Originally Posted by sallylou

I was the cub scout leader who taught the boys how to handle a pocket knife. It's an important rite of passage for the kids. They love to whittle, especially around the camp fire. It teaches them responsibility and gives them confidence. The cub scouts are 9-10 when they learn to use a pocket knife. A teen can certainly handle it.

Be warned that there is a no tolerance policy for pocket knives at school. That's hard because the boys want to show off their knives so bad!