A knife is the single most important survival tool for a scout to have. It enhances the outdoor experience and allows a scout to learn many vital lessons on their journey to adulthood.
"The Knife of a Thousand Uses"
Image: 1930s Remington Ad
There is also something very special about this tool and symbolizes a Scout's ability to Be Prepared in the Wilderness. Because of this, it is important to have a good knife and learn how to properly and safely use one.
In Scouting, a scout should have a basic pocket knife. Other knives have there place, but may become more of a distraction than a useful tool.
Per the Safe Guide to Scouting:
Knives A sharp pocketknife with a can opener on it is an invaluable backcountry tool. Keep it clean, sharp, and handy. The BSA believes choosing the right equipment for the job at hand is the best answer to the question of what specific knife should be used. We are aware that many councils or camps may have limits on the type or style of knife that should be used. The BSA neither encourages nor bans fixedblade knives nor do we set a limit on blade length. Since its inception, the BSA has relied heavily on an outdoor program to achieve its objectives. This program meets more of the purposes of Scouting than any other single feature. We believe we have a duty to instill in our members, youth and adult, the knowledge of how to use, handle, and store legally owned knives with the highest concern for safety and responsibility.
Remember—knives are not allowed on school premises, nor can they be taken aboard commercial aircraft.
Some knives are specifically designed for scouts while other may not be suitable for all or sometimes any scouting activities.
| Swiss Army Style | Excellent utility and classic knife for scouts | ||
| Locking Knife | Excellent and Safer to use than basic folding knife | ||
| Fixed Blade Bushcraft Knife | Outdoor use only - excellent tool for wilderness/outdoor use | ||
| Fixed Blade Military Style Knife | Questionable Suitability - depends on knife, scout and intended use | ||
| Apocalypses Knife | NOT Suitable for Scouting | ||
| Dagger | NOT Suitable for Scouting | ||
| Chopper/Hacker | NOT Suitable for Scouting |
We recommend a small pocket knife with a non-serrated blade. This will allow a scouts to perform most tasks they will need a knife for.
General Use Recommendation
Wilderness Survival and Bushcraft Recommendation
Most other knife styles are excessive or in some cases
inappropriate. Appropriateness will be determined by your
unit. Some have very open-minded leadership, while others may not be
excited about knives at all.
A simple folding knife will satisfy 95% of what a scout may need a knife for. Traditional Boy Scout Folding knives have multiple uses and are hard to beat. We discuss these in greater detail in our Classic Folding Knives and Scout Folding Knives pages.
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Disadvantages:
Example:
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 Knife ad in back of 1911 First Edition Boy Scout Handbook |
A locking-blade is much safer for whittling and carving wood and therefor preferred for these tasks over a traditional folding knife. There are also MANY quality options to choose from as popularity of locking-blade knives has surpassed other knives.
We discuss these in our Locking Blade Knives Page.
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
Examples:
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 Buck 110 BSA Folding Hunter Knife Image: buckknives.com |
A fixed blade knife is much stronger than a folding knife and allows you
to use your knife to make notches, split wood and even cut down small
trees with a technique known as battoning.
It is hard to beat the utility of a good fixed blade knife for
bushcrafting. In fact, in a wilderness scenario, a Fixed Blade Knife
is the MOST important tool you should have in your possession. It is
vital that Scouts understand how to safely use this type of tool.
The problem with fixed blade knives is that many adults don't understand how to use them properly and are scared of them. Some scouts will also view them as forbidden, which can lead to problems.
With proper training and supervision, Scouts should learn how to use these basic outdoors tools before they become adults. That said, Fixed Blade Knives are banned in many Scout Camps and by many Troops.
We discuss these in our Bushcraft Knives Page.
Note: if you use a Fixed blade knife, you MUST have an adequate sheath. Flimsy ones can be easily cut with a sharp knife and cause severe injury.
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Examples:
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 Morakniv Companion Heavy Duty Image: morakniv.se |
These can make for excellent wilderness survival tools. These type of knives often incorporate a point designed for stabbing. This particular feature is generally not needed in scouting. Because of their design and really bad movies depicting them as weapons, the presence of these knives will upset certain parents unaccustomed to Scout Camping and Wilderness Survival. This is important to keep in mind and scouts should avoid flashing giant Bowie Knives at meetings or outings. Giant Bowie Knives are also impractical.
Note: if you use a Fixed blade knife, you MUST have an adequate sheath. Flimsy ones can be easily cut with a sharp knife and cause severe injury.
Note: Fixed Blade Knives are banned in many
Scout Camps and by many Troops.
These knives should not be brought to or worn during regular Scout meetings.
We discuss these in our Sheath Knives Page.
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Disadvantages:
Examples:
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1930s BSA Sheath Knife Ad |
Designed to look cool and modeled after weapons seen in our favorite B-Rated Zombie Apocalypses movies. Some of these do look pretty neat, but with limited utility and poor quality to the point they can be dangerous, these are NOT suitable for Scouting use.
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 Z Hunter ZB-020 Image: amazon.com |
These ARE designed to look like or be used as weapons. The spine is ground down and narrowed or even sharpened to create a double edge made for stabbing.
These can be an acceptable option for knife hunting animals such as wild boar. But since Hunting is on the Prohibited list of activities for Scouts BSA, this would not be a reason to have this type of knife on a Scouting event.
When used for bushcrafting, the lack of a thick spine prevents effective and safe use of knife for battoning, striking ferrorods, or applying pressure on the back of the blade with your hand or thumb. This drastically limits utility of this knife in the Wilderness.
The combination of limited utility, safety concerns and likelihood someone will freak out if you bring it to a scout event places this design on the naughty list.
This knife is NOT appropriate for Scouting.
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Examples:
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 Cold Steel Tai Pan Image: coldsteel.com |
Several blade styles are designed for chopping and hacking. This has it's utility but this style of knife is generally TOO Dangerous for Scout Use. With improper technique, these can easily chop off a finger or hand or cause severe injury to yourself or someone else. Talk to our troop medics; they have seen and treated many machete injuries in the jungle.
Use of these types of tools requires adult supervision. Although our Wilderness Survival Team may teach the safe use of these types of tools, it is best to leave yours at home.
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Examples:
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 Cold Steel Kukri Machete Image: coldsteel.com |
Special Shout Out to: Troop 60 - Home of High Adventure
