EarthMan

Thanks to everyone for contributing to this discussion. Here is what I would write for an FAQ from what I know now (obviously reflecting my biases):

Q. Are sheath knives permitted in scouting?

A. Sheath knives are not banned by any official BSA publication. The Guide to Safe Scouting does say "Avoid large sheath knives. They are heavy and awkward to carry, and unnecessary for most camp chores except for cleaning fish."

Most people agree that large sheath knives are not appropriate for most tasks you are likely to perform while scouting. However smaller sheath knives (with blades smaller than five inches) are useful and appropriate tools for many tasks. They are sturdy, simple, easy to clean and less likely to cause injury because of inadvertant folding. Folding knives are also useful and appropriate tools for many situations.

The problems with sheath knives have nothing to do with safety. Both sheath knives and folding knives may be used safely or unsafely. The problem is that they symbolize knife fighting to some people. Carrying sheath knives is not politically correct and may be bad for public relations. Scouts might get into a size competition to see who can get the biggest knife.

Some scouting organizations have an outright ban on all sheath knives to avoid these problems. Others limit the size of sheath knives, permitting the use of the smaller more useful knives. Still others believe in letting scouts learn to choose the appropriate tool for a given task.

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I realize that this FAQ answer is biased, and could be made more respectful of the anti-sheath knife viewpoint. Let's pretend we are really writing an FAQ. (We can you know.) How would you re-write the above answer? I'm especially interested in suggestions from the anti-sheath knife people. You should be the ones to summarize your position, not me.

(This message has been edited by EarthMan)

Will some of the opponents of sheath knives please explain why they are considered less safe than folding knives? Because sheath knives seem much safer too me.

A good sheath knife is made of one solid piece of steel going the full length of the handle, so it is much sturdier for doing real work and less likely to break. It doesn't have to fit inside a handle so the steel can be thicker. It is simpler because it has no moving parts. It won't fold up on you accidently when using it or sharpening it. There is no potential for injury when closing it. Some locking knives have a complicated unlocking mechanism which require partially closing the knife with your fingers in the direct path of the blade. It is easier to clean sheath knives since there are no small crevices to collect food.

I understand that sheath knives might present a PR problem because of political correctness when worn in public, but simply explain that to the scouts and don't wear them in public. I also understand that scouts might get in a size competition, but simply have a policy that limits the blade size to five inches.

I would rather use a sheath knife than a folding knife for practically any task. It's quick and convenient to have it readily accessible on the belt. A sheath knife should always be in its sheath when not being used just like a folding knife should be folded so I don't understand how a folding knife is any better in that respect.

I'm a new scoutmaster and I would like to convince our troop to change its policy against sheath knives unless there are good reasons for the ban. So far I haven't heard any convincing reasons for banning them. But there must be good reasons since bans are so common. What are the good reasons for banning them?

By the way, it is the nature of the Internet that the same issues keep re-appearing in discussion groups. That is why FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) were invented. An FAQ should have answers for those issues that keep recurring. If an issue is controversial, then the different viewpoints should be fairly presented in the FAQ. The members of discussion groups should largely agree that the FAQ fairly covers the essential points of recurring issues. Then, whenever any questions come up that are covered in the FAQ, simply direct people to the FAQ.