I agree, I Izzy. I had a pocket knife when I was a kid and learned through "Ouch" and "Eek". I'm not adverse to that at all, just not when there are other kids around that I don't know or trust. For some 10 year olds, I'd say it's just fine, but mine isn't that responsible yet. None of the other kids around here seem to have pocket knives of their own and we've got some serious trouble makers in this neighbourhood. (A couple of them tried setting the garbage dumpsters on fire with a stolen BIC last summer, amoung other things. I was very proud when my son came home and told me what they were doing so I could stop it. Kids and fires... teach them to do it safely!) My son is easily influenced. He'd hand his knife over in a heartbeat. I can envision parents knocking on my door, or worse. Heck, even Cub Scout parents aren't comfortable with their kids having knives or fire making stuff sometimes.

When we go out together, or when we're hiking, camping, etc., he usually has his pocket knife and has free reign with it, except when we're out with the Pack, in which case it's in his survival kit. (He didn't have it at the creek this week because we weren't planning to go.) He's had a little Buck-like folder for a couple of years now and has done well with it. He can't work the unlock mechanism though, so has needed more supervision with it, because it's essentially a fixed blade once he opens it. The SAK doesn't lock so it's a little risky, but I'm not worried about him cutting himself. It's safer in my mind that a fixed blade. At least with this one, he can fold it up and put it away when he's done with it. In all likelihood, he'll have more freedom with this one than his other one. He's getting older, learning and becoming more responsible all the time. It's his last year of Cub Scouts and then it's onto Scouts, and knife/saw/axe/fire/stove permits, and that may be a game changer for him.

Yeah, some Scout leaders are dorks. LOL! Not all of us though.