Pocket Knife Safety for Kids
- Pocketknives are just like kitchen knives. A dull knife isn't a safe knife. Keeping a pocketknife sharp helps it cut smoothly and safely. Along with keeping the knife sharp, wiping it clean after use ensures rust won't form on the blade. Sharpen the pocketknife regularly and always wash and dry the blade after use.
- According to the Boy Scouts of America Troop 780, keeping a pocketknife closed and in a safe location is important. Losing a pocketknife isn't safe, or fun, so consider attaching the pocketknife to a belt loop with a chain or length of cord to the ring of the handle of the pocketknife.
- Learn how to open a pocketknife safely to ensure hands wont get nicked. Keeping the blade well oiled will help the blade open smoothly. Use a small amount of oil on a cloth to wipe the inside blade of the pocketknife. Wipe the blade of excess oil and open and close the knife to help the oil lubricate the blade.
- Cutting away from the body at all times when using a pocketknife is the safest way to use a pocketknife. Kids Camping finds when the back side, or dull side of the blade, is facing the user, the pocketknife is in its safest position. When holding a pocketknife, it should rest in the hand like the handle of a bike, without the thumb on the back of the blade. Practice holding and cutting with the blade correctly.
- Close the blade of the pocketknife when finished using it. Never leave a pocketknife open and unsupervised. Kids Camping finds closing the knife by holding the blade between the thumb and forefinger of one hand and holding the case in the other hand, and closing the blade in one controlled motion the safest way to close a pocketknife. If a pocketknife is giving resistance to closing, have an adult help.
