What is the Best Knife for a Kid?
With so many options, let’s talk about the 4 features I look for in a knife for a child.
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It has to cut well: Specifically, cut against the grain of wood. Not as common a feature as you may think! Most knives are geared toward adult EDC (every day carry), meaning they primarily cut tape, food and cardboard. Adults rarely carve with their knives, but kids primarily carve with their knives (in my camps/experience). In this picture, I took two similar-sized knives and performed a simple stop cut on a piece of green maple. I tried to use the same amount of force on both. As you can see, the carving knife (top) was about 1/3rd better at carving. Surprise, surprise!
Carving (top) versus EDC (bottom) knife both performing a stop cut
2. Retention system: or a way the child won’t lose it. Kids lose stuff all the time and are more active than most adults. The knife should not get lost or become unsafe when the child is upside down, running, climbing etc. Also, take into account that most kids don’t commonly wear belts or even necessarily have pockets, like in the picture below from a day at my summer camp.
Typical day at summer camp
3. Price/value: everyone’s budget is different, but even with great retention features, kids are still likely to lose their knives. Having a knife that is affordable enough to replace is worth considering.
4. Operable for smaller/weaker hands: this is another feature that is rare because most knives are marketed toward adults. Operability depends a lot on the individual child, but their hands are smaller and not as developed yet. A knife that is easy to open for you might be impossible or unsafe to open for a child. I’m not generally a fan of liner locks, or lock backs for kids knives because kids just can’t open and close the knives safely.
6 year old demonstrating safe carving technique
Ok, so it has to cut well, not get lost easily, be affordable when it does get lost, and be able to be used by a kid. So what are some good options? My current thought is that you should get your child 2 knives. It’s a “right tool for the job” kind of thing. The first knife should be some sort of mora carving knife (I like the $11 mora model 511 “basic”). This is a larger VERY sharp knife and that may seem counterintuitive for a kids knife; however, this is by far the best knife I’ve found for teaching carving to kids. There are some safety considerations that should be taught, but the 511s are fantastic. Moras are very affordable, cut extremely well, easy to learn with, usable for small hands, and are extremely tough. The only downside is that they aren’t ideal for kids to carry all the time. They have decent retention, but I’ve seen them pop out of their sheaths several times, and they are kinda large to fit into a kids daily life. I suggest starting with a mora knife, master safety rules, get lots of practice carving, then consider another knife. The mora is a workhorse that can live in a pack or at home for larger projects.
Two Moras working hard at camp
The next knife I would suggest is the “Spyderco Delica Lightweight”. The Delica checks most of my boxes for a kids' knife. It’s easier to open than a Victorinox aka “Swiss army knife”, has a great clip, cuts well and most kids can work the back lock. Oh and it comes in bright colors and is in good stainless steel! Naturally, there is a downside, the price. As of 2025 the basic model runs just under $100, $70-90ish new. There are many other Spyderco models but the Delica is small enough to carry for kids and big enough to actually carve with. Finally, a Delica can easily follow them through life as a convenient, well-made tool. Below is my wife’s custom Delica.
My wife’s custom Spyderco Delica from REC
The next kids' “carry” knife I suggest is a Victorinox recruit ($25) or Victorinox cadet ($35-45) or a similar model. The “Swiss army knife” should have a larger blade (stay away from tiny pen knives) and a bail. The big blade will do 95% of the work. The bail is so they have a way to attach it to their body, so they don’t lose it. I’ll explain my favorite way in a later article. My suggestion is to keep the number of tools in a SAK to a minimum. They quickly add bulk and weightthat kids don’t really need. The “My First Victorinox” model is quite good with a big blade, saw (my second favorite tool) and can opener. Downside is the blunted tip is silly and it’s the same price as a Delica.
Victorinox Cadet making tiny boats by the river
“Ok but I want a little fixed blade that can be carried and still cut pretty well.” I really like these 2 options, despite the fact that they’re neck knives. I find neck knives smack around and generally get in the way…but I’ve got a few tricks I’ll share later. Mora Eldris Light Duty: $20-35 The Eldris dominates for carving in its size, availability, and cost. The downsides I see are that it doesn’t have great retention options and the handle seems pretty chunky for smaller kids. AG Russel Woodswalker: $37, more of a paring knife but it will carve pretty well and checks all my boxes. This one has a very narrow handle if you have a kid with small hands. Like the Eldris I think rigging it under the armpit will work best, but you could also use a wide variety of clips made for Kydex sheaths.
AG Russell Woodswalker and Mora Eldric Lightweight (dusty blue), with a few other good options
Finally, these are not the only good knives for kids! These are just the ones that fit my criteria and are commonly available. There are so many custom makers, vintage knives, and other models that I just don’t have space for in this article. If you consider my 4 criteria for knives, you can’t really go wrong. Gifting a knife to a child is a truly meaningful experience that you both will remember for years to come.
A sampling of other great knives that would also be great for kids