boaty
12-12-03, 12:47 PM
I (not so) recently bought a kid's safety knife (http://www.brukskniver.net/KNIFE%20GALLERY/previewpages/previewpage11.htm) made by Dave Barker. The idea behind this type of knife is that, since it has no sharp point, it is safer for a kid to use. Although I'm not so sure (I rarely stabbed myself as a kid, but have a load of scars left from where I sliced myself...), SWMBO was convinced so I was allowed to buy it for my stepson Ben.
Dealing with Dave was great: an exchange of PMs, cheque sent, knife received - no fuss, no hassle, just a swift transaction. He included a letter with comprehensive care instructions with the knife.
Although I had seen the picture in Dave's advert, I wasn't prepared for how cute this knife is. The sheath is tight fitting and beautifully made - the tiny stitching on the seam must have sent him cross-eyed. The olive-green sheath echoes one of the colours in the nicely figured Linden burl shaft.
The shaft is an interesting shape - it is obviously short and not too thick so small hands can grasp it securely. It has the typical Scandi hook end to locate the little finger when slicing, and instead of a clumsy guard it swells as it reaches the blade. This means that fingers won't slip onto the edge if the kid is cutting with a pushing motion. It looks elegant, and I'll be interested to see if it proves to be as secure as it looks when Ben starts to use it.
The blade is by Trond and is very sturdy, a full 4mm thick at the handle tapering to 2mm at the tip. It has a slightly hollow Scandi grind, and came very sharp. The blade is laminated, and if you look carefully at the grinds you can see the transition from low-carbon to high-carbon steel.
Since this is a present for Ben I haven't really used it. I did a bit of whittling on a spoon I was carving where it performed well, despite the shaft being distinctly not suitable for adult hands. I found myself using a variety of three-fingered grips, sometimes with the little finger off the handle, sometimes with the index finger on the workpiece. The lack of a point wasn't a disadvantage for whittling but would probably be irksome if I were to use it for other tasks - this of course won't be an issue for Ben. In fact I enjoyed using this so much that Dave is currently finishing off a three-fingered knife for me (fully sharpened though!).
I'm looking forward to seeing Ben's reaction to this knife, and teaching him to use it safely. My first "proper" knife was an inappropriate Marttinni leuku that hasn't seen any use to this day; Ben will get a knife that he can use and abuse, learn to sharpen, make things with, and enjoy without fear of "ruining" it - it's easily sturdy enough to last him long enough to pass on to his children.
All I need now is some good ideas for things to teach Ben to do with his new knife - I've started a thread (http://www.bushcraftuk.co.uk/community/viewtopic.php?p=4382#4382) on Bushcraft UK for this, all contributions gratefully received. My ultimate aim is for him to carve the handle for his own Felleskap before he grows out of this knife!
[Edited to add link - mutually referential posts :D :rolleyes: ]
Dealing with Dave was great: an exchange of PMs, cheque sent, knife received - no fuss, no hassle, just a swift transaction. He included a letter with comprehensive care instructions with the knife.
Although I had seen the picture in Dave's advert, I wasn't prepared for how cute this knife is. The sheath is tight fitting and beautifully made - the tiny stitching on the seam must have sent him cross-eyed. The olive-green sheath echoes one of the colours in the nicely figured Linden burl shaft.
The shaft is an interesting shape - it is obviously short and not too thick so small hands can grasp it securely. It has the typical Scandi hook end to locate the little finger when slicing, and instead of a clumsy guard it swells as it reaches the blade. This means that fingers won't slip onto the edge if the kid is cutting with a pushing motion. It looks elegant, and I'll be interested to see if it proves to be as secure as it looks when Ben starts to use it.
The blade is by Trond and is very sturdy, a full 4mm thick at the handle tapering to 2mm at the tip. It has a slightly hollow Scandi grind, and came very sharp. The blade is laminated, and if you look carefully at the grinds you can see the transition from low-carbon to high-carbon steel.
Since this is a present for Ben I haven't really used it. I did a bit of whittling on a spoon I was carving where it performed well, despite the shaft being distinctly not suitable for adult hands. I found myself using a variety of three-fingered grips, sometimes with the little finger off the handle, sometimes with the index finger on the workpiece. The lack of a point wasn't a disadvantage for whittling but would probably be irksome if I were to use it for other tasks - this of course won't be an issue for Ben. In fact I enjoyed using this so much that Dave is currently finishing off a three-fingered knife for me (fully sharpened though!).
I'm looking forward to seeing Ben's reaction to this knife, and teaching him to use it safely. My first "proper" knife was an inappropriate Marttinni leuku that hasn't seen any use to this day; Ben will get a knife that he can use and abuse, learn to sharpen, make things with, and enjoy without fear of "ruining" it - it's easily sturdy enough to last him long enough to pass on to his children.
All I need now is some good ideas for things to teach Ben to do with his new knife - I've started a thread (http://www.bushcraftuk.co.uk/community/viewtopic.php?p=4382#4382) on Bushcraft UK for this, all contributions gratefully received. My ultimate aim is for him to carve the handle for his own Felleskap before he grows out of this knife!
[Edited to add link - mutually referential posts :D :rolleyes: ]