Starting A Tradition...

Eli Chaps

Eli Chaps

Joined
Apr 20, 2018
Messages
4,458
Hello Knife Nuts,

So I've recently been blessed with the arrival of my first granddaughter. Over the years my two girls have received a number of knives from me and my oldest daughter (mom of granddaughter) carries my old Buck Woodsman with her in the outdoors all the time. It was the first knife I ever bought with my own money, probably going on forty years ago now. But, those are sentimental things, not a tradition. I want to start a tradition with my granddaughter, and any subsequent ones who may come here on out.

I'm going to give one of my own or buy a new knife or knife-related thing for her every year. But I'm also going to buy a little notebook of some kind and write about each gift. I'm thinking something like:

Product Name
Year of Manufacture (if known)
Year Gifted
Maybe any special notes of interest about it.
And then a few lines about why I chose it and my thoughts around it.

I want to hand write it and maybe get a toolbox or plastic bin or something for her folks to keep the knives and notebook in until she's old enough to handle it for herself.

Her parents are avid outdoors folks so the kid won't have any choice but to at the very least be out fishing, camping, hunting, etc. And they are also foodies. So I have a hunch at some point, in some way, the kid will have an appreciation for cutlery.

I'm thinking pocket knives, fixed blade knives, kitchen knives, multi-tools, and even sharpening stuff. An annual tradition for as long as I can make it last that will have a personal, yet practical touch.

I think it'll be a good thing. :)

Do you folks have knife-related traditions?
 
My tradition is a split in the end of my index finger. I got it when I was 6 or 7, some 40+ years ago camping with my grandpa. I got to borrow his pocket knife to do some whittling and I snapped it shut on the end of my finger. I remember it vividly!

Now, every year in the winter it cracks and splits and hurts. It's worse when I'm woodworking. Grandpa taught me the woodworking, too. The sore finger makes me smile every time I remember how I got it. Woodworking and whittling and my yearly split finger are my best memories with of grandpa.

Congrats on the granddaughter. She's lucky to have you planning this for her. She'll have fond memories.
 
Eli Chaps said:
Hello Knife Nuts,

So I've recently been blessed with the arrival of my first granddaughter. Over the years my two girls have received a number of knives from me and my oldest daughter (mom of granddaughter) carries my old Buck Woodsman with her in the outdoors all the time. It was the first knife I ever bought with my own money, probably going on forty years ago now. But, those are sentimental things, not a tradition. I want to start a tradition with my granddaughter, and any subsequent ones who may come here on out.

I'm going to give one of my own or buy a new knife or knife-related thing for her every year. But I'm also going to buy a little notebook of some kind and write about each gift. I'm thinking something like:

Product Name
Year of Manufacture (if known)
Year Gifted
Maybe any special notes of interest about it.
And then a few lines about why I chose it and my thoughts around it.

I want to hand write it and maybe get a toolbox or plastic bin or something for her folks to keep the knives and notebook in until she's old enough to handle it for herself.

Her parents are avid outdoors folks so the kid won't have any choice but to at the very least be out fishing, camping, hunting, etc. And they are also foodies. So I have a hunch at some point, in some way, the kid will have an appreciation for cutlery.

I'm thinking pocket knives, fixed blade knives, kitchen knives, multi-tools, and even sharpening stuff. An annual tradition for as long as I can make it last that will have a personal, yet practical touch.

I think it'll be a good thing. :)

Do you folks have knife-related traditions?
Click to expand...
I dont have one yet. I have a 4 year old and 10 month old. I am going to start one when they are old enough. One thing i know is they each will get a knife i used the most. Then i will just replace it. I would like them to say "this is the knife my dad used the most".
 
I got my boys a Remington trapper from the year they were born. I plan to do the same when grandkids are born if that is ever possible.
 
The first task at hand when trying to instill any knife related "tradition" is the ground work of inculcating "the love for knives" in every subsequent new generation. It is all to evident that there are some in this world who do not share in our passion for cutlery ;'-)
It helps plenty when everyone involved is into the great outdoors:) Faiiling which the alternative could be kitchen related instead. Well make that a knife for every activity. Just as long as it requires a knife!
Hopefully all forms of continued exposure to knives would do the trick.

But there is nothing like cementing a good relationship between generations through shared experiences, which might at some later point in time, include the involvement of "the young" in the buying phase through joint decision making. This might help to make your plan become their plan in the long run

And it goes without saying that its basically about creating a series of sweet memories through these objects which are somehow related with fond and cherished memories of you - for all time.

Just my 2 cents...

I sure hope it works out for all the time and effort one might put into planning traditions.
Best of luck with the endeavor!
 
My daughter went to a girls camp when she was ten or twelve. The second year she went, a pocket knife was a requirement. We went and picked it out together. She ended up with a all stainless Kershaw.

She has plans to do the same with her daughters. If she ever has any.

I also have a couple of knives picked out and set aside for any grandkids. One is a medium trapper from Case. Limited run of only 500.

Of course you never know what kids will like. My daughter just fell in love with a SAK that I had. I gave it to her for her boyfriend but, it never made it that far.
 
My father always carried a pen knife with him, and it was his belief that a person should always carry a knife. Since he's passed, I've been gifting knives to my nieces and nephews, essentially starting a tradition within my family, but also just keeping something up that was there while he was alive. One nephew is at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, and for his birthday in January I got him a Spyderco Pacific Salt. His sister, my god-daughter, is a hiker and traveler, and she got a White River Backpacker for Christmas. For her birthday last week I sent along a Spyderco Dragonfly Stainless Steel Tattoo. The gifting of knives for holidays and special occasions is something that I will continue within my family for years to come. Thanks for the thread Eli Chaps Eli Chaps .
 
I got my kids all Camillus MLK knives from their birth year and gave them on their 6 th birthdays. Unfortunately Camillus is no longer really with us.
 
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