Comments on: The New Boy Scout Knife By Wenger

By: David Bryan

David Bryan — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 02:30:54 +0000

I think it was part of a compromise.

By: Sommelier

Sommelier — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:09:57 +0000

I’ve carried a pocketknife every day since I was a Cub Scout, and I’m always amazed at how many people (adults) never learned how to use a knife safely and maintain a sharp edge. I’m with the people here who think that you shouldn’t “dumb down” a youngster’s knife by insisting on a blunt tip. But really… purple?!?! That was never a color component of my Boy Scout uniform.

By: flarney

flarney — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:00:39 +0000

Trouble with kids and knives now a days is that most of their idiot parents don’t them teach personal responsibility, their friends are no different. Excuses are made for bad behavior, too much sugar, TV, video games etc etc. Their precious little snowflake can’t be at fault for anything bad. Yes there are exceptions. Taught a neighbor’ s kid to shoot a .22 and trusted him more than the vast majority of adults I’ve instructed, but then his dad was a standup guy. Want to give a kid a knife? Tell him he is utterly, totally responsible for it and what is done with it. Simple.

By: Eubie’s notes » Blog Archive » New scout knife - … so I can remember what I’ve read

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:34:07 +0000

[...] Good review at Toolmonger [...]

By: JustinB

JustinB — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:48:57 +0000

It looks okay. I was born in 1980 and carried a knife throughout my time in school. I remember having one in elementary school which wasn’t allowed then but I just kept my mouth shut about it. I regularly used mine in high school and even loaned it to a teacher that asked if anyone had a knife. But I still got a weird look from her as I handed over my gerber multi-tool. Guess she was just expecting a pen knife.

By: David Bryan

David Bryan — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 09:50:59 +0000

Philip Roth has an interesting section in his novel “Our Gang” involving Boy Scouts and scout knives. It’s been about 35 years since I read it, but I think there was a corkscrew in it.
I sure wouldn’t think of that corkscrew as a heavier-duty tool, but I guess it’s all relative.

By: Bart's Dad

Bart's Dad — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 06:52:07 +0000

Scout NewRanger 55 cuts down on the functions but includes a couple of heavier-duty tools like a corkscrew and larger blade.

A corkscrew?I don’t remember needing one of those back in my scouting days.

By: David Bryan

David Bryan — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:55:13 +0000

When I was a kid everybody had a pocket knife. It just wasn’t a big deal, and I just don’t understand why people let it become a big deal. When I was selling magazines in the ninth grade, I won a great big Bowie knife for a premium, and then I won a crossbow and a .22 rifle. Each of which was handed over to me in the classroom. And nobody thought anything about it. If you made a mistake–and we all made plenty of them– you learned from it, and lived with the consequences.

By: Dr. Girlfriend

Dr. Girlfriend — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:51:04 +0000

Perez Hilton writes about tools now? Cool!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:22:37 +0000

i want this knife. Its not antique like all my dads Boy Scout books but it would still look good sitting on the bookcase.

By: fred

fred — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:49:47 +0000

I was a scoutmaster for nearly 2 deacdes - with only 1 trip to the ER for a knife-related injury. We’d typically have 30 to 40 scouts in the troop - and our SPL and PL’s would work with new scouts on safety issues - under adult supervision and sign-off. Scouts (as opposed to cubs) start at about 11 years of age (6th graders) and work up to 18. We insisted on the scout qualifying to use a knife and being awarded (and carrying with him) a totem chit to signify this. We also insisted that the scout could just as easily lose the privelege (the totem chit and the knife - taken and given back to a parent) if he was observed using the knife incorrectly or dangerously. We tought good practices including safe handling. sharpening, cleaning and use. Carrying an open pocket knife - while moving - was one of the reasons to lose the knife - as was being observed having more than one blade open (as in the picture) at once.

By: FredB

FredB — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:34:34 +0000

When I got my first Scout knife they were still made of flint.

By: Kevin Pace

Kevin Pace — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:55:41 +0000

Trust me, a large group of 7-10 year olds with sharp, pointy knives is a bad idea. I’ve been there, done that. The rounded blade will still allow them to learn sharpening and cutting practices without the danger of them stabbing another scout over who’s Pinewood Derby car looks cooler.

By: lkajsdf

lkajsdf — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:50:20 +0000

“…rounded blade on this knife so that it is effective for cutting or slicing, but not for poking when in the hands of a junior knife user.”

How on Earth are they going to “learn knife safety” from a knife with a rounded point? I got my first Swiss Army knife when I was a Cub Scout, going on 30 years ago, and I learned knife safety by losing blood, the way every Cub Scout should.

I’d already learned to keep my mouth shut, so my parents never knew I’d nicked myself and I got to keep the knife.

I mean, no offense, but if I wanted to read Perez Hilton, he’d be in my RSS feed instead of you guys.