to give me a demonstration of proper technique. He then proceeded to cut the tip of his thumb quite badly, which I found hilarious and my Mum didn't find hilarious... I carried on whittling as before!

Ah yes- I have many scars on my hands from my knife. Kinda teaches you to be careful.

I carry a Swiss Army knife in my backpack and/or car. Should I stop this? No.

I had one at about 12 for fishing.

Also had a black widdow slingshot and an air rifle, which both surved no practical purpose other than increacing the lead content of the garden fence!

The local gunshop sold us blackwidows and air rifles. Funny we werent 18 either to buy them 😕

Haven't read it all but I got my kids (8 & 9) swiss army knives for christmas having shown them how to use them.

Now they happily whittle sticks etc and make "tools" to clean mud out of football boots etc

+1 for good dad - they have to learn sometime, better you take the initiative and show them how to do it properly than they use a mates khukri in the woods having never touched a knife before & cut their fingers off.

I bought my first Opinel at that sort of age, again, used it for fishing, camping & work on the farm.

Still have it, even though the lock does not work anyomore, replaced it recently for a new version with a oak handle & I noticed that the lock works on close as well now.

[quote> http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/33/part/XI/crossheading/articles-with-blades-or-points-and-offensive-weapons

Basically if it's a folding (non-lockable) pocket knife with a blade under 3 inches then you're fine, otherwise it's an offence to carry it without a good reason.

I can't see any reference there at all to locking mechanisms. Are we all mistaken, or is it a different piece of legislation?

Anyone remember Dutch arrows?

Are they the same thing we used to call Scotch Arrows? Launched with a bit of string? We used to make those out of real wooden arrows; take the pile (point) off and cut a little notch out just beneath the fletchings. Great fun.

I think you are being a good father. My daughter was struggling in her chosen career in street crime making only limited returns. Since I purchased her a knife, she has found her income has grown considerably. It just shows what return you can get for a modest capital investment.

Thinking this through a little further, do your kids cook or get taught cooking at school? They need to use knives for that.
My 8 year old likes to help in the kitchen (he does like rugby etc as well) so gets to use proper kitchen knives too so far no blood - no issues once he was taught how to use them & to keep his fingers out of the way

cougar there are two bits of law on knives The offensive weapons law and bladed articles , basically anything designed adapted or intended to be a weapon cant be carried/possessed in public without a reasonable excuse. Anything with a blade or point except a folding pocket knife with a blade less than 3 inches can't be carried with out good reason. A lock knife because it locks is not a folding pocket knife as it is not "immediately fold able at all times" (Deegan a 19998 case)The so called expert in the law soc gazette might be adding a bit to the law . I think an opinel is not a folding knife so is caught by the bladed article law.

I had a sheath knife at 8 and a Swiss army knife at 10 and only sliced a chunk off my thumb at twenty five.

My Dad's view was to keep them as sharp as possible as only a fool uses a blunt tool , They slip because they require more force to use and dont bite into what you are cutting so you are more likely to hurt yourself .

A lock knife because it locks is not a folding pocket knife as it is not "immediately fold able at all times"

Ah, this is the bit I didn't realise. The law as it stands solely in the link isn't at all clear. Is there a specific definition somewhere or is it solely based on precedence?

It's a poxy bloody ruling though. Not immediately folding at all times? Of course it is; the only way it wouldn't be is if you'd already successfully managed to hack one of your hands off with it.

http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/l_to_o/offensive_weapons_knives_bladed_and_pointed_articles/

For the purposes of sections 139 and 139A of the Act:

a butterknife, with no cutting edge and no point is a bladed article; (Booker v DPP 169J.P. 368, DC);
a screwdriver is not a bladed article; (R v Davis [1998] Crim L.R. 564 CA);
a "lock knife" does not come into the category of "folding pocket knife" because it is not immediately foldable at all times; (Rv Deegan [1998] 2 Cr.App,R 121 CA).

Wow. You can be found guilty in change of a butterknife. Going equipped with intent to spread.