How to Teach Kids About Knives

  In a campground once, I heard, "Johnny, don't you ever touch this knife again. A knife will cut you and make you bleed." Another father I know gave his four-year-old son a small folding lockout knife and let him play with it. Sure enough, the kid cut himself. You may not approve of the instruction, but, both parents tried to teach something. Knowledge about knives needs to be taught in the home. When do you start? Depending on a child's maturity and ability to understand, What You Need to Know About Hunting Knife Handles  a good time is around age 5. I begin by teaching the difference between sharp and dull. I wait until we eat something that requires cutting, (steak) and I put two knives on the table. I show the child how to cut, and we begin with a dull knife. Then we switch to a sharp knife. Immediately he learns the difference. The rest of the lesson teaches him that a sharp knife will cut his finger or arm as easily as it cuts the meat. I believe that giving your kids a knife is a way of telling them that benefits and responsibility always go hand-in-hand.
 
  The benefit is knife ownership; the responsibility is knife respect and safety. To begin, I buy a cheap knife at a swap meet or garage sale. It will receive some hard use, and the edge of the blade is sure to come back customized after the child learns that it won't cut through concrete. I prefer a Swiss Army Knife-an imitation can be had for under $10. About every third day, I introduce a new blade to the child and provide hands-on practice so that he gets an idea how it works. I start with the screwdriver blades, both flat and phi Hips. then teach the leather hole punch blade and scissors. Be careful with the leather hole punch; it's easy for the blade to collapse on fingers. Once the little person understands what sharp is and develops some fear of cutting himself, it's time to whittle. Choose a softer wood to minimize the danger of a slip. With the stick in one hand and knife in the other, he learns to cut away from-not towards his body. When he becomes accomplished enough, I teach him how to put a point on a stick. This is the basis for his first outdoor cooking lesson.