Re: [RBW] How young is too young for a boy to get a hatchet?

[Steven Seelig]

Thanks for all the thoughtful responses.  Yes, I do let my kid ride his 
bike around DC in our neighborhood, mostly on sidewalks.  The safety and 
experience perspective others have offered applies for him.  He has been 
taught what to do and when and I trust that he will do what's right when 
he's by himself.  I have taught him that being safe from cars is 100% his 
responsibility. My experience is that he's far more responsible when on his 
own than with a pack of other boys his age where he seems compelled to do a 
"hold my beer and watch this."

On the knife angle, he got a Swiss Army knife when he turned 8, and within 
30 seconds of opening it from the package gave himself a nice slice in the 
finger.  But it happened only once and now he's very careful while using it 
and other sharp objects.  

I never knew it, but I am a "lazy" parent per the above definition.  

Steve

On Wednesday, December 5, 2018 at 7:14:48 AM UTC-5, Eric Daume wrote:
>
> Ways not to use a hatchet 
> : 
> chopping ice you're standing on:
>
> [image: image.png]
>
> Eric
>
> On Tue, Dec 4, 2018 at 9:36 PM Steven Seelig  > wrote:
>
>> I'm inspired by the new shipment Riv has of the Gransfors Bruk Hatchet, 
>> but not for me.  My son is turning 10, and at some time in the past, 
>> probably when he was 5, I told him he could get one when he turned 10.  
>> Little did I know he would remember.  He's a handy and inquisitive fellow, 
>> and my parenting view has always been to let him do stuff on his own.  He 
>> has ridden his bike by himself to the local market here in the wilds of the 
>> city of DC since he was about 7 and seems to be semi-responsible when on 
>> his own.  
>>
>> We do bike camping together, so there could be a need for a hatchet to 
>> chop wood for fires, but as a Grateful Dead head I'm aware that Jerry 
>> Garcia's brother axed off his middle finger when Jerry was 6.  It worked 
>> out for him.
>>
>> My wife seems okay with letting me decide, which in most circumstances is 
>> a green light.  I think a hatchet would be better than something with a 
>> longer handle.  And I am willing to get him something good he can own his 
>> entire life.
>>
>> Any perspectives?
>>
>> Steve
>>
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>

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[RBW] How young is too young for a boy to get a hatchet?

[Lum Gim Fong]

You let your child out on his own on the streets of DC at 7-10 years old?!?!?!

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[RBW] How young is too young for a boy to get a hatchet?

[Justin, Oakland]

I taught 2nd graders how to prepare a meal using kitchen knives, measuring and 
cooking over open flame. Do the hatchet. Teach well and you’ll give him 
confidence for life. 

-J

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[RBW] How young is too young for a boy to get a hatchet?

[Drw]

I teach art and basic woodshopping to kids this age. I’ll second the idea that 
it’s about building up to it, skillwise, rather than a specific age. I’m also 
not sure it’s a responsibility issue either. There are certain safety things 
you just learn with practice and exposure. I’ve had very responsible kids make 
very dangerous mistakes simply because they hadn’t had enough exposure to a 
tool to understand the ways it moves and what happens when your hand is in the 
way. I think I’d go pocket knife-regular knife-hatchet- with a project or 5 
based around each tool, before moving on. 
My dad gave me a hatchet when I was maybe 10 or so, but he had had me making 
kindling with his for years at that point. 

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[RBW] How young is too young for a boy to get a hatchet?

[Philip Williamson]

Ten seems like the right age to me, but all children are different.
I’d say trust your judgment, and trust your kid. It worked out for my kid (in 
my opinion).

My friend was over with her 14 month old, who just LOVED running around in my 
back yard. He was standing next to a metal yard-art thing with sharp rusty 
“leaves” at the same height as his blond little noggin. I touched his head and 
said, “Hey those are sharp.” He just smiled. I shrugged and said, “You’ll 
learn,” and turned my attention back to the adult conversation. His mom was 
laughing really hard. She said, “I was just listening to a podcast about Lazy 
Parenting!” 

I tell that story to illustrate that my perspective may not be your 
perspective. Also, it takes a lot of work to be a “lazy” parent and let kids 
take the right amount of responsibility for themselves.

Philip
Santa Rosa, CA

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[RBW] How young is too young for a boy to get a hatchet?

['Deacon Patrick' via RBW Owners Bunch]

Has he experience with proper care and use of knife? A hatchet is the same 
thing, but will cause more harm faster, so we’ve waited until several years of 
knife experience and proper care (usually starting at 6-7) with our daughters 
before they got to handle the hatchet.

With abandon,
Patrick

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[RBW] How young is too young for a boy to get a hatchet?

[Steven Seelig]

I'm inspired by the new shipment Riv has of the Gransfors Bruk Hatchet, but 
not for me.  My son is turning 10, and at some time in the past, probably 
when he was 5, I told him he could get one when he turned 10.  Little did I 
know he would remember.  He's a handy and inquisitive fellow, and my 
parenting view has always been to let him do stuff on his own.  He has 
ridden his bike by himself to the local market here in the wilds of the 
city of DC since he was about 7 and seems to be semi-responsible when on 
his own.  

We do bike camping together, so there could be a need for a hatchet to chop 
wood for fires, but as a Grateful Dead head I'm aware that Jerry Garcia's 
brother axed off his middle finger when Jerry was 6.  It worked out for him.

My wife seems okay with letting me decide, which in most circumstances is a 
green light.  I think a hatchet would be better than something with a 
longer handle.  And I am willing to get him something good he can own his 
entire life.

Any perspectives?

Steve

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