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.