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What’s a good beginner pocketknife for an 8-year-old?

Q. I want to buy a pocketknife for my 8-year-old nephew. He has just started a pocketknife collection and has about 8 knives. Can you recommend a good knife for a boy that age?
— Aunt Debra, Houston, Texas

A. You must be a cool aunt to be buying your nephew a knife! Will you be my auntie too? OK, seriously, good knives for an 8-year-old? Here are two that I think he’d be sure to dig:

BSA Official Cub Scouts Pocket Knife ($19.99; www.scoutstuff.org) You just can’t go wrong with the official Cub Scouts pocketknife! It’s got a stainless steel 2¼”-long blade with a flat head screwdriver, cap lifter and punch blade folded inside.

Gerber Mini Paraframe ($16.26; www.gerbergear.com) This folding knife has an open stainless steel handle, which makes it both lightweight (just 1.4 ounces) and cool-looking! The 2.22”-long locking blade is high carbon stainless steel with a fine edge and it comes with a handy pocket clip too.


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5 Comments on What’s a good beginner pocketknife for an 8-year-old?

  1. i got the recruit knife and it is awesome. 😃

  2. I wish I would have seen this post amd comments first. My 8 yearvold boy just picked up the Gerber and the locking mechanism is way too stiff for him to operate.

  3. I am eight I have a pocket nife I am good with it but you still should watch the kid to see if her or she talks about killing and stuff

    • I have the Gerber. You are going to have to oil it and either you or the kid continuously open and close it till it is worn in. This sometimes happens with knives.

  4. The gerber is a great knife, but the locking mechanism is very stiff and would probably be too difficult for an 8 year old to readily manage.

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