I was maybe 8 or 10 years old, Mom and Dad went on a trip to Canada and left me and my little brother home with our Great Aunt to babysit.

Dad brought me back a Barlow knife, and I promptly cut my finger with it. Amazingly, Mom didn't insist that it be taken away from me, just told me to learn from it.

My Great-Uncle Jack gave me a Barlow when I was probably 6 or so. I think I lost it right away.

My dad bought me a Victorinox Boy Scout Swiss Army knife when I was around 10. I got home, pulled it out of the box and promptly sliced my thumb open. I was sitting in the kitchen and was so afraid my dad would take it away from me that I just sat there with my hand in my lap gripping my thumb until it stopped bleeding.

I don’t still have it. I lost it after I went to boot camp and my dad gave a bunch of my stuff away and turned my bedroom into an office.

I had a Cub Scout knife like the one a couple posts back. Lost it over the years. The oldest one I still have is the Uncle Henry trapper that my grandpa gave me sometime in my teen years. I don't carry it anymore, as I don't want to lose it.

I really don't remember what was my first knife, it was probably a folder like a cub scout knife. My Dad was a knife guy, as well as my Grandfather. I'm pretty sure I was around 7-8, we used to fish and I lived around some woods.

An Ulster Boy Scout knife, given to me by my Dad. Closed it once on my knuckle (only once). Still have it. Still have my Tote-n-Chip card too.

Mine was either a Queen, or Case small two or three blade pocket knife. I had both, but can't remember which was first.
There was a hardware store downtown close to my dad's office, and we'd walk over there sometimes when he took me to work with him. They had a rotating rack full of pocketknives, and a large whetstone that was dished out from a lot of customer use... I thought that was the coolest thing in the world.

My dad was not a gun/knife kind of guy, but he knew I was interested in pocketknives, so he got me my first one when I was somewhere around 8 years old, or so.

I don't have that first (or second, third, etc) knife, but I've never gone a day since then without at least one pocket knife on me....

Oddly enough, I don't remember. I can almost remember, but it just won't crystallize. One of the first was a fairly inexpensive sheath knife, five- or six-inch blade and leather sheath. Used it as a tackle box knife, even though it would be more reasonably a hunting knife.

My first knife was one that I found on a family fishing trip when we lived in Rapid City. I was probably 7 or 8 years old at the time. It has a fixed blade, stag handle, with a leather sheath. I gave it to my son when he started hunting.

My first knife was a victorianox swiss army knife.

I got it by collecting marlboro cigarette boxes when they had the "marlboro miles" redemption program.

My parents owned a bar and I had more miles then I knew what to do with. Ended up with almost everything they offered in triplicate at least.

The knife just stuck with me. As a 13 year old I carried it everywhere until I reached my mid twenties and learned about higher quality blades.

I still have it 30 years later.

the first knife i really recall was a small Uncle Henry stockman given to me by my grandfather on my first day working for him. my family owns a construction and rental business, so i was working at a young age. i was 8 or 9, cleaning up and basically getting in the way. i think it broke his heart when i didn't become a carpenter. i like steel better.

dozer

It was a Cub Scout knife [late-50's] with blue scales, if I remember correctly. Either a Camillus, or Imperial make.

Schrade Old Timer.

Dad bought mine for me when I was eight or so.
Pretty sure it was one of these Sears jack knives:



Wish I still had it, or at least remember what happened to it. I probably traded it for something at the playground black market.

Scoutmaster of the Boyscout troop I joined when I was 11 years old, he gave me a BoyScout jackknife with bottle/can opener, leather punch/reamer.

a "hunting knife" with fake bone handle and sharp as frack.

Took it to a scout type camping event and sliced my hand open cutting a piece of sugar cane. Counselor took me to get stitches...

I have no idea what ever happened to that knife. I think i must have left it home when I went to college and I need to go look through my dad's shop and stuff to see if it's around.