Eh. I chopped the first joint of my right index finger almost clean off with a swiss army knife when I was 13. No lock on the blade, started cutting with the wrong side: *snick* oooh, that’s a lot of blood…

Weirdly it didn’t hurt at all at the time. It was reattached by a very clever man in Glasgow Royal Infirmary using a needle and a power drill (that bit hurt) and it works perfectly now. Looks slightly wonky, that’s all.

Anyway, it was a valuable learning experience, gave me a cool scar to talk about, and it enabled me to stop playing the sodding clarinet, so I’m perfectly happy about the whole thing. I vote for your being a good dad, even if your offspring does manage to injure himself (which he probably won’t as you’ve given him a locking knife).

[Edit]

His Opinel is a No5 so quite small and doesn’t lock

Hmm, ok, whatever. He’ll probably still be fine.

What a fascinating thread! I was given my first lock knife at age 10, was shown how to use it and whittled various things throughout my childhood, arrows mostly!

If you show your son the dangers and enjoy him learning how to use it safely then it can only be a good thing, my son is 5 so too young at the moment, when I feel he’s mature enough we’ll go around the knife learning curve together – can’t wait.

Much better than a mate of his giving him a knife, him having no idea or point of reference of how to use one or how dangerous they can be and getting hurt or hurting somebody or something else.

You are obvioulsy a bad dad and totally wrong – you are his dad, therefore you must have testicles, ergo, you must be wrong. That’s how it works in our household anyway. 🙄

But actually, I think you have done the right thing, in the right way, for the right reasons. I had knives given to me by that age, was shown what they were for, knew what they should never be used for, and was able to learn under careful supervision of parents and Cub/Scout leaders.

My lad has just turned 8, just gone up to Cubs, and I reckon a decent knife might be on the cards for his 9th birthday. Watch out for a “What knife for a 9 year old…?” thread about April next year! 😀

arrows mostly!

yup, be more worried about the shonky bow and arras he will come home with 😉

Illegal to carry isn’t the same as illegal to sell.

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

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.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suA2Hy-0mxI[/video]

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?

Yep. Unfortunately this seems to suggest that somebody has been successfully prosecuted and imprisoned just for the offence of walking home from a shop with a knife he’d just bought.

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!

Proper 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 anywhere 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 then 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.