Teaching knife safety?

[Stormstaff]

Ok, noob questions.

I need suggestions on teaching knife safety to my 9 yr old son and possibly helping later teach it to his Cub Scout pack.

I learned through trail and error growing up because I had no one around to teach me. So, I want to make sure I do it right.

Thanks for all the help my friends!

 

[Dizwolf]

A box of band aids and a tourniqutte.

seriously, the cub scout books should have some limited info, and the boy scout handbook should just about cover everything. If you have access or are close to your areas council offices, there should also be some guides there they can help you with.

Look for info on totin' chip and whittlin chip

 

[StagLefty]

Your testing my memory now !! I believe the Cub Scout Bear Book has a chapter for Cubs on knife safety. They actually earn their Whittling Chip Card when they finish the requirements. Hope that helps and I hope my memory is still decent.

 

[Dizwolf]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Totin%27_Chip
http://www.zion412.org/Library/TotinChip/TeachingSyllabusForTotinChip.pdf
http://scoutingaround.com/boy-scouts/camping/58-totin-chip-session-outline.html
http://www.bsatroop810.net/TotinChipCourse.pdf

Just a few quick places to look for info. The important aspects are "don't get cut" and "think before you act"
I haven't looked too deep into most of those, so if there's anything missing, or you have any other questions, let me know. I've taught a few million of those classes. Whatever they see you do, they're going to try and mimic. So try to avoid all those cool AO's and flip knives, leg closings, backflips and etc.

 

[StagLefty]

All the Scout programs are very age specific- Boy Scouts:Totin Chip- they can actually carry approved knives. Cub Scouts-Whittling Chip-can use knives with adult supervision only. Again I hope my memory is correct on this info it's been awhile. The last 15 years in Scouts has been firearms training for the Explorer and Venture Crews.

 

[GlockASP]

Do they still give out the totin' chip???

I heard that with all of the "political correctness" crap they moved away from having fixed blade knifes for the Scouts. :grumpy:

 

[StagLefty]

Do they still give out the totin' chip???

I heard that with all of the "political correctness" crap they moved away from having fixed blade knifes for the Scouts. :grumpy:

PC is the main reason I left Scouting last year. Merit badges have been eliminated due to liabilities. Fire making, hatchets/axes, knife skills, etc. have all been diluted to some extent and are not the field skills they were when I was a young Scout. I still believe in the program but it has become very watered down. A sign of the times I guess.

 

[s12.aaxtell]

It is true that fixed blade knives are "illegal" in the scouts. But I am confused how that is a political correctness issue...

 

[Murphyslaw]

PC is the main reason I left Scouting last year. Merit badges have been eliminated due to liabilities. Fire making, hatchets/axes, knife skills, etc. have all been diluted to some extent and are not the field skills they were when I was a young Scout. I still believe in the program but it has become very watered down. A sign of the times I guess.

I think it all depends on the Scout Masters.

My 11 year old son's troop is pretty knife friendly. They are all expected to carry one. I don't think that fixed blades are forbidden, but they do discourage large fixed blades. My son's troop has a camping trip once an month, even through the winter months. Not to bad for a suburban troop.

About 20 years ago I took a bunch of wilderness survival and rappelling courses from a guy that was also a Scoutmaster. He had a 70 foot rappelling tower on his property. His scouts had a lot of great outdoors training and experiences, which served them well.

While hiking on a length of the Appalachian Trail the Scoutmaster was arrowed by a local while a bit off-trail. His scouts were able to administer first-aid and got him out safely.

Not bad for a bunch of "kids'.

 

[ron_m80]

I think some of the other aspects have been covered. I will take a stab at the good handling rules regardless of supervision, use, or age, these are basic handling rules as i remember them.

1. never cut toward yourself. (yes this rules out draw knives technically, but this is the rule)
2. before you cut, raise your arm with your knife in hand, and slowly move the arm in a circle around your position, if you can hit something, do not cut anything find another area or move the things in your way.
3. never pass the knife to anyone with the blade pointed to them, instead pass the blade to them with the handle pointed away from you, and the edge pointed away from your palm. DO NOT let go of the knife until they say "thank you" it is the acknowledgement that they have a hold of the blade. When possible close a folding knife before passing it.
4. do not use a knife for which it was not intended. Chopping concrete, and hacking nails comes to mind as examples.
5. Keep your knife sharp at all times, a dull knife will cut you more readily than a sharp, properly employed knife will. A sharp knife is much more likely to cut than slip.

I am pretty sure that covers the BSA's rules on knife use. At least how i remember them.

 

[knerd]

I was always told to never cut toward myself or others. That being said, I pretty much learned on my own what not to do.

 

[333rm]

I would try the Boy Scout Handbook. That's too bad about getting rid of the merit badges and watering down the survival skills that truly make scouting what it is, or what it was. I spent quite a while in the scouts and made it to Life Scout. Those skills are what teaches these kids character and teaches them skills they can use through out their life.

 

[marthinus]

I think basics are important. Never cur towards yourself or others. Always walk with a knife tip towards the ground. Treat any folding knife with care when closing. Use two hands rather then one (with age they can learn how to use a knife one handedly). Never lend a knife to anyone unless truly needed and they are competent. And last but not least hand the knife as ron_m80 suggested or look at youtube: Ray Mears handling a knife.

 

[GlockASP]

It is true that fixed blade knives are "illegal" in the scouts. But I am confused how that is a political correctness issue...

Your kidding right???

What is the best and safest type of knife to have for bushcraft???

Simple answer is a fixed blade.

Then why would the BSA for the most part make them "illegal" When it is the best choice to use and teach safe and proper knife craft??

Again simple answer is "political correctness".

People that have no idea what bushcraft or knife craft is, bitching about an "evil" big mean looking knife. Instead of educating themselves on the reason and or need to use one, it is easier to whine and bitch and have a closed mind. I have had to deal with this crap first hand on many occasions. Parents that are just clueless talking crap about things they have no idea about. We had a mother of one of my Scouts (this was back 15-20 years ago) bitching about us having the boys marching in cadence, standing at attention (before reciting the Pledge of Allegiance) and about us "acting like we were in the military". I was dumbfounded, at first I thought she was kidding, oh no she was dead serious. She felt we were teaching them to be in the military and she felt it was out of line and a bad influence on the boys. She was taken aside and asked if she felt this was then to take her son out. She would not, her son loved the Scouts, and for the next five years she did nothing but complain and bitch about almost everything we did. He was a good kid too, very smart, learned quick and followed all of the rules and directions and was very focused on what he was doing, I was very sad to see him quit, I really felt he would have made it to Eagle Scout with no problem. I am positive pressure from his mother was a factor in his quitting the program. Anyway.......


The BSA used to sell fixed blade knives (IIRC they were Bucks, 119's??? or very much the same type).

Don't take me as "dumping" on you, it's just the whole "political correctness issue" really gets me going (like anyone could not tell).


[steps off soap box and back in to reality]

 

[GlockASP]

Ok, noob questions.

I need suggestions on teaching knife safety to my 9 yr old son and possibly helping later teach it to his Cub Scout pack.

I learned through trail and error growing up because I had no one around to teach me. So, I want to make sure I do it right.

Thanks for all the help my friends!

Try.....

http://meritbadge.org

http://scoutingaround.com/boy-scouts/camping/58-totin-chip-session-outline.html

You can find a lot of info in these two sites.

Good luck and remember "teach by example".

 

[Carolina River Rat]

Certainly not making light of knife safety, especially where children are concerned, but I just always followed Grampa River Rat's advice: "Don't cut yerself, boy."

 

[Donald]

When I needed to expound on knife safety, I used my own experience and knowledge combined with reference to the Boy Scout Handbook, Bushcraft by Mors Kochanski, and Bushcraft (or Basic Bushcraft) by Ray Mears. I probably also referred to other sources and tips from others. I referred to various pocket knives (especially SAK's), Moras, and might have referenced a saw such as the Laplander.

In reference to the BSA fixed blade comments.

I always wonder the following Wenger 16818 Evo S17 might be a good scouting knife? It is an 85mm knife so the blade is not alarmingly long to handle, the blade locks, and it can be had for under $40.

 

[mechtec]

Your kidding right???

What is the best and safest type of knife to have for bushcraft???

Simple answer is a fixed blade.

Then why would the BSA for the most part make them "illegal" When it is the best choice to use and teach safe and proper knife craft??

Again simple answer is "political correctness".

People that have no idea what bushcraft or knife craft is, bitching about an "evil" big mean looking knife. Instead of educating themselves on the reason and or need to use one, it is easier to whine and bitch and have a closed mind. I have had to deal with this crap first hand on many occasions. Parents that are just clueless talking crap about things they have no idea about. We had a mother of one of my Scouts (this was back 15-20 years ago) bitching about us having the boys marching in cadence, standing at attention (before reciting the Pledge of Allegiance) and about us "acting like we were in the military". I was dumbfounded, at first I thought she was kidding, oh no she was dead serious. She felt we were teaching them to be in the military and she felt it was out of line and a bad influence on the boys. She was taken aside and asked if she felt this was then to take her son out. She would not, her son loved the Scouts, and for the next five years she did nothing but complain and bitch about almost everything we did. He was a good kid too, very smart, learned quick and followed all of the rules and directions and was very focused on what he was doing, I was very sad to see him quit, I really felt he would have made it to Eagle Scout with no problem. I am positive pressure from his mother was a factor in his quitting the program. Anyway.......


The BSA used to sell fixed blade knives (IIRC they were Bucks, 119's??? or very much the same type).

Don't take me as "dumping" on you, it's just the whole "political correctness issue" really gets me going (like anyone could not tell).


[steps off soap box and back in to reality]

Oh man, does that bring back memories, I actually enjoyed that, when we went as a group around the camporees our troop marched in unison and I thought it was cool , we would also march in parades.
Our Scoutmaster was ex military, and my Dad was the assistant, whenever you screwed up or any other reason the first thing you heard was drop and give me ten, after every pushup you answered with sir and if it looked half assed he would just make us repeat it, I always felt a sense of pride I guess in the disipline we had.
We built a lean to/cabin in the mountains close by and it's still there and that was thirty years ago, they cut the wood and we had rope harnesses and we drug the logs down the mountain to the build site.
That brings back some good memories

 

[<<safety!>>]

Not sure if it has been said, but this is really the only tip you need to know for knife safety.

Before every cut, ask yourself, "If this blade slips, where is the edge going?"

 

[GlockASP]

When I needed to expound on knife safety, I used my own experience and knowledge combined with reference to the Boy Scout Handbook, Bushcraft by Mors Kochanski, and Bushcraft (or Basic Bushcraft) by Ray Mears. I probably also referred to other sources and tips from others. I referred to various pocket knives (especially SAK's), Moras, and might have referenced a saw such as the Laplander.

In reference to the BSA fixed blade comments.

I always wonder the following Wenger 16818 Evo S17 might be a good scouting knife? It is an 85mm knife so the blade is not alarmingly long to handle, the blade locks, and it can be had for under $40.

YES SIR, that's the knife I was thinking about.