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

[jack loudon]

"Looking back on my childhood, I am amazed at how much freedom I and my 
siblings had..."

This was also my experience, growing up in rural northern California in the 
'50's and '60's.  As long as I did well in school and was polite to 
grownups, I could do just about anything.  My otherwise strict parents 
would let me roam at will (with bb gun or pellet gun), as long as I was 
back by dinnertime.  At age 11 my friend and I took an overnight trip down 
the river in our separate rowboats.  We were dropped off upstream and 
picked up the next evening at a prearranged spot 30 miles downstream.  

 



On Wednesday, December 5, 2018 at 8:21:00 AM UTC-8, Patrick Moore wrote:
>
> Steve: I approve, though I have to admit that I failed to be as confident 
> when my daughter was your son's age. In fact, from what I read, child 
> abductions, for one danger, are lower today than they were in the 1990s. 
> But I say, kudos.
>
> OTOH, one of my early memories is slashing my left forefinger with a very 
> nice pocket knife my father gave me for an early birthday; forget age. I 
> just looked at the star now, 55+ years later.
>
> On to the more general question. Looking back on my childhood, I am amazed 
> at how much freedom I and my siblings had in the 60s and 70s; such as, age 
> 14, calling Mom and telling her "I'll spend the weekend with Brian" and 
> getting unquestioned permission. This left me hitchhiking back 30+ miles on 
> a drowsy Sunday afternoon along an isolated blacktop with infrequent 
> traffic while hung over from the previous night's festivities -- Thika back 
> to Rosslyn NW of Nairobi, 1969-1971. And yet my parents were very, very 
> attentive and strict. My brother, almost 6 years younger, would disappear, 
> age 8 to 10, into the surrounding bush to play with the village children, 
> learn Swahili, and hunt pigeons with stones, to roast over a fire along 
> with wild potatoes. As long as we were home by dinner time, no one 
> complained; no one even asked. I learned urban survival skills, especially 
> from the few times I was picked up, hitchhiking, by drunks or stoners, 
> either somnolent or hilarious, or angry and agressive; a year or 2 later, 
> urban bike riding skills in lawless traffic. My brother learned rural 
> survival skills. We all survived, the better for the youthful freedom.
>
> On Wed, Dec 5, 2018 at 6:57 AM Dave Grossman  > wrote:
>
>>
>>> Compare this to the Mongolian kids hopping on little horses at two or 
>>> three years old. My kid has been fencing since he was 7, so he's at least 
>>> got some awareness of pointy tools. Plus we cook together in the kitchen, 
>>> and have done some basic bicycle repairs. *I wish my dad had been more 
>>> of the type to introduce me to these skill sets.*
>>>
>>
>> That is my motivation with my kids as well.  In our modern world most of 
>> us (especially in urban locales) are devoid of these types of skill sets.  
>> I've tried to learn as much as I can but I know so little. I want them to 
>> have a good understanding of those skill sets as they age.  My six year old 
>> has been cutting veggies and fruit with a knife since he was 3.  He makes a 
>> mean salad these days.
>>
>>
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>
>
> -- 
>
>
>
>
> **
>
>
>
>
>
> *Still 'round the corner there may waitA new road or a secret gate,And 
> though we pass them by today,Tomorrow we may come this wayAnd take the 
> hidden paths that runTowards the Moon or to the Sun.*
> --- J.R.R. Tolkien
> ---
> Resumes, LinkedIn profiles, bios, and letters that get interviews
> By-the-hour resume and LinkedIn coaching
> Other professional writing services
> Expensive! But good.
> http://www.resumespecialties.com/
> Patrick Moore
> Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique
>
> 
> *Auditis an me ludit amabilis insania?*
>

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

[Sean PNW]

*On Wednesday, December 5, 2018 at 3:43:43 AM UTC-8, Mark in Beacon wrote:*
>
>
> *On Tuesday, December 4, 2018 at 11:54:42 PM UTC-5, Lum Gim Fong wrote:> 
> You let your child out on his own on the streets of DC at 7-10 years 
> old?!?!?!*

*Hey, no parent-shaming! Headlin: Weird Things You Didn't Know About 
> Rivsters And Their Kids. *
>

+1

The world is a far less scary a place than we're led to believe... 

https://www.npr.org/sections/krulwich/2012/10/01/162079442/do-you-know-where-your-children-are-is-that-always-a-good-thing

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-462091/How-children-lost-right-roam-generations.html

https://www.npr.org/2015/01/16/377517810/world-with-no-fear

Steven, I think ten is a fine age to begin introducing a child to the safe 
and proper use, care, and respect of tools such as a hatchet, pocket knife, 
etc.

By virtue of the fact that you're concerned enough to seek out the advice 
of others in order to avoid making a mistake or potentially jeopardizing 
the safety of your child further solidifies the impression you're exactly 
the type of parent consciousness and engaged enough to ensure your boy is 
properly taught not only how to safely use potentially dangerous tools, but 
is also endowed with the respect and value for such tools and the work they 
enable; lessons which will serve him well for the entirety of his lifetime.

I hope the both of you have a joyous and peaceful holidays, I would've been 
over the moon to have received a hatchet or pocket knife for Xmas when I 
was ten; oh the potential forts, rope swings, experiences such tools enable 
at that age

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

[Justin, Oakland]

I’ve taught kids to do both and think that I’d rather give a kid a hatchet 
before a hammer. Very easy to read off a finger nail or smash a finger tip. 
YMMV and each parents decision is their own within reason.

-J

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

[Arthur Mayfield]

I've had a knife in my pocket since I was five, but the machete I got when 
I was twelve (without my mom's knowledge) gave me a nasty, deep cut on my 
index finger. I was holding it in one hand (with the edge turned forward) 
while brushing something off my jeans with the other. There's a nice scar 
to remind me, since I used a butterfly bandage so mom wouldn't find out—It 
definitely needed emergency room treatment and stitches. I could have 
easily lost the finger or the use of it, or have gotten an infection. When 
I was 16, I was removing an old bush with a hatchet and chopped into an 
underground wasp nest.They were a bit incensed, and the result was neither 
pretty nor comfortable. Luckily I'm not allergic, but hundreds of stings is 
dangerous, allergic or not.

The problem I see with chopping tools and kids under about 14, is that they 
can do a lot more serious damage in a flash than most pocketknives. I'd 
recommend close parental supervision.

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

[Will]

My suggestion would be to get him a hammer, a box of nails, and do a couple 
of simple building projects together. That lets you see what level of 
physical coordination he has and also... his approach to problem solving 
and safety. 
 
On Tuesday, December 4, 2018 at 8:36:45 PM UTC-6, 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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[RBW] Re: How young is too young for a boy to get a hatchet?

[Steven Seelig]

As the original poster, I would say that I was not particularly interested 
in having someone explain to me the depth and breadth of bad things that 
can happen to my kid as I am well aware of that fact.  In our neighborhood, 
every middle school and many elementary school kids walk to and from their 
schools, apparently taking their collective lives in their hands.  So an 
introduction of those statistics could not really have been meant to 
illuminate me of those dangers and instead must have been done to let me 
know that person who posted them did not approve.  That would fall into the 
category of unsolicited opinions that the poster should consider not 
offering in the future.

Thanks for the tip on the two-handed hatchet for the kid, which makes a lot 
of sense since his use of it will likely be on his own.  I will explain to 
him the Jerry Garcia thing, and the Boy Scouts rules, and let him 
understand he needs to follow those.  BTW: he is in the Cub Scouts and has 
earned the right to carry a pocket knife, so he has an established track 
record of following some safety rules.

Thanks for all those who responded.  His birthday is Dec. 26th and I'll 
send a picture when he gets his gift.

Steve

On Wednesday, December 5, 2018 at 10:47:35 PM UTC-5, Drw wrote:
>
> There’s also a lot of people on that sex offender list who did things most 
> of us would not consider to be sex offenses. Urinating in public for 
> example. I’m not defending anyone, but those lists can be super deceptive.

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

[Drw]

There’s also a lot of people on that sex offender list who did things most of 
us would not consider to be sex offenses. Urinating in public for example. I’m 
not defending anyone, but those lists can be super deceptive.

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

[Philip Williamson]

Seems like we're drifting off topic. 

Most molesters are related to the victim, or in a position of authority 
over them. It is orders of magnitude more common for uncles, pastors, and 
coaches to molest kids than "stranger danger." That said, I grew up in 
Northern California in the 70s and 80s, which was a great time and place 
for cults and serial killers. Growing up with such high-profile danger made 
me pretty cautious about letting my kid go places alone. Of the molestation 
cases in the town we lived in, the perps all seemed to be people known to 
the victim.  

Philip 
Santa Rosa, CA 


On Wednesday, December 5, 2018 at 2:25:45 PM UTC-8, Lum Gim Fong wrote:
>
> You can look up how many sex offenders live and work in your neck of DC 
> here:
> http://sexoffender.dc.gov/
>

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

[MTR]

I would recommend getting a boys axe (light head longer handle) over a 
hatchet, axes are much safer then hatchets. If you miss with an hatchet it 
is more likely to hit the person using it then a longer handled axe.  




On Tuesday, December 4, 2018 at 6:36:45 PM UTC-8, 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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[RBW] Re: How young is too young for a boy to get a hatchet?

[Kalmia Vt]

I gave a small axe to one of my children at about ten years old, a 
Wetterling's with a length of about 19 inches. I think the Gränsfors Small 
Forest Axe is about the same size. This is a good length for a person that 
age to use two-handed, as an axe. It's easy to chop off a finger or other 
parts using  one-handed. Two-handed gives better control and keeps both 
hands out of any impact. I taught my child a set of safe practices for 
using an axe, and seeing they could be trusted to follow the safety rules I 
had many happy hours and days listening to forts and tiny cabins being 
built out behind the house. Basically, I believe that a small axe of 
appropriate length and weight for the child's size is far safer than a 
short-handled hatchet, and they are ready when supervised use can be 
tapered off to less- and un-supervised. 

On Tuesday, December 4, 2018 at 9:36:45 PM UTC-5, 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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[RBW] Re: How young is too young for a boy to get a hatchet?

[Justin, Oakland]

Where the fuck did this thread go?

-J

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

['Tim' via RBW Owners Bunch]

Thank you, Mr. Hagedorn. 


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZH2bmbUTl4

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

['Tim' via RBW Owners Bunch]

If it's good enough for Jerry Garcia, it's good enough for me. I, too, have 
always wondered how they managed to just cut off the middle finger. I think 
your kid will do just fine with the hatchet. 

Oh, and this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZH2bmbUTl4

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

[sameness]

You can also look up how many women, minorities, poor people and veterans 
live and work (or don't) in your neck of DC here:
https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml

Jeff Hagedorn
Los Angeles, CA USA

On Wednesday, December 5, 2018 at 2:25:45 PM UTC-8, Lum Gim Fong wrote:
>
> You can look up how many sex offenders live and work in your neck of DC 
> here:
> http://sexoffender.dc.gov/
>

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

[Lum Gim Fong]

You can look up how many sex offenders live and work in your neck of DC 
here:
http://sexoffender.dc.gov/

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

[Lum Gim Fong]

My concern is less about traffic and more about the amount of sex offenders 
who live and work in DC as can be seen in just this small slice of the 
district thru the family watchdog sex offender registry:
https://www.familywatchdog.us/showmap.asp

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

[Brian Campbell]

A-side, "What makes a man start fires" of course.

On Wednesday, December 5, 2018 at 12:31:25 AM UTC-5, sameness wrote:
>
> Sounds like a Minutemen B-side.
>
> Jeff Hagedorn
> Los Angeles, CA USA
>

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

[William R.]

I've had a Gransfurs hatchet in the house since my son was 10 or so. He's 
14 now and still has all his digits. I showed him early on what he could do 
with it, how sharp it is. He especially likes how you can do pretty precise 
wood shaving with it if you hold it at the head. We have a couple of the 
knives that Riv sold/sells here too. He likes how you can do broader work 
with the axe and fine tune with the knives. Now my daughter is 10. The axe 
kind of scares her, she's not into it, but she likes carving and whittling 
with the knives. I recently scored a 6 lb long handled splitting axe at a 
flea market for $10. That is my favorite new tool. The kids stay away from 
that and my son makes "Here's Johnny!" jokes when I handle it, but it 
splits logs like nobody's business.

Regarding Jerry Garcia: I didn't know that he was missing a finger. Not a 
head, but I like em. Wondering how you axe off a middle finger without 
getting the others. I guess if things are arranged just so.

Bill in Westchester, NY

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

[Randy Franks]

There's a lot of good, reasonable advice here. I'll just add a couple 
points of reference and some resources you might peruse.

The Cub Scouts have a hard prohibition against pocket knives through 2nd 
grade. After that, kids can earn a Whittling Chip 
 allowing 
him/her to carry a pocket knife at Scout events. The Boy Scouts, which is 
6th graders and up, have a woodworking badge called the Totin' Chip 
 addressing 
knives again, as well as larger tools like hatchets and saws. They can also 
lose the privileges if they're irresponsible or unsafe, and have to re-earn 
the chips.

The skill checklist and lesson plans floating around are good references. 
It's common sense stuff, but I usually find something useful, like a way of 
explaining that resonates with kids (e.g. stick out your arm, turn in a 
circle, if you cannot touch anybody it's safe to open your knife).



-Randy



On Tuesday, December 4, 2018 at 6:36:45 PM UTC-8, 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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Re: [RBW] Re: How young is too young for a boy to get a hatchet?

[Patrick Moore]

Steve: I approve, though I have to admit that I failed to be as confident
when my daughter was your son's age. In fact, from what I read, child
abductions, for one danger, are lower today than they were in the 1990s.
But I say, kudos.

OTOH, one of my early memories is slashing my left forefinger with a very
nice pocket knife my father gave me for an early birthday; forget age. I
just looked at the star now, 55+ years later.

On to the more general question. Looking back on my childhood, I am amazed
at how much freedom I and my siblings had in the 60s and 70s; such as, age
14, calling Mom and telling her "I'll spend the weekend with Brian" and
getting unquestioned permission. This left me hitchhiking back 30+ miles on
a drowsy Sunday afternoon along an isolated blacktop with infrequent
traffic while hung over from the previous night's festivities -- Thika back
to Rosslyn NW of Nairobi, 1969-1971. And yet my parents were very, very
attentive and strict. My brother, almost 6 years younger, would disappear,
age 8 to 10, into the surrounding bush to play with the village children,
learn Swahili, and hunt pigeons with stones, to roast over a fire along
with wild potatoes. As long as we were home by dinner time, no one
complained; no one even asked. I learned urban survival skills, especially
from the few times I was picked up, hitchhiking, by drunks or stoners,
either somnolent or hilarious, or angry and agressive; a year or 2 later,
urban bike riding skills in lawless traffic. My brother learned rural
survival skills. We all survived, the better for the youthful freedom.

On Wed, Dec 5, 2018 at 6:57 AM Dave Grossman  wrote:

>
>> Compare this to the Mongolian kids hopping on little horses at two or
>> three years old. My kid has been fencing since he was 7, so he's at least
>> got some awareness of pointy tools. Plus we cook together in the kitchen,
>> and have done some basic bicycle repairs. *I wish my dad had been more
>> of the type to introduce me to these skill sets.*
>>
>
> That is my motivation with my kids as well.  In our modern world most of
> us (especially in urban locales) are devoid of these types of skill sets.
> I've tried to learn as much as I can but I know so little. I want them to
> have a good understanding of those skill sets as they age.  My six year old
> has been cutting veggies and fruit with a knife since he was 3.  He makes a
> mean salad these days.
>
>
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-- 



**





*Still 'round the corner there may waitA new road or a secret gate,And
though we pass them by today,Tomorrow we may come this wayAnd take the
hidden paths that runTowards the Moon or to the Sun.*
--- J.R.R. Tolkien
---
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By-the-hour resume and LinkedIn coaching
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Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique

*Auditis an me ludit amabilis insania?*

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

[Dave Grossman]

>
>
> Compare this to the Mongolian kids hopping on little horses at two or 
> three years old. My kid has been fencing since he was 7, so he's at least 
> got some awareness of pointy tools. Plus we cook together in the kitchen, 
> and have done some basic bicycle repairs. *I wish my dad had been more of 
> the type to introduce me to these skill sets.*
>

That is my motivation with my kids as well.  In our modern world most of us 
(especially in urban locales) are devoid of these types of skill sets.  
I've tried to learn as much as I can but I know so little. I want them to 
have a good understanding of those skill sets as they age.  My six year old 
has been cutting veggies and fruit with a knife since he was 3.  He makes a 
mean salad these days.


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

['Mark in Beacon' via RBW Owners Bunch]

On Tuesday, December 4, 2018 at 11:54:42 PM UTC-5, Lum Gim Fong wrote:
> You let your child out on his own on the streets of DC at 7-10 years old?!?!?!

Hey, no parent-shaming! Headlin: Weird Things You Didn't Know About Rivsters 
And Their Kids. 

Compare this to the Mongolian kids hopping on little horses at two or three 
years old. My kid has been fencing since he was 7, so he's at least got some 
awareness of pointy tools. Plus we cook together in the kitchen, and have done 
some basic bicycle repairs. I wish my dad had been more of the type to 
introduce me to these skill sets.

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

[Steve Butcher]

I grew up on a farm in West Central Missouri and had a variety of sharp 
objects, amongst other things that could harm me, readily at my disposal.  
I recall instances picking up a hatchet to whack away at some stick or limb 
and received immediate instruction in how to do so safely by my father.  
His by line while I was growing up still rings in my ears:  "safety 
first".  I think this may have come from his years of serving in the U.S. 
Army as a heavy equipment operator.  Anyway, my opinion is that if a parent 
has the knowledge of how to use anything safely, it is their responsibility 
to teach their child how to do so.  From my experiences, I feel age 10 is a 
good age to teach safe hatchet handling skills (as well as axe or knife), 
as well as to how best to care for said implement.  These are all good 
things to teach, not only for safety sake; but for building maturity and a 
sense of responsibility.  I, also, feel another area that begs close 
monitoring, is how a child behaves with a hatchet, axe, or knife when in 
the company of their friends and peers.  A child is often anxious to 
demonstrate their new "skills" but this needs some instruction, as well.  
Sermon over...

Steve Butcher
Stockton, very rural southwest, Missouri

On Tuesday, December 4, 2018 at 8:36:45 PM UTC-6, 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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[RBW] Re: How young is too young for a boy to get a hatchet?

[sameness]

Sounds like a Minutemen B-side.

Jeff Hagedorn
Los Angeles, CA USA

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

[Mark Schneider]

My son was ready at 10, but he grew up in the forest and had helped me deal 
with fire wood for years. He was very responsible with handling an axe (and 
a knife) so he was definitely ready. Ultimately you have to make the 
judgement on his maturity, level and his capabilities.
Your son sounds mature enough, I'd give him a shot with it, show him how to 
maintain it and monitor him, see how he takes care of it.


Mark

On Tuesday, December 4, 2018 at 6:36:45 PM UTC-8, 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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