Two boys and their SAKS

[FredKJ]

I'm starting this thread because somewhere along the line a boy with a pocket knife went from being a "be prepared" Boy Scout to a terrorist national security threat.  It's the reason we can't go through airport security now without losing our SAK's or if lucky get the much coveted cavity search  It used to be when a father gave a son a knife it was a rite of  passage.  Of course with that gift they were taught how to clean sharpen and use it safely and responsibly.  People lost that part and now just freak out.

I sent my twin 12 year old boys, Adam and Zach each an Explorer SAK at Christmas.  The reason I choose the Explorer was a tradeoff between features and bulk.  It also has a magnifying glass which they like for nature stuff.Well after one minor mishap droping the blade and cutting a leg their mother took them away for a while. 

So now the boys are out with me and I guess I am journaling their tale of the SAK.

Sunday June 22, 2008

I sat down with the boys and showed them an introduction to properly handling, sharpening and cleaning their SAK.  We also went over some of the tools on it and what they are for.  I also went over some of the basic cutting techniques used for whittling.

That day they had taken them out while checking some ants.  They used the tweezers to pick up ants and look at them under the magnifying glass.  I think they might have burned a couple 

Monday June 23, 2008

I gave them each a small block of wood.  They whittled for two hours totally engrossed.  Their little tongues were sticking out while they were doing it.  They even cleaned up the shavings mess without complaint. 

[Spoonrobot]

Good work! Actually introducing boys to pocket knives and not just giving them the knives is an important distinction that is lost on a lot of people.

[FredKJ]

You got it Spoonrobot.  Somewhere the knowledge chain was broken.  It could apply to other things like driving, sexuality, financial management etc.  Sometime down the road we put our kids in a bubble.  You can't grow up that way.  An interesting anecdote.  I also sent them each a compass.  Sunday I took them out to do some geocaching and checked to see if they could take a bearing etc.  I noticed something funny.  Called my ex on the cell and asked her if she had shown them how to use them.  She said she had.  I told her that on one of the compasses the needle was pointing South instead of North.  If she had been showing them how to use the compass, well um she would have kind of noticed that.   Adults today have lost the skills to pass on.  So now places like schools freak out.  So I will keep you guys informed of their little adventures with their SAK's.

[scibeer]

Thank you for being one of the few parents willing to teach your kids about proper knife handling.   Cheers to you sir!   

[FredKJ]

June 24, 2008

Today the boys went out looking for sticks to whittle.  They have to learn to identify good wood from stuff that is rotten or too green.  While whittling Zachary cut himself a little.  He had the awl and knife blade open at the same time.  He learned you can only have one blade open at a time.  They got a basic first aid lesson as his brother helped him clean the cut, put some antibiotic ointment on then a butterfly closure and bandaid.  When minor mishaps happen and they do to the best of us you also need to know how to treat those minor cuts.  I was planning to teach them some basic first aid for such things.  Looks like the lesson came a little sooner. 

[FredKJ]

It was only a minor nick guys, didn't need a butterfly closure but I wanted them to do the fix up. 

[ultimaonliner]

I have a feeling even if you didn't have a background in the outdoors and knives, you'd probably be a good dad in any other way that you could be--just spending time with them.

[max6166]

That is really great. Simple moments like that are really what it is all about.

I won't go into the details of my own life, but a somewhat similar experience when I was that age made all the difference in my life. And in ways I could have never imagined.

Make sure to teach them a few basic knots at some point too. 

[FredKJ]

Actually one of them read on knots today.  I'm getting to that.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Good on you mate, it's great that there learning skill's that have been lost for pretty much two generations

I'll be following your example just as son as my own son's old enough

[Sea Monster]

It could apply to other things like driving, sexuality, financial management etc.

Too many damn parents giving their wayward 12 year olds cars, prostitutes & credit cards without proper instruction! (I'm sure there's room for a gear shift joke or card slot reference here)

Of course, I was a soulless city kid, so I don't hold to any of that father/son bonding crap, hunting deer & learning how to chew tobacco, or whatever it is you people do*.




*Whittling, apparently.

[Neil]

I was bought my first knife at seven.  This is actually pretty impressive as my father was not the practical type (he owned a rusty hammer, two rusty saws and a box of what once were nails).  It did unfortunately mean I didn't get the prep talk.  Luckily that's where cub scouts stepped in.  I wonder if they still teach knife handling? I hope so.

After school yesterday my five year old told me he wanted to make a first aid kit.  So I found an old mint tin and some wipes and a few plasters.  He was pretty chuffed (he is only five remember) and went on to make a bit of card to stick on it with a green cross   Later that evening I hurt a finger (not knife related) and there he was pulling tin from pocket ready to apply his first plaster.  I like the idea of introducing first aid before his first knife

Neil

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Great idea mate

My 5 year old boy is still too interested in sword fight's rather than helping his poor broken dad

[FredKJ]

Trust that I will not allow my 12 year olds to have prostitutes without proper instruction  .  I think two generations did lose something and yes Scouting still has the totin' chip.  I got a cool book for them, "The Dangerous Book for Boys."  I was reading the Battle of the Alamo to them the other day from it.  I gave them some background and neither of them had heard of Davy Crockett or Daniel Boone, imagine that.  For you Brits those two are an American "Thing".  I wonder what model of SAK Crockett would have wanted at the Alamo or Boone crossing the Cuimberline Gap?  But then I wonder what a Jim Bowie SAK would look like.  Perhaps we need the SAK Bowie Knife. 

[FredKJ]

I was bought my first knife at seven.  This is actually pretty impressive as my father was not the practical type (he owned a rusty hammer, two rusty saws and a box of what once were nails).  It did unfortunately mean I didn't get the prep talk.  Luckily that's where cub scouts stepped in.  I wonder if they still teach knife handling? I hope so.

After school yesterday my five year old told me he wanted to make a first aid kit.  So I found an old mint tin and some wipes and a few plasters.  He was pretty chuffed (he is only five remember) and went on to make a bit of card to stick on it with a green cross   Later that evening I hurt a finger (not knife related) and there he was pulling tin from pocket ready to apply his first plaster.  I like the idea of introducing first aid before his first knife

Neil

Last night when one of the boys cut himself I had them fix it up together.  Yes it is a good time to introduce first aid.  I'm trying to figure out why my boys didn't get Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone in school.  All I can figure is they were intimidated by the politically correct PETA people not wanting kids to wear coon skin hats.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I think the whole 'hero' thing is frowned upon nowadays, let's face it, hero's are nonconformists, and what govenment in there right mind what's a generation of those

[FredKJ]

Funny you should bring the 'hero' thing up.  I was just discussing that with someone the other day.  Yep, heros are non-conformist and seldom politically correct.  So schools have deleted them from the plan.  What would happen to the whole adhd thing if they had to talk about Thomas Edison.  When I was a kid every kid in the outdoors imagined himself as Davy Crockett or Daniel Boone.  If it weren't for guys like that we'd still be under you Brits and Mexican flags would be flying in Texas with people speaking Spanish.  Well one for two ain't bad.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Even things as important as WW2 are barely covered, if at all these days

[ringzero]

I'm trying to figure out why my boys didn't get Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone in school.  All I can figure is they were intimidated by the politically correct PETA people not wanting kids to wear coon skin hats.

Because they are traditonal freedom-loving, self-reliant American heroes.

Because they were legendary marksmen, hunters, scouts, woodsmen, and when necessary, Indian fighters.

Because the left-wing educational establishment wants to downgrade the importance of white male historical figures in general.  (Lots of famous white male historical figures are simply written out of modern history textbooks, or mentioned only briefly in passing.)

.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Maybe we should return to the two boy's and there Sak's theme, before this get's too political.

[Neil]

Even things as important as WW2 are barely covered, if at all these days

They are in this household. My two attended there first remembrance day service as as soon as they were old enough to stay quiet for long enough!  Admittedly they were probably looking forward to the low flypast of the Lancaster more than anything else but its a good start.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I've seen that beautiful old bird quite a few times myself

[FredKJ]

Maybe we should return to the two boy's and there Sak's theme, before this get's too political.

Yeah could get dicey.  But I'm liberal and want my boys to know about those guys.  The self-reliance thing is what a SAK is all about. 

What can I say, "Remember the Alamo!!!" You should have seen the look on my boys' faces when I told them about Jim Bowie and his legendary knife.  That wouldn't go over big in school.  Well you know what they say about payback.  So I plan my San Jacinto.

[ringzero]

Maybe we should return to the two boy's and there Sak's theme, before this get's too political.

If you like.  But, just above you state:  "Even things as important as WW2 are barely covered, if at all these days"

Don't you find it strange that the most important world-historical event of the last Century is "barely covered these days"?  Don't you ever wonder why that is?

.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Maybe we should return to the two boy's and there Sak's theme, before this get's too political.

If you like.  But, just above you state:  "Even things as important as WW2 are barely covered, if at all these days"

Don't you find it strange that the most important world-historical event of the last Century is "barely covered these days"?  Don't you ever wonder why that is?

.

I don't wonder, I fairly bloody certain I know the answer , but at the same time, I have to steer this forum away from politics in fear of offending members

[Neil]

I've seen that beautiful old bird quite a few times myself

Ditto, though its the first time we've been waved to from the cockpit    I'm sure my hearing hasn't been the same since either!

I remember many years ago being in Lincoln watching the same plane flying alongside a new BA jumbo that they'd just bought, also called the City of Lincoln.  They were circling the city together and it was quite spectacular.  I couldn't help but imagine their respective pilots trying to keep one as slow as possible without it falling out the sky, whilst the other was pushing it to the max to keep up

Back on topic.  I've also bought "The Dangerous Book for Boys".  The look on the face of my eldest when I told him what it was called was worth every penny 

Neil

[FredKJ]

Maybe we should return to the two boy's and there Sak's theme, before this get's too political.

If you like.  But, just above you state:  "Even things as important as WW2 are barely covered, if at all these days"

Don't you find it strange that the most important world-historical event of the last Century is "barely covered these days"?  Don't you ever wonder why that is?

.

I don't wonder, I fairly bloody certain I know the answer , but at the same time, I have to steer this forum away from politics in fear of offending members

Yeah, tell me about it.  Heaven help us if there are any Texans on here.  That would really stir things up 

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I've seen that beautiful old bird quite a few times myself

Ditto, though its the first time we've been waved to from the cockpit    I'm sure my hearing hasn't been the same since either!

I remember many years ago being in Lincoln watching the same plane flying alongside a new BA jumbo that they'd just bought, also called the City of Lincoln.  They were circling the city together and it was quite spectacular.  I couldn't help but imagine their respective pilots trying to keep one as slow as possible without it falling out the sky, whilst the other was pushing it to the max to keep up

Back on topic.  I've also bought "The Dangerous Book for Boys".  The look on the face of my eldest when I told him what it was called was worth every penny 

Neil

4 Firewalled Merlins must have sounded pretty special

And yeah that is one cracking book

[Benner]

What's the book about then

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

What's the book about then

I'll find a link for it, but it's basically all the fun thing from your childhood condenced into a book