Felix Immler 对话与雕刻专家

与 Felix Immler 的访谈：雕刻专家、儿童教育者兼作家

Felix Immler 是一名训练有素的机械师、社会工作者和自然教育工作者，也全职从事 Victorinox 袋装刀的指导工作。他会在个人 Youtube 账号上定期上传有关袋装刀使用和丛林生活技能的视频；此外，他还是三个孩子的父亲。
我们与 Felix 畅聊，询问他最喜欢的刀具、为何可在孩子们还小的时候教他们使用袋装刀，以及为什么孩子在拥有第一把袋装刀时异常兴奋。

为什么袋装刀对孩子的吸引力这么大？

“因为袋装刀看起来很危险，虽然实际情况并非如此。袋装刀是大人们装在口袋里的刀具，所以一定非常有趣。小时候如果能拥有一把自己的袋装刀，就像被封为骑士一样开心，感觉自己长大了，为自己能拥有一把专属袋装刀而骄傲。”

有些家长担心袋装刀对孩子来说太危险，对此您有什么看法？

“这些刀具的危险系数并不比自行车或滑板高。只要教给孩子们用法就好。同时，孩子们还需要对袋装刀感兴趣。给孩子们买袋装刀并不是买给他们这么简单，家长也需要熟悉其用法。家长对袋装刀了解得越多，课程结束后对孩子的指导也就更容易。”

几岁的孩子可以参与新手课程？

“从 5 岁开始，我教孩子们正确使用袋装刀。但学会后，还需成人在旁监护；熟练以后方可自行使用。所以我至今很少推出仅针对儿童的课程。我的课程都是为家长和孩子或老师和学生共同打造的，以便雕刻过程中有成人监护。同时孩子们还需不断回顾所学内容，深刻了解安全的重要性以及刀具的各种用法。”

What do kids ask most often?

“Once they realize this is going to be a hands-on thing, it’s always: ‘Can we make a crossbow? Arrows?’ It’s always something they can throw or shoot. They are impatient and want to make things right away. But first they have to learn how to hold the pocket knife, how to open and close it safely. The basics need to come before anything else.”

What is your favorite pocket knife?

“The Huntsman I got when I was 8. It was my first introduction to being given responsibility and it holds the history of my entire childhood up to today. I’ve lost and bought dozens more, but this knife is very special. It has the small blade, which is best for whittling and carving, the awl for making holes and the saw for working wood into smaller pieces.”

You have written books about carving and making crafts with a pocket knife. Which one would you suggest starting with?

“’Crafting with the Pocket Knife" is an introduction, it contains the basics of what you can do with a knife. It can be done anywhere. "The Swiss Army Knife Book" takes the activities outside. It provides ideas on what to make outside with things you find in a forest – what’s known as "bushcraft" – as well as wilderness and survival techniques.”

Where do you start with a group of kids?

“The first course always starts the same way: after they learn about safety and how to handle the knife, I get them to cut a long, sturdy branch from a hazel bush. I teach them to shave off the bark and make a sharp little point at one end. It’s a walking stick, and a prong to stick a sausage on to toast over a fire. It’s fun to watch how boredom is suddenly replaced by excitement. They’ve created their first tool with their first pocket knife. At this point even the most jaded child will ask hesitantly, ‘Can I take this walking stick home?’ And they flush with pride and excitement when I say: ‘Of course.’”