3 Reasons to Give a Knife to a Kid

As knife people, it can be immensely satisfying to share our passion with the young people in our lives. Here are three good reasons why you should give a kid a knife.

1. It's an opportunity to teach skills. As we get older and look back on our experiences, we notice that the best moments were when we first learned how to do something -- catch a fish, build a fire, ride a bicycle, rebuild a carburetor. In the process we found out that tools come and go, but skills stick and stay.

Acquiring a skill as simple as whittling can spark enthusiasm that lasts a lifetime. Heck, with a knife and the right kid you can even combine lessons -- distinguishing between green and dry sticks, shaving a green stick to a point and, for the payoff, roasting the perfect marshmallow.

2. Knives have history. If a child shows interest in the how and why of knives, seize the chance to share the history of edged tools. Tell romantic tales of natives and settlers, adventures of woodsmen and knifemakers, and you'll connect a 21st Century kid to something called tradition.

Who knows? You might just tilt their imagination toward constructive play in the woods (and away from hypnosis in front of a video game).

3. Having a knife teaches personal responsibility. The way we see it, this is the best reason to give a kid a knife.

You're entrusting a child with a tool that can harm as surely as it can help, so with a knife, responsibility is the most important concept you'll teach. They'll actually want to be responsible, too, because every kid alive sees possessing a knife as a rite of passage.

The secret? Start the process without a knife. Create an atmosphere of responsibility. Set a good example. Go gently, and watch for the child to follow your lead. Then, when the time is right, introduce a knife.

Children, taught with patience, can remind us that we don't know everything after all. They often show us what we've forgotten. And if we're paying attention, they'll teach us as much as we teach them.

For more information -- including an opportunity to present your favorite kid with a special knife -- check out our Knives for Kids page.