OscarTango Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Looking for a versatile pocketknife that's suitable for a 14 year old. Any suggestions on the best quality for the best value? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red feather Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 A two bladed Buck knife is good.About 3 inches long closed and not that pricey. Been carrying one for 40 years. yis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
packsaddle Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 For the 14 year old, I would recommend the smaller version of a 'stockman' with three blades. I've been carrying my old KaBar stockman since 1973, the full size version, they're made by nearly every reputable manufacturer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EagleBeaver Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Victorinox "Tinker" BSA knife - two blades, screwdriver, opener, scredrivers, awl, tweezer, toothpick See http://www.jaysknives.com/victorinoxboyscout/Tinker55121.jpg This is what I use for all my scouting and whittling. My mommy got it for me and had my name engraved. :-) ScoutStuff.org has an Eagle pocket knife on sale for $10 but I don't know it's quality. Scout On www.ScoutChallenge.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertrat77 Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 All great suggestions. For value and quality, can't go wrong with the swiss army tinker, as mentioned above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dg98adams Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I look for these items for a GP Scout knife. Locking blade if over 2" High-impact plastic/wood handle No outer screws (they always come loose), just pins or rivets. A 1/8" hole at the rear for some kind of cord/ring. If they get used to attaching the cord to the belt loop, it's not as easy to loose. Spend no more than you are comfortable loosing, but get the best quality at that price range. I carry 3 knives. A leatherman multi tool (used the most), a buck 3-1/2 folder probably too big for real use but i like the Buffalo horn handle), and a small Victory 2 blade pen knife.... best one to whittle fine detail. I also put a shine on an old Scout fixed blade knife (~4-1/2 inch blade) that I have a fringed neck sheath for. I probably paid $4 for it years ago. It's not stainless steel but holds an edge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RANBOW Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Im with gd98adams on this one. Any true knife wielder knows there are different knives for different purposes. Everyone should have a multitool and a pocket knife at a minimum. As far as a pocket knife goes there is only one that I will recommend and carry myself. It is hands down the best pocket knife available. It is the opinel. It is sold at smoky mountain knife works among others. The opinel is a light weight (wood stock/various choices), locking (twist barrel), single blade that comes in various lengths and a choice of steel (stainless or carbon). The european boy scouts (especially the french) carry it and its the only one I'll carry. No multi blade needed. This knife is truly multi purpose and probably one of the lightest you will ever pick up. Especially if you get the carbon steel. (This is important if you are like me with no hips and have trouble keeping your britches up whether you load down your pockets or not. lol.) The only word of caution is... I prefer the carbon steel for its edge taking and keeping ability but, if you get the carbon steel note that if used improperly the tip will break off easily. See you on the trail, ----RANBOW---- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdidochas Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 If I were to choose one pocketknife for a 14 yr old, it would probably be a Leatherman Skeletool. It's a lightweight multitool with pliers, knife blade and interchangeable screwdriver bits (contains 4 different ones). It has a carabiner like loop at one end, has a pocket clip on the side. The stainless version weighs 5 ounces. The knife blade can open while the tool is closed, and it's a lockblade. A close second would be a Swiss army Knife Adventurer (sold by the BSA supply) or Trekker series. They have a lockblade and just a few tools. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeattlePioneer Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I have a couple of simple Swiss Army knives similar to the one described by mn_scout. Acquiring two was a coincidence, but has proved to be useful. The red plastic handle on one cracked off. I mailed it in to the Swiss Army Knife guarantee address and they sent me out a brand new knife a month or so later. So I used the other knife until the plastic jhandle on that one cracked off. I'm using the replacement knife I got and haven't yet got around to mailing in the second knife. So---- the guarantee works, but you'd think they would have figured out the handles by now. I carry the Swiss Army knife with me all the time, using the ring on the knife to fit it on my key ring.(This message has been edited by seattlepioneer) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OscarTango Posted January 10, 2011 Author Share Posted January 10, 2011 The Swiss Army knife looks good, not too many attachments to get confused or too heavy but enough to be functional. I'll have to keep an eye out for the handle though. Good to know the guarantee works. Is this only offered through the BSA Supply? I found a similar one at Target for less, but won't get it if they don't come with the warranty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas54 Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I have a leatherman skeletal. Nice knife! The knife blade is a better than average tool steel so it holds an edge. The pliers pinch my hand every now and then and the there are only about seven tools. I like it but wouldn't say its the end all. My wife has an older traditional leatherman. More features and the pliers are nicer but the blade has about ten good cuts in it before it needs to be sharpened. My 14 year old boy carries a chunkie, semi large, locking blade knife that HE bought from the Army-Navy store. He likes it a lot and carries it to almost every scouting event. Most scouts leave their knives at home so he is always loaning it out. At about 2 years with him now its the longest I have ever seen him keep a knife. All those knives I bought him from the scout store, cabelas and other places have long since disappeared into the beyond. I think I would stick to a medium to large locking blade knife with a good steel blade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle007 Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I like my Ken Onion Kershaw Tanto Blur. Here are the specs according to kershaw website: Steel: Sandvik 14C28N stainless steel Handle: Sandvik 14C28N stainless steel, DLC coating Blade: 3 3/8 in. (8.6 cm) Closed: 4 1/2 in. (11.3 cm) Overall: N/A Weight: 4.2 oz. What I like about it is the locking blade and skateboard grips when hands are wet or cold. The additional feature of a pocket clip is nice, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle007 Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I forgot to mention the fact that it is around $100. This may be a little pricey for a 14 year old but you get what you pay for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdidochas Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Thomas, Good point about buying his own knife. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OscarTango Posted January 10, 2011 Author Share Posted January 10, 2011 Oooh yeah Eagle, sounds like a good knife, but 100 is definitely out of my price range. Tops is most likely 30 dollars, since I will have to buy it myself. Will look into the Navy Exchange, they usually have good deals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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