Troop 60 > Resources > Gear and Equipment > Knives > How Much Knife Do I Really Need

How Much Knife Do I Really Need

A Knife is the most important tool a Scout or most other Outdoorsmen will have on them.  It has some many potential uses in the Wilderness and those skills can only be learned and refined by practicing with an appropriate knife.

Victorinox Farmer Alox
Victorinox Farmer Alox

Which Knife to Use

This can be a difficult decision and is use specific.  A knife is also a very personal tool and everyone is going to have a different preference. 

For most Scout tasks, a medium-sized Swiss Army Knife with a few tools is excellent and has many uses.  The Victorinox Farmer Alox is an excellent choice and most resembles the original Scout Knife, with the addition of a saw.  It's a little pricey but this tools is great for cutting rope, opening boxes, light wood work and many, light Bushcraft tasks.  The small-sized Swiss Army Knives are practical in urban environments where you just need to open a box or letter, but are a little too small for general Scout use. 

For whittlings and moderate wood work like carving, a Medium-Sized Lock-Blade Knife is preferred.  It won't close on your hand and will take more abuse than a Swiss Army Knife.  There are so many to choose from.  One from a reputable company should work fine.  Price ranges for $20 to $120 or more. 

For Bushcraft and Wilderness Survival, you really need a fixed blade knife.  A Morakniv Companion works great and should cost less than $20.  These are excellent for backpacking, canoeing and High Adventure.  They are too much for Scout meetings and not good for Scout Camp where they are likely banned.  

Age and Maturity

The Safe Guide to Scouting spells may age appropriate activities for the different levels of Scouting.  The problem is that Scouts come from many different backgrounds and have a wide array of maturity.  There are Tiger Scouts (first graders) who were taught to use steak knives at home and were mature and skilled enough to use a pocket knife safely.  There are teenagers who were not mature enough to use a knife unsupervised in Scouting.  We have worked with both.

Webelos should be able to use a folding knife with a sharp tip in a reasonably safe manner.  

Most Scouts in the Troop should be able to use a knife safely with proper training.  This includes folding knives, lockblades and fixed blade knives.  Training should be completed annually so our Scouts don't forget the rules and can police themselves on safe knife use. 

That said, there are a few Scouts who will lose their knife privileges and will need to re-earn them when they can prove they are able to use a knife safely.  That is just part of growing up and learning. 

BRK Avispa
BRK Avispa

Knife Uses

The first consideration is always safety.  That said, all knives are safe when used by mature, knowledgeable people who understand the limits of the knife they are using.  Likewise, all knives are dangerous in the hands of those who don't know how to safely use a knife or lack the maturity to use the knife in hand.

Safety is enhanced by Adult supervision and training.  If we train Scouts (and adults) how to properly use each type of knife, then the frequency and severity of injuries drops significantly. 

So what is a knife used for? So many things.  We will break it down knife uses into different levels. 

Level 1 Knife Uses


Level 2 Knife Uses

Level 3 Knife Uses


Level 4 Knife Uses

Level 1 Knife Skills should be covered in Cub Scouts at an early age.  Some parents and Den Leaders are good about this and others are apprehensive about allowing their youth near sharp objects.  Scouts need to demonstrate Level 1 before moving on to other skills. 

Level 2 Knife Skills are very basic Scout skills that all Scouts should master before moving on to adulthood.  These are the skills they will most likely use in the woods and on outings with the Troop.

Level 3 and 4 Knife Skills are advanced skills that will enhance the Scouting experience and better prepare Scouts and Adults for extended stays in the Wilderness.  These skills are fun to learn and could save your life in a survival situation.  Most Scouts (at least in other units) and Adults will ever learn these skills. 

There are some knife skills that have their merit, but are not taught in Scouting.

Knife Uses we Don't Do in Scouting

Morakniv Campanion HD
Morakniv Campanion HD

Appropriate Knives

When selecting an appropriate knife, the first consideration is Safety.  Each knife design has it's own safety profile.

Junk Knives

There are some knives that are so poorly constructed that they are just a hazard to use.  These include folders with wobbly blades, lockblades that don't always stay locked, blades that aren't straight and sharp, and fixed blades with a tang that is likely to break.


Folding Knives

Folding knives are the classic knives for scouts.  They have so many uses.  A small Swiss Army Knife is acceptable for very small tasks such as opening letters and boxes.  A medium Swiss Army Knife is an excellent tool for most Scout tasks, except heavier duty knife use. 

They have two main safety concerns:


Lockblades

These were banned in many places to include some states and even the military in the past.  Longer ones can be used to inflict severe injuries, so school teachers and sometimes the police are very weary of these.  That said, as long as a knife is used appropriately, these can be fantastic tools for Scouts.  The main benefit of a lockblade over a simple folding knife is that it locks in the open position.  A good lockblade should NOT close on your hands while in use.  Lockblades are also generally beefier than small folding knives and can endure heavier use without failing.  So for Scouts and most adults, a Lockblade is safer than a folding knife.

Safety concerns for lockblades:


Fixed Blade Knives

There are many designs out there.  From butter knives to kitchen knives to Bushcraft knives to weapons, fixed blade knives can be designed for so many uses.  

The issue is that long knives can be used to cause significant injuries.  On top of that, Parents and Scouts watch way to many movies and shows where a knife is used as a weapon or symbol of power.  Because of this, Parents are afraid of knives and Youth idealize them.

Fixed Blade Knives can be used as weapons, as can folding knives, sharp stick and medium sized rocks.  The key is instructing Scouts and Adults how to use a knife safely which keeps them from making ignorant mistakes.  Educating and safe use also turns what was once a forbidden weapon back into a useful tool.


Daggers and Hackers

Hacking tools such as machetes and kukri knives are great jungle tools, but are a little too dangerous for most people.  These require a lot of maturity, which many youth and some adults just don't have.  Leaving these around for Scouts to pick up and use is problematic. 

Daggers are designed to be weapons.  Many of these are primarily designed for stabbing.  Because its design, they are often less than ideal for field use since many have fragile spines and tips.  Scouts and some adults will also tend to show them off as weapons, which may seem like a good idea at the time, but is problematic.  These are generally more trouble than they are worth and for the most part, don't belong in Scouting.  That said, a few can be used as a reasonable outdoors tool.