I'm an occasional lurker here, responded to one post in the past, and I am looking for a little advice.

I was out shopping at Bass Pro with the family tonight and agreed to buy my 9 year old son a new pocket knife. We ended up deciding upon a single blade Gerber lock blade, specifically this one:



http://www.gerbergear.com/index.php/product/id/324

After getting it home though, I am concerned about the operation, especially the stiffness, of the locking mechanism. Does anyone have any experience with kids using this type of knife? Any advice or tips? Can it be safely operated or is it just a poor choice?

Any input is welcomed.

For now, I'm just working the mechanism hoping it becomes a bit easier to use (I've only owned the Linerlock style myself).

Hi Denis, that is a nice looking folder.

OK, have you watched your son opening and closing it?
I have no idea how strong your son's hands are or how stiff the knife really is, but the critical thing is that he opens and closes it safely without getting his fingers in where they can be cut.

I'll second what scafool has to say. See how well your son handles it.

I've owned a few classic lockbacks, but none of them were particularly stiff

I had him try it this morning and he can only get the lock disengaged using his thumb - which means his fingers are in the way of the blade.

However, quite frankly, that's how I was working the mechanism last night trying to loosen it up too. I can do it now with my index finger without anything getting in the way of the blade, but not near as easily. It actually physically hurts a little bit to apply enough pressure to get the thing unlocked.

Maybe this is not the knife for him. As I type, I can see a scar from my trusty Buck 110 that I got around the same age.

I now use lock back knives with the AXIS system like those on the DR RSK MKI. I like the system because it is truly one handed, very strong, and I have yet to cut myself closing the blade. (But the day is not yet over!)

New Benchmade folding knives use this system almost exclusively, so that might say something also.

Bass Pro has a decent return policy, maybe a change is needed, or just accept the risk.

I think we'll likely be returning it and look for something else. It seems like it would be a great little knife if the lock was just easier to operate. Its too bad, it is a good looking knife and seems real solid when open (my boy really loves the look too ... he likes the "old school" look and isn't as much into the more modern looking stuff).

That said, I went with a lock for safety so it doesn't make much sense to have one you can't safely close.

Also, thanks for the tip on the AXIS locks; I hadn't actually read up on them before. I know Bass Pro sells the Mini-Griptilian and, although its a bit pricier than I was originally looking at, it may be worth another look.

The money saved on band-aids will make up for the difference in price. You could always order one of the DR knives and help support the foundation also.

Denis,

Contact the manufaturer and see what they say. this may just be a production flaw.

The axis lock in my opinion is more user frendly.

-Joe

I had the same issue when trying to find a first knife for my son(6). Lockbacks seem like a great idea, except that they all require putting a digit in the way of the closing blade.

I settled on a Case Peanut with a bone stag handle in tequila sunrise (orange). It does not lock, but I've been teaching him proper handling skills and being careful not to demonstrate any bad habits myself.

So far, at four Y-Tribes campouts, I've applied seven band-aids to whittling kids, but none to my son. Teaching the skills and providing supervision as they become second nature seem to be most important.

Not one kid was cut because of the knife inadvertantly closing. Nearly all were in the wood-holding hand. The deepest cut was in opening the knife. An 8 year old got the knife open slightly by pinching the back of the blade, but then tried to open it the rest of the way by placing his fingers on the business side of the blade and sliding it open.

Oh, and the knife is "mine" right now. I plan to gift it to him this Christmas after he has used it for a year as "dad's knife". I hope that he will value it more and be less likely to lose it. I even have some pipe dreams of him passing it along to his kid some day.

I'd take some jewelers rouge to the contact surfaces and work it open and closed a few thousand times. By then it should be smoothed out. Next take some brake cleaner or boiling water and carefully clean away the jewelers rouge. Afterwards, a little grease on the contact surfaces will slick it up.
Or you can just use it for a few years and the same thing will happen

First I would say I would take the knife back and get something that works better.
My little one is only 4 so fist knife is a ways off, but I have given the subject some thought I think I will go with a multi tool of some sort when and if the time comes. they are just more useful to have.

just my 2 cents

Jim

To be honest, I'm taking the opposite tack. My first knife at 6 y/o was an SAK classic. No lock at all. I eventually got a lock-back, and I have to say, most of them were stiff initially. Which, lets face it, is what the lock is supposed to do- keep the blade from closing.

The big thing with a lockback is, yes, your fingers get in the way as you unlock it. which is why you don't have pressure on the blade when you do it. I've only been bitten by a knife once - cleaning caulk out of a door, when I was 26. And that was when it slipped, not closed, into my thumb.

I really think you're probably not giving your son enough credit. then again, I don't know your son... Even if he does catch a finger, he'll learn a valuable lesson.

Hey boy scout knifes don't have locks, neither do SAK.

But hey, every knife and owner is different. My dad had a gerber gator in the early 90's, pretty simple single blade opener with a sticky handle but no crease for a nail hold. I could not open that knife. Stupid me.

Home Depot sells those old Timers knifes. Great little pocket knives or better yet, go get one of your older ones sharpened and make an heirloom. In this economy its a much better memento.

Thank you all for your input so far!

I have decided to return the knife and will update here when I actually select the replacement. I had a chance to handle a couple new lock backs (CRKT and Leatherman) yesterday and, if the Gerber operated like them, this discussion wouldn't be happening . The pressure difference to disengage the lock between those models and the one I actually bought was night and day.

Also, for those interested, here's a little more background info. This will actually be his second knife, he's had a SAK for the last couple years. He's used the knife responsibly, though he did have one minor, self-inflicted injury on his first camping trip with it. But I figure that's kind of like getting your first burn from the campfire, a worthwhile learning experience as long as it's relatively minor .

So this is largely a case of wanting something new and different (though, admittedly, his SAK has been having some problems). All he really asked for was a new pocket knife and, after some discussion and looking at some of the available products, he asked if he could have a single blade, "old style" knife.

I actually added the lock to the requirements simply because if I was to buy a single blade pocket knife, I'd get a lock. That said, my urban EDC doesn't lock, so its not like I'm against non-locking blades in practise so I may rethink this and look more at the non-locking alternatives.

If all goes to plan we'll head out tonight to take a look, and this time a feel, at the options.


p.s. GeoEarthSensei, love the heirloom idea, too bad I didn't come across it a couple years ago!

After checking out a bunch of knives tonight, we settled on a Buck Nobleman:



http://www.buckknives.com/index.cfm?event=product.detail&productid=3573

It has a frame lock which is really easy to use and the knife seems to be a good quality for the price. While the locking mechanism still requires a digit in the blade path, the effort to close the knife is low enough that I'm not concerned its a real risk as long as he is using the knife safely.

Again, thanks for all the input.