Children and Knives
One of the key tenets of forest school is allowing children to learn through taking risks. For many years this was misconstrued as children running amok in woodlands with fire and knives. Fortunately, there has been a slow and continuing enlightenment and many more people have grasped the concepts of managed exposure to risk being a good way to build confidence from which springs an ability in our children to judge what is safe and what is not. For small but significant number of families this has led to a decision to continue their children’s development through allowing access to knives for certain activities at home. I find I am often asked about what can be done to aid a child in confident and safe knife use. Here are a few pointers that might help. Please remember you are responsible for your child’s/ children’s safety at all times.
Getting started
Younger children can find holding a knife difficult. We all develop at different rates so it’s not possible to give an age at which a child is ready to use a knife correctly. Furthermore, while a child may be physically able and ready to use a knife, they may lack the maturity to use one without loss of concentration. At forest school I start all children off with a potato peeler. They use this to peel the bark off twigs, learning about good body position and correct hold. Peeling bark off twigs is a satisfying thing to do and I’ve found that children will do it repeatedly and with ever increasing confidence. It may be six weeks or two years before I’m happy for a child to progress to using a knife. Each child has to be viewed as a separate instance. Rather like the progress from using pencil to writing in pen, the progression to a knife is a privilege earned; it is not a right. Remember, you are always responsible for any child in your care who is using a knife; you must judge when they are ready to take this step. Once the child is ready to use a knife, work together with the child on specific projects rather than having a knife about for the sake of it. The photo with this article shows 'Woodies' which are always a popular activity. These can have a variety of shapes- some people round off the hats rather than having a point. They can be further decorated, the bark can be shaved off to make patterns or the form of limbs, whatever imagination brings to mind.
Types of knives
There are two broad groups of knives which are used for outdoor activities: fixed blade knives and folding knives. Both have advantages and disadvantages. From a use point of view a fixed blade knife is more stable and I’ve found children get along far better with these. However, they can seem way cooler than the more tool-like folding knife. Whichever you might choose, be sure it is properly sharpened (lots of videos on YouTube demonstrate how to achieve this); a blunt knife is far more dangerous than a sharp one. The risk is that the additional force needed to make progress with a blunt knife can result in slippage and injury.
One way to judge if a child is ready to use a knife is their comprehension of what are known as The Four Principles. If they cannot demonstrate a full understanding of these, they’re not ready. If they (or you for that matter) are tired or under the weather, it’s not a day for knives even if they can demonstrate understanding. Here are The Four Principles.
The Blood Bubble
• Only use a knife when there is no one in an arm’s radius drawn in the air horizontal to you. This will need to be demonstrated to a child by asking them to hold their principle hand at arm’s length then rotate on their own axis. The area around you to arm’s length is you Blood Bubble.
• If someone enters you Blood Bubble, politely but firmly ask them to move back because you are using a knife. If they do not move back, stop using your knife and put it back in its sheath or fold it until they move back.
Holding a knife correctly
• Make sure there is no one in your Blood Bubble
• To take a fixed blade knife from its sheath, put it flat and hold the handle to draw the knife out away from your body. This sets the key rule that the blade must always point away from you. To open a folding knife, ensure the hinged end is towards your body so that the blade opens with the point away from you. These actions are reversed to put the knife away.
• At all times point the blade away from you.
• When working with a knife, be aware of where your fingers are at all time. It can be beneficial for a beginner to wear a glove on their opposing hand.
• Whenever possible do not use the knife over any part of your body. Work kneeling with you knife to one side of you or seated with your forearms on your knees and the knife held forward of your knees.
Passing a fixed blade knife to another person
• If you wish to pass your knife to another person or another person asks to use your knife you can invite them to enter your Blood Bubble as long as you have both agreed this is only for the purpose of handing the knife from one of you to the other.
• If the knife has a sheath, it should be put into this before proceeding any further.
• The person holding the knife will hold the handle and point the blade to the ground.
• The person holding the knife will say ‘I am going to pass you this knife. Are you ready?’
• If the person receiving the knife is ready they will say ‘I am ready. Please pass me the knife.’
• The person holding the knife will then hold the knife out, with the blade still pointing downwards but with enough of the handle clear for the other person to take it. Never hold the blade.
• When the person receiving the knife has secure hold of I they should say ‘I have the knife’.
• The person who has handed the knife over can let go.
If the knife is the folding type, fold it with the hinge towards your body and pass it to the other person already closed.
The Triangle of Death (said in a Jeremy Clarkson tone of doom)
This is the area forming a triangle from across the lower abdomen and coming to point between the legs half way between knees and groin. This area contains the femoral artery. A deep cut here will lead to rapid and uncontrollable blood loss. A knife must never be used over this area.
Should you buy a knife for your child?
Yes and No. There is no need for a child to own a knife just for the sake of it. They won’t be able to bring their own knife to forest school or to most bushcraft events for children. However, if you are the sort of parent who wants to explore woodcraft with your child then giving that child a knife may be a rite of passage you have planned. I would suggest that even if you do get your child a knife that it is stored securely where it cannot be accessed unless under adult supervision. Please read the section on the knives and the law for a greater understanding of the carrying of knives.
The Law
The only type of knife it is legal to carry outside your home in general circumstance in Britain is a folding knife with a blade no longer than three inches. It must not be possible to lock the blade open. Of course there are exceptions relating to professional need and in some instances as a requirement for a hobby. It is for this reason that any knife you may choose to use with your child is best used at home and kept securely when not in use. It is very much at the discretion of the Police officer who may inquire as to why you have a knife what action he or she might take. For the purposes of this article, my advice is not to chance it; there is no need. Perhaps it is worth noting that even for older children and young adults involved in Scouting or the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, the recommended knife is a folding knife with a round ended blade just under three inches long.
*All information here is for guidance only. The writer and associated organisation accept no responsibility for injury or damage or any other outcome. *