[Fish_Fiend]

Look at me like im crazy when i tell them ive taught my 5 year old son how to use a pocket knife? Im not ready to let him start carrying a pocket knife arou.d on his own bit i feel like every boy should know how to use a picket knife. I understand that it is a different world we live in today. But why is it different? Ill be honest, a pocket knife is one of the most important tools i own.

And as a disclaimer please keep political views to a minimum in this discussion, and respect everyones opinion.

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[crappie89]

I just think people these days have been brain washed to think guns, knives, etc are all bad. Doesn't help the role the media plays in everything. I had my first BB gun in first grade and learn to be responsible at a very young age with firearms. I am much more careful with guns and knives than friends of mine who got into such things at a later age and didn't have anyone to teach and discipline them when they did something wrong.

If you want to see how careless people are with firearms just walk into a bass pro shops or gun show some time and look at how people handle firearms. I was taught to treat everything firearm as if it were loaded and people at those shows go around waving the barrel of a gun for everyone to see. Same thing with a knife, always do your best to cut away from you and think about where the blade may end up. Don't worry about it man, I think you are doing a great service to your son teaching him about things at such an early age.

 

[OptiMystic]

It varies from kid to kid, IMO. I have one that would benefit from knowing about things and treats things that can be dangerous with respect and another that would go looking for a knife as soon as I turned my back after he "knows how to use one". If you think your son was ready to learn and would respect it, you are probably right. It also varies from parent to parent. You have to have taught respect before they can respect something. Again, IMO.

 

[Rod Wielder]

Because you are crazy - crazy smart.

Plus Fishin'
RW

 

[biglenr]

It all depends on the kid.

My oldest.... Nope... No way.

My youngest? I think I taught him at 6 or 7.

In cub scouts, we teach at 8 years old (bear cubs), and allow them to carry knives after that time.

 

[Drum Runner]

In grade school the teacher would be having a hard time getting something undone....Half a dozen pocket knives would be offered to assist.
No second glances. No quirky looks. No worried looks. It was just normal in the 70's.
Along about 3rd grade I stuck a long German bayonet from WW2 in a book bag and carried it to school for show and tell.
Not a peep. Glad I brought it. Several teachers wanted to see it. I never remember a soul telling me to be careful with it.

What's happening is by design. It's an agenda.
When you have the public mourning for a murderer that may have suffered a little during his execution while completely forgetting his victim that was shot with a shotgun and buried alive and her suffering, we've come along way to nowhere.

You have a child being humiliated publicly by a TEACHER for reading his Bible during a FREE read period at school.
The school administrator doesn't correct the teacher , only minces words and runs to the school system attorney.

Where are these "educators" educated? Walmart online?

 

[h2ohhh]

I don't know how old I was when I got my first pocket knife. Probably 7 or 8. But I do remember it was a Barlow. Thought I died and went to heaven. Carried it everywhere, including school. Whittled sticks, played that game where you flick it into the dirt and the guy on the other side of you has to stretch his leg to that spot and pick it up (forget the name). I knew that if I was irresponsible with anything it would be taken away (like my favorite baseball bat that my father broke on the curb after I was seen swinging it in the house) so I made sure to act responsibly! That's called parenting.

 

[Rod Wielder]

Mumbley Peg?

 

[h2ohhh]

Mumbley Peg?

That's it!

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[slickrocktom]

I graduated in '90 so I was probably the last generation to be able to bring a deer rifle or carry a pocket knife to school. Having taken four years of Agriculture and horticulture classes, a pocket knife was a must. We had an Assistant principal ( Mr. Budd) who would sit around and shoot the breeze with us sometimes. He found out I had bought a brand new Rem. 7400 semi auto. " Well let me see it" So I walked from the parking lot to his office and not a peep out of any of the office staff. half of the males at Owen HS had property in Broad River that they hunted after school, so we just brought our gear. Too bad a few psychos ruined it for everybody.

 

[Neilslure]

If you feel he is ready to learn at the age of 5, knock yourself out. I learned alot of things at an early age that I feel have helped me in life and helped make me the person I am today.

 

[Bleedingblue]

I remember my first pocket knife, I think I was 6 or 7. It was a little Imperial pen knife with yellow handles. I loved that thing more than words could describe. I was allowed to carry it because my Dad wisely dulled the blades. Once I showed I knew what I was doing I was allowed to upgrade to a sharp knife (I still have both). I applaud you for teaching you son. My Dad always allowed me to handle and look at his guns and knives. I was well supervised and always taught safety. As a result I never had any desire to sneak in and look at his collections when he wasn't around even though I knew where they were and they weren't locked up.

 

[scottshillfisher]

I'm teaching my 13 year old how to shoot my USP 40. Maybe I am crazy.

 

[19471]

I don't see a problem with it if he is responsible. I have learned some valuable lessons from using a pocket knife that ill continue to carry with me. Man I wish I could carry a knife to school. But some of my idiot classmates shouldn't even get a sharp pencil.

 

[19471]

I'm teaching my 13 year old how to shoot my USP 40. Maybe I am crazy.

im 14 and my dad got a couple pistol permints and we went and got a s&w 9mm and I paid him back. It's his legally but mine literally, I think. Keep it in my safe with all my other guns along with a couple of my dads. I would teach him to use it in case the situation
Arises where he needs it and your not there (burglar/theif(scumbag). Responsibility is important though.

 

[Scott Hobbs]

I don't see any harm in the kid learning a tool he can use for life. Cuts are a common occurrence to the young and old, helps with knife discipline. Mine had one and shortly after used machete's to chop down small trees and make forts.

 

[roostertail24]

im 14 and my dad got a couple pistol permints and we went and got a s&w 9mm and I paid him back. It's his legally but mine literally, I think. Keep it in my safe with all my other guns along with a couple of my dads. I would teach him to use it in case the situation
Arises where he needs it and your not there (burglar/theif(scumbag). Responsibility is important though.

We need more 14 year olds tryin to learn all they can about fishing and less 14 year olds trying to learn all the tips and tricks about Grand Theft Auto.

 

[sundrop]

If kids are taught, and the keyword here is TAUGHT how to handle weapons I see no big deal, the problem is many parents now choose lean towards letting "Big Brother" do the teaching. They scare us with horror stories and treat every little mishap like its some great tragedy and people get caught up in the hype. I had a pocket knife and used it often, whittled, carved my name in trees and stuff I shouldnt have and offered it many times to those who needed it. I guess I got my first carry along knife at 7 or 8 but sat and whittled and cut myself plenty of times ( see pain used to be one of the teaching strategies that was considered acceptable!) before that age. I shot a .22 with the folks alot at 5-6 and was dang good, had BB guns and pellet rifles, rode bikes without a helment but never w/o if it had a motor. Kids are suposed to get cut and skint and eat dirt, and play in ditches and be kids.. We are creating a weak spineless bunch when the world needs strength more than ever..

 

[dbeam]

Good for you Gene, great opinions and posts as well.

Darrell

 

[papadave]

Well for my 2 cents about teaching him to use a knife, you ain't crazy. I occasionally let my 4 yo use my chef's knife to cut veggies .... with me holding both his hands. He gets to see when papa cuts himself too. He needs to learn to do it right, and learn what happens when you don't. (Hate to tell you what he does to a crappie with a butter knife, it's ugly .... )

As far as things changing though, you're right we do think more about safety than in years past. I remember riding on the tailgate of my granpa's pickup, feet swinging, at 55-60 mph. No way I'd let a youngin do that now, even if it were legal.
Average life expectancy has increased a lot in this country since I was a kid and it ain't all about better medical care. As much of a nuisance as all the safety regulations are, many of them save lives(and body parts). I'd wear my seatbelt now, law or not, but that old feller who let me ride the tailgate never wore one, law be darned. Then there's airbags, safety guards, safety glasses, steel toed boots, ear plugs(huh, whatzat you say?), high vis clothing, life jackets and signal whistles. Like almost anything we do in this country much of it is carried too far, seems we can't get to a reasonable level of anything.
The old attitudes were less trouble and did help keep the genepool in better balance, but IMO we're better off now than 40-50 years ago.