The 2012 SMKW SharpKidz Program

SharpKidz was an SMKW program that was designed to promote family activities that would introduce children to the proper use and care of knives. Is this a program that deserves a second chance?
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[@Pocket_EDC]

You make some very good points, Tobias. Gives me an interesting though. What if each of the Knife Brotherhood tubers each filmed a responsible use knife tip, and then someone clipped them all together, in one safety and responsibility video. That would make an interesting watch. With many personalities, it would keep the video moving and interesting (as opposed to one person droning on). It could then be housed either on everyone's channel, on the channel of a tuber with a high subscriber count, or on a new channel dedicated to knife safety and general knowledge.

[@KnifeChatswithTobias]

That is actually an interesting thought!

[@Pocket_EDC]

@KnifeChatswithTobias shouldn't be too hard. Everyone contributes to a list of bullet points. Then, each contributor selects a point and does a short clip on it. Someone then combines the clips.

[@dougwatkins5441]

Hey I'll watch them with my 7 and 8 y/o grand sons. We watch several of the knife channels together already. We had a good time last week with the Barlows they got for Christmas. They are doing really good whittling, opening is a bit of a challenge for them. But they close them well

[@Stans_Collectors_Universe]

Good looking knife. Too bad that the program was not received well. Thanks for sharing and God bless.

[@The-Armed-Pacifist]

I guess that explains why Smith and Wesson’s “K Frames for Kids” program never panned out either.

[@rockets4kids]

Even on knife forums a significant number of people flip out about giving knives to young children. That's how bad things have become.

[@propblast82nd]

If my grandchildren participated in merely a fraction of the fun activities I did as kid growing up in the free America, they’d likely be branded as a danger to society.

[@ericstarr9399]

Thanks for sharing the story behind this program. Definitely sounded like a good one even if it was short lived. Your suggestion of "Sharp Adultz" made me laugh!

[@bdh3949]

Another great topic Tobias. I think I missed these as I started buying from SMKW the year after. Your assessment of PKPH (pocketknifephobia, yeah it's real :) is spot on. Spending half a lifetime teaching wilderness skills I noticed it was particularly infectious in some college-age and younger women, and their view of fixed blades was even worse evolving over a generation of folks. Still we try our best eh, and I'm certain to have changed at least a few minds young & old just in safely doing what needed to be done on our trips, having fun and completing the tasks at hand. I was fortunate to have had good students. Thanks for the look at a couple knives and your thoughts.

[@WilliamsKnifeLife]

Great show 👏

[@hleeky]

thanks!

[@davidkurle5418]

I bet if that knife had video game controller buttons on the show side and a cell phone screen on the pile side, the kids today would love it.😆Thanks for all the great info, buddy. I had never heard of the sharpkidz program before.

[@KnifeChatswithTobias]

LOL! So would many of their parents!

[@danedwards8535]

When I was in 5th grade my elementary teacher asked me if she could borrow my pocket knife. That was 60+ years ago. They won’t let a kid, and haven’t for years, allowed anyone to have a pocket knife near a school. Most unfortunate .

[@milesdozier6028]

Me too🇺🇸

[@lwilson95990]

Sounds like a cool idea ! I like to take my kids to Home depot to the kids workshop it teaches them to use a hammer, screwdriver and paint and have fun doing it

[@KnifeChatswithTobias]

Sounds like a great idea. More parents should do that

[@richardkut3976]

Kids would appreciate a knife if they had projects and activities to use one. Don't know if their exposed to creative and fun stuff that would incorporate a scout knife. Thanks again,

[@KnifeChatswithTobias]

It doesn't really need to be a scout knife. Even the idea of having some type of knife to cut things be it string for an art project or cutting fruits and vegetables. Why shouldn't a responsible 8 year year old learn to peel and apple or break down cardboard? Sure, he should have adult supervision but where is the harm. And whole you're at it teach him or her to fix the flat on their bicycle. Kids are curious. Let them explore.

[@oldphartsknives]

Great video. I must be a lot older than everyone else because everyone I knew as a kid had a boys knife or a spear point Barlow. They were great for a 1st knife because of the lack of a sharp point. Camp knives came later.

[@CRIS.V1891]

My grandpa thought me how to use a pocket knife, at a very young age and I never had a serious problem because of that. It's a shame that we live in such a fearful society, and that's why the handy people are a rare breed. Thanks to both of my grandpa's and my father, I'm a very handy guy and i do projects for me and others. I'm perplex when I see people that can't even drill a straight hole, or hammer a nail properly. The overall intention is to become a society of week men, that can't do basic tasks and depend on other's.

[@KnifeChatswithTobias]

The thing is, I think most kids actually want to do stuff with their hands. They want to build things and/or take things apart and see how they work. We need to start encouraging it. Let kids get dirty. We're so busy with organized sports, play dates, etc. that were forgetting to let kids just explore and have fun.

[@CRIS.V1891]

@@KnifeChatswithTobias Of course this is exactly what I did when I was a kid my grandpa had a work shop, and every day I would take his tools and take something apart to see how it worked. I sometimes frustrate my grandpa but he never schooled me in a bad manner, rather he would show me how to reassemble it correctly because he was a very patience and loving person. God rest my grandfather's and grandmother soule's ! 😔🙏 The upbringing is everything for a child, when you learn respect and how the world works. This is why today's world it tends to go to hell, because there aren't to many good parents anymore. PS. Excuse my spalling if there are some mistake's, because English isn't my first language.

[@milesdozier6028]

Thanks for sharing your a regular in my house 🇺🇸😎

[@KnifeChatswithTobias]

Thanks for supporting the channel. I'm glad you're enjoying the content!

[@lewisgreenway5065]

When I was a kid it was common for boys to have a pocket knife no one minded and most men always had their knife with them, so different now the politicians have seen to that with more and more tougher laws, sad state of affairs. Sorry thought first comment didn't get posted. 😚

[@Tracy81258]

You already know my love for the Scout pattern. I’m still sad to think that a few morons ruined it for the vast majority of kids who would never think to use a knife as a weapon. I’m not sure when that changed, but nobody blinked an eye when we were carrying pocket knives in school back in the 70’s and early 80’s. Then again Northern Minnesota was a different world. We were almost honorary Canadians.

[@KnifeChatswithTobias]

The world has definitely changed in the last 50 years. I'm afraid to think what the world will look like in the next 50.

[@mangojack1]

They should definitely give it another go with their house brand, bet it would go over better. Plus I would just like another scout knife lol Thanks Tobias 👍

[@KnifeChatswithTobias]

I have sense learned that this one of many annual collaborations done between Kevin Pipes and Jim Frost which explain quite a bit. These collaborations were annual events hosted by SMKW. Frost supplied the knife, and Pipes supplied the venue. With this in mind, the only real issue was that somewhere along the way, someone used the term "Annual" in relationship to "SharpKidz" leading to a misconception of the program being an annual ongoing project. It seems more likely "SharpKidZ" was the 2012 Jim Frost/Kevin Pipes Annual Collaboration.

[@garycallahan7867]

SMKW may have been a part owner in Frost/Black Hills. At one point they were only majority owner of RR. I could usually get RR cheaper by ordering from the other entity. Sometimes I could get RR patterns from them that weren’t in the store.

[@KnifeChatswithTobias]

As far as I know Kevin Pipes has been the sole owner of Rough Ryder since the beginning. He introduced it as house brand for SMKW. He is still the owner of SMKW. In fact, Mr. Pipes discussed how the Rough Ryder brand came about in a video on SMKW. That said, Mr. Pipes was a part owner of United Cutlery. and many of the artist at United had worked for him at SMKW. Also, Jim Frost and Kevin Pipes were very close friends and did quite a bit knife collaborations. I have recently found out more about SharpKidz and why the Frost Brand was chosen for the program. I'll be doing an update on this video soon.

[@Jimthechevywheelman]

All of us boys in the 70’ s had a Boy Scout or another camp type . Carrying it in school , church . Heck it was our edc ! We use to ride our bikes to the old strip mines to target shoot .. now a days the l e 0 s would b called out on us by the concerned karens! … utuber by name of nut n fancy had few videos about ‘dangerous things’

[@user-hk9du6px9x]

Ate first runs better than others?

[@KnifeChatswithTobias]

I really don't know. If they are the first attempt at the product they might still have some QC issues.

[@gizmocarr3093]

The times have changed; kids play computer games and are connected to cellphones and lost the desire to enjoy outdoor activities. Kids are not allowed to ride a bike without supervision or play in the woods. I seldom see kids playing in neighborhoods together or on playgrounds. How many kids do you see mowing lawns or delivering papers? That is what computers have done.

[@KnifeChatswithTobias]

I don't blame the kids, I blame the parents. And I blame the parent's parents. We've been fed a load of crap on child rearing. We train kids to be that way. Do kids need supervision and guidance? Absolutely! But the parents are the ones sticking the computer in their hands instead of the Hammer. And it's the parents who are not encouraging the kids to do yard work or cook food, etc. BTW, hardly anyone is delivering papers anymore. Not even adults.

[@anthonyrollins9825]

with all the pushback and litigation filed for advertising weapons to children , I say SMKW needs to STAY THE HELL AWAY from idea like the sharp kidz program.

[@KnifeChatswithTobias]

I know where you're coming from but if kids are going to grow up and work in the trades, do chores around the house, enter the food service industry, then the proper use and care of cutting tools is essential.

[@anthonyrollins9825]

@@KnifeChatswithTobias I agree completely with your point of educate young , our societal climate wont tolerate it though if it is seen as advertising a object you have to be 18 to purchase to children.

[@lewisgreenway5065]

I am afraid youngsters are not carrying knives in the UK except for gang members sad state of affairs, when I was a kid no one thought twice about boys having a pocket knife in fact they were often given as presents. Even men of my generation have given up carrying pocket knives mostly because of the law. 😏

[@KnifeChatswithTobias]

Laws only apply to the law abiding so do little little to influence the criminal class. What bothers me, is we keep passing new laws while ignoring the laws on the book. How many laws do you need to pass? For instance, when It comes to "Assault to do bodily harm" or "Assault with intent to kill" It really doesn't matter what you used in the attack - rock, skate board, rubber chicken, bazooka - what matters is you attacked a person with criminal intent. But these days, politicians love to pass feel good frivolous legislation that does little or nothing actually improve society. And we keep electing them.

[@lewisgreenway5065]

@@KnifeChatswithTobias you are spot on friend. 😁

[@allancrotch2953]

Very interesting .In the UK I believe scouts are banned from having /carrying a knife .