Knife for 8 year old

[senseipookie]

I ran a Cutlery World for about 10 years, and went through this pretty often. That little Kershaw is a good choice, or any similar small lightweight lockback. I strongly recommend the lightweights because they tend to have much lighter spring tension than the heavier models, so kids won't have to struggle to close them. They also tend to be a lot less expensive for the average everyday types (unless you get into Al Mar, Cold Steel, etc). Look at Schrade, Gerber, Kershaw, etc. For a kid just learning to use and sharpen a knife, I'd actually stay away from Buck. The steel they use is kind of hard and brittle, which makes it hold a decent edge, but less forgiving than some of the others, and can be tougher to sharpen too.

[jspeedy]

The Kershaw Chive is a small 2" and durable. If your child is mature enough (my 10 year old girl is not ready for any knife!) it comes with a spring loaded blade with locking saftey mechanism. I do like the previous suggestions of a kinfe that has a release on the side opposite the balde to close the knife. Here is another option available at walmart for less than 30$ if your child is ready for this particular knife. Given a child's propensity to abuse and push a knife or anything to the limits I would personally avoid the cheapest option available where ever you go unless you end up in a specialty shop.

Reviews of the Kershaw Chive:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wGgb...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wGgb...eature=related

[Robstafarian]

much

[tao.jonez]

Looks like the Chive is what we'll go with - multiple good reviews from you guys, plus I own the Scallion and love it. Kershaw makes the right quality/price knife for us.

Thanks for the feedback gents.

I'll take him shopping this weekend.

[Devil]

Interestingly, my son recently turned 8 and I bought him a knife for his birthday. He's been using a little two-blade folding knife for a while. I taught him how to use it properly and I let him carry it in his pocket when he's not at school.

For his birthday, I decided to step it up a bit. I bought him a Benchmade Mini Dejavoo. Is it overkill for an eight-year old. Yeah, I guess. Screw it, though. Kids are way more capable of learning proper handling of dangerous things than most people give them credit for.

[2groggy]

...spring tension than the heavier models, so kids won't have to struggle to close them...

Yup, my son had that exact problem.

[gregaquaman]

Ok. So I am a day late and a dollar short but this thread remided me of one of the first knives I ever owned.
The Opinel folder.
Locks closed and open with a twist thing. Carbon steel blade. Sizes tiny to almost machette.Cost almost nothing. And a great little knife for a kid.

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=opinel

http://www.naturessecretlarder.co.uk...ves-around.htm

[tao.jonez]

Ok. So I am a day late and a dollar short but this thread remided me of one of the first knives I ever owned.
The Opinel folder.

It says lame right on the side. No way I'm getting him that.

[Permalost]

It says lame right on the side. No way I'm getting him that.

I used to have one of those knives when I was a kid and it was decent, but yeah, it does say lame and I think you made a good call. Kinds are funny like that.

[ChenPengFi]

Looks like the Chive is what we'll go with...

I avoided the Chive because of the SpeedSafe, liner lock, "stabby" profile and higher price.
None of those features strike me as being particularly "kid-friendly."

[Devil]

Call Cold Steel and have them send you a catalog. It will include a demo DVD of all their blades. Let him choose his own. If he doesn't pick the one that they cleanly decapitate a pig with in the video, then give him up for adoption. There's no hope.

[tao.jonez]

I avoided the Chive because of the SpeedSafe, liner lock, "stabby" profile and higher price.
None of those features strike me as being particularly "kid-friendly."

Damn it, I'm second guessing myself. I guess we'll wait and decide together once we put a few knives in his hand.

[senseipookie]

Liner lock? Just looked them up on the Kershaw page - apparently it does have a liner lock. Definitely not for an 8 year old. Look for a lightweight with the locking mechanism on the back. I've seen adults that can't even use a liner lock safely.

[Robstafarian]

Liner lock? Just looked them up on the Kershaw page - apparently it does have a liner lock. Definitely not for an 8 year old. Look for a lightweight with the locking mechanism on the back. I've seen adults that can't even use a liner lock safely.

Liner locks, combined with my spastic hands, are why I don't have a Kershaw Lahar or a CRKT M21.

To the OP: how does the CRKT Lake 111 look to you?

[senseipookie]

Here are a couple more you could look at. Nothing fancy, just simple plain knives with decent steel in them

Gerber LST: http://www.gerbertools.com/Gerber/Kn.../LST-Fine-Edge
Schrade SP2 : http://stores.superknifesales.com/Detail.bok?no=72
Kershaw DWO: http://www.kershawknives.com/product...&brand=kershaw

Whatever you choose, just make sure it's comfortable in his hands and he can open and close it safely. And, as mentioned before, make sure he keeps it sharp - a sharp knife really is safer. It will slip less and cut with much less effort. And a semi-sharp knife might not cut rope or wood very well, but still cuts skin pretty easily.