In my Troop, no one ever really uses sheath knives---its a taboo item. Having taught survival for some years now, I know that this is completely insane. Sure, I break the "sheath knife rule" all the time, bringing along my Cold Steel Trail Master. Like Chris said, I only take it out in an extreme emergency. There's nothing quite like seeing someone taking out a huge blade just to slice bread, etc. I've been hired to work at one of the high adventure bases as a trail guide, where I plan on taking my sheath knife with me. So much more can be accomplished with a fixed blade, compared to a little Swiss Army knife, so having this item is a necessity for me, along with a Leatherman and folding knife. I believe that the Boy Scout Supply Division even had a sheath knife for sale up until the 1970's. So much has changed now. On the topic of lending knives, I always carry a $12 Victorinox Recruit to "lend" to Scouts. There's no way I would let Johnny Camper run off with my Benchmade AFCK...