Your FIRST knife

[teej6]

I was reading someone elses comment about his first knife and he did exactly the same thing I did. I was 7 or 8 years old and dragged that little blade across my palm opening my hand up. lol Band aids were all that was needed. So it got me thinking.

How old were you when you got your first knife?

What kind of knife was it if you recall?

Did you ever injure yourself with that first knife?


My father lived his entire life with a pocket knife in his pocket. My first knife was a Camillius Cub Scout. Got it in the late 60's when I joined cub scouts. Yes I cut myself with it and yes I still have it over 40 yrs later.

 

[ArfinGreebly]

1961

On my 12th birthday in 1961 my dad gave me my first knife, which he bought at the Aerojet General company store.

Among other places, I have [post=7413050]mentioned it here[/post].

Imperial US Officers Ulster 916 (scout/camp, USMC Demo knife clone with red scales). It's still with me after nearly fifty years.

In the following pictures, the one taken with flash (bottom) shows the actual color (red). For some reason the "ambient light" shots involve some weird kind of color interpolation that makes it look pink.










It's been everywhere in the world that I have been, on two continents and at least six countries. It has served on land and sea. It has sliced salami/pepperoni and cheese, opened boxes, whittled wood, trimmed irregularities from plastic moldings, cut my fingers, stabbed my hand, made holes in leather, spread butter, jam & marmalade, peanut butter, liverwurst, and Marmite, served as a steak knife, cut rope and cord, cut down boxes, trimmed cardboard sheet, cut articles out of newspapers, carved my initials into Bic pens, trimmed loose threads, trimmed my nails (yes, really), stripped wire, trimmed heat shrink, cut zip ties, cleaned electrical contacts, stirred my tea, stood in for both a spoon and fork (ever eat yogurt with a knife?), opened countless cans (and served their contents), opened drink cans in lieu of a church key, opened soda, beer, and wine bottles (tricky), and a raft of other tasks I've managed to forget.

I carried it as my stock EDC from the time I was twelve until I switched to a smaller "gent's knife" in 1983. More than twenty years as my primary go-to blade.

I still use it, just to remind myself I know how.

It will go to one of my kids.

It's just a cheap scout/camp knife by a company that copied the USMC "Demo" knife pattern and changed the scales to red plastic. Maybe $3 -- call it $5 -- at the company store? Just a common, everyday pocket knife that has grown to be a personal treasure.

It's my first heirloom. Imagine that.

 

[Wolfebyte]

6
Imperial 3 blade Stockman with simulated red bone scales

oh yeah.. from stretch to chicken to mumbley peg.. there were injuries. Cut fingers, stabbed toes and shoes with holes in em..

Knife is at least 50 years old now. I currently resides in my Archery box. Lost a bolster when I was about 12. Dad cut one out of tanned saddle leather, glued and pinned it on. Still there

 

[Smoovbiscuit]

Got my first knife when I turned 7. was a standard swiss army knife, cut my index finger pretty good that day still got the scar. Valuable lesson learned though

 

[hso]

Uncle Henry delrin Stagalon 2 blade "Bowie Hunter".

And, no, I didn't cut myself with it, but I did foolishly break the tip off tossing at a Mimosa tree and Schrade honored their replacement policy.

 

[dayhiker]

How old were you when you got your first knife?

Eight.

What kind of knife was it if you recall?

Camillus three blade Cub Scout Knife. (Main blade, awl, slotted driver/cap lifter) Bought with my own money in the scouting section of Reid & Hughs clothing store. With my Mom's permission.

Did you ever injure yourself with that first knife?

Of course. But as a scout I could treat my own wounds. No need to report the injury to Mom & Dad.

 

[T Bran]

First knife

I was 8 years old and just had to have a 7'' fillet knife like my grandpas needless to say it filleted fingers even better than it did fish but I learn everything the hard way. Dad decided that a little case folder might be better and got me one I still have both knives and 10 fingers so he must have been correct.
T

 

[Deltaboy1984]

Imperial 3 inch Stockman from my Grandpaw Simons.

 

[Skidawg]

I sold greeting cards door to door to earn enough to purchase a used Buck 110, $15.00. I did it and still carry that knife, like the Duke boys did, today.

 

[janobles14]

i was seven years old and a Christmas present was a Victoinox Swiss Army camping model. it eventually lost the corkscrew due to someone thinking they could stick it into a fencepost (not me). still have the toothpick and tweezers though! 26 years later it still sees action and my 2 year old son will get it as his first knife (with the corkscrew repaired) in 5 years or so.

 

[sm]

I was born with a Case Peanut, with bone handles. This was in my dresser draw crib, along with a .22 revolver, holster, ammunition, boxing gloves and...

Somewhere amongst all the stuff a boy should have, there was I, born premature.

 

[bikerdoc]

I was 7 or 8 and it was a Barlow pattern,gray scales, cant remember the brand (it was 55 yrs ago!)

Dad took me to Kiely's Hardware store and everybody made a big deal about my first knife. It felt good.

Never cut myself with it. lost it when I was 12 on a fishing trip of the coast of Cape Cod when I stupidly put it on the rail and it fell into the ocean.

Back to Kiely;s the next day for a Shrade-Walden. That one I gave to my brother when I went into the army.
Then I got a ......... Ya'all know the rest.

 

[Jalexander]

It was a yellow-handled Case, I believe it was a pen knife, but it might have been a small stockman. I was seven or eight.

James

 

[MyGreenGuns]

==How old were you when you got your first knife?
Eightish
==What kind of knife was it if you recall?
My grandpa had a thing for small folding knives. I dont know a brand. It was 4" long and had two blades, one at each end.
==Did you ever injure yourself with that first knife?
I had it for a week with my grandpa's razor sharp edge on it, I used it to cut the lengths of rope needed to finish my treehouse. After that week, my mom had the brilliant idea that it was too sharp for me. She had my grandpa dull the blade so I wouldnt hurt myself with it. Now instead of one or two pulls across the rope to cut it, I had to saw at it for 3 mins to cut thru. I stabbed myself a dozen times with this dulled blade and eventually stored it away and (secretly) got an orange box cutter. Ironicly the box cutter was duller than my grandpa's edge.
My grandpa died before I learned his trick to sharpening. I've never been able to duplicate the way he sharpened.

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Grampa's Razor Edge

I've never been able to duplicate the way he sharpened.

We can help you with that.

 

[Usertag]

I don't have my first knife with me anymore. But it was a cheap, green grip, with holes in the handle, and a serrated blade. Also it was opened by hand.

It looks "Kind Of" like this one.

 

[MyGreenGuns]

We can help you with that.

I've been so into the firearms portion of this site, I didnt notice I had wandered into the "non-firearm" section.

My grandpa had two stones, thats all he used.

I stayed up all night reading. I've been a THR addict since I found this site!

 

[Bobson]

I've been so into the firearms portion of this site, I didnt notice I had wandered into the "non-firearm" section.

My grandpa had two stones, thats all he used.

I stayed up all night reading. I've been a THR addict since I found this site!

Me too. I keep stumbling on new things that have little (if anything) to do with firearms.

But every topic is covered well enough to have a forum dedicated to it. THR is great, man.

Also, I was 7. It was a Swiss Army Knife type. I broke it while attempting to become the next great knife-thrower.

 

[M67]

Before I was three. Small pocket knife with a blade and a cork screw. I don't think I still have it unless it's at the bottom of some cardboard box somewhere.

My mother gave me a Mora, the one with the red wooden handle, either for my 4th birthday or for Christmas a couple of months later.

The one and only time I've cut myself badly enough to need stitches I was well over 20 years old.

She had my grandpa dull the blade so I wouldnt hurt myself with it.

My grandpa had a theory about that. Children should be given a dull knife. Not because it's safer, it's not. But according to gramps it hurts more to cut yourself with a dull knife than with a sharp one. Since the kid will cut him/herself anyway, the more pain the faster they learn. Then they should be given a sharp (safe) knife.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I was about 5. I wanted a knife to carry. My grandfather gave me a small two bladed folder of some sort. The spring was broken on the large blade, so I could open it easily and it wouldn't smash my fingers upon shutting it. I wasn't strong enough to open the smaller blade, so he didn't worry about it. He ground the tip off so it was rounded on the larger blade and took most of the edge off, so I could neither stab or cut myself. I carried it everywhere, including the first grade. I think I graduated up to a Buck Pony in about the third grade. I carried a pocketknife all throughout school and openly used it when needed, or often loaned it to a teacher when they needed one.....Boy, how times have changed.

 

[Zeke/PA]

My first knife at age six was an inherited Cattauragus (sp.) Barlow style that I still have.
In those days of course, all kids carried a pocket knife, EVEN to school.

 

[ForumSurfer]

How old were you when you got your first knife? I don't remember, but it was somewhere around kindergarten.

What kind of knife was it if you recall? It was Dad's old military issue folder.

Did you ever injure yourself with that first knife? No, he didn't sharpen it until a year or two after he gave it to me. I thought he was just forgetful, but looking back I see the brilliance of his move.

I bought a Buck 110 with my own money. Took me weeks of cutting the grass for several family members, plus I spent all of the money on roses for my kindergarten crush and had to start my fund over again. Within a week I dropped that big, heavy knife and the point went between my toes. It stuck in the floor and I stood there waiting for blood, which never came.

Now MY son managed to cut himself with a swiss army knife ay 8. No stitches, but he bled quite a bit. Poor kid inherited his father's clumsiness. I'm hoping the martial arts classes that he loves to participate in help him achieve some poise and grace, but I'm pretty sure that the clumsiness will rear it's ugly head once he starts noticing the girls.

 

[kBob]

I was 6 and my PaPa (mom's dad) gave me a pearlhandled folding "fishing knife" It had a single edged blade and the other was a scaler/hook remover. On the back was a steel can opener of the type used to punch holes in the lid of a steel drink can. Was warned of dire consequences if used for throwing....naturally played mumbly peg with it and was soon talked into trying to throw for a stick in an oak tree. I was made to carry the remaining handle, fish scaler and can opener for some months before it was replaced as a reminder to not throw knives I do not want broken. The blade was kept for a while in a box and then got lost. First sheath knife was at eight and was an M-5a1 Bayonet of the M-1 Garand. Had it nearly until 40 and used it as my main camp knife. it was stolen form a storage rental unit during a time I had to live in a dinky place to small for all my junk.

-kBob

 

[22-rimfire]

It was an Imperial folder in the second grade. Tiny knife, almost useless from my point of view as an adult, but I loved that thing. When my hands had grown a bit, I migrated upward in size, first with a larger Imperial, than culminating with a Case Barlow probably around 10 years old.

You see there is a "place" for Chinese blades. You need to start somewhere.

 

[Sniper X]

I was probably 6 or 7, and My Dad got back from his first tour in fixed wing aircraft in Viet Nam. He had a bright ornage pocket knife that looked to me like a boy scout pocket knife. Well, he gave it to me and told me to press the button. I got a switchblade for my first knife! back then, this was about 1965, kids had more responsibility!