Well, I’m not a parent but I can tell you about my own background. I was fascinated with knives from a very early age. I was begging my Dad for one about since I could talk just about. When I was 4, he gave me a Barlow knife that was my Grandpa’s, but he snapped all the blades off. I didn’t care though, I proudly carried it everywhere, even though it was pretty much useless. It was my first knife, and I still have it.

My 2nd knife I also have, it too Dad snapped off the blade. It was my Dad’s knife, and I really wanted it and finally begged him out of it. I thought it was really cool, and it had a removable lighter built into the knife. I’ve never seen another one like it. The lighter used zippo fuel. I didn’t use the lighter part when I was younger, but my parents let me EDC a lighter since I was 6. (I helped burn the trash in the yard when I was younger)

I got my first pocket knife with a blade when I was 5 or 6. Dad always dulled them like a butter knife though, because he didn’t want me to get cut. I always tried to argue with him that I read that a dull knife was more dangerous than a sharp knife, because it could cause you to slip and injure yourself, but he didn’t listen to me. I later read that children should be given dull knives, and when they’re old enough to learn how to sharpen them, they’re responsible enough to be given a sharp knife.

I got my first sheath knife when I was 7. I begged my Grandma into buying me one of those Pakistan brass and wood handled boot knives from a vendor at a city festival. My Dad wasn’t very happy with her when I got home. They let me keep it though. I still have it too. I EDCed it for protection for many years when I was a youth. I always thought that if a “bad guy” ever tried to kidnap me, he’d be in for a hell of a surprise. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> And due to our Indiana knife friendly laws, is was perfectly legal for me to carry it too. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />