My kids gave me a couple of Fathers Days presents, including a ‘picnic’ knife. It is a great present but slightly brutal looking. Is a folding knife with 5 1/2in blade legal if you are taking it on a picnic?

Murderous Picnic Knife

Should be alright as long as you have good reason for carrying it. English Knife Law

Similar rules in Scotland I assume? If not I’ll need to make picnics are always across the Border?

Longer than 3 inches so on dodgy ground I think.

I think the style of the knife it easier to argue that you’re using it for a picnic. It’s a serrated bread knife really isn’t it?

If you were trying to pass one of these off as a picnic knife, it might be a different story;

As long as you’re sensible it’s fine. In a nice picnic hamper in the boot of your car – fine. Down your sock in a pub on a friday night – not fine.

is there a new sport of extreme picnicking that i’ve missed out on ?

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/33/section/139 for E&W.

Longer than 3 inches so on dodgy ground I think.

Longer than 3 inches just means you would need to have “lawful authority or good reason” to carry it.

“Good reason” would include “on my way to a picnic where I’ll need to slice bread”. It wouldn’t include “cos I wanna protect meself down the pub”.

Of course, like a frying pan, a Lucozade bottle or a cricket bat, a 2 inch folding knife can still be an offensive weapon if that’s how you use it.

Interesting name, given that an “â” with a circumflex accent implies a missing “s” after the letter.

TenMen – Member

As long as you’re sensible it’s fine. In a nice picnic hamper in the boot of your car – fine. Down your sock in a pub on a friday night – not fine.

+1 just keep it with the bread!

TenMen has it, people love to rant “OMG! It’s illegal to carry a knife!” there’s no difference in that knife and putting a table knife in to spread the butter on your scones. You need reason for to carry it that would be seen as reasonable.

yes if you have a picnic with you it will be fine as it has not point I doubt it would be that good for stabbing
It not being easily accessible will also aid your defence.
Do you often get stopped and searched when going on a picnic?

As has been said already. Folding pocket knife with a blade more than 3 1/2 inches is illegal UNLESS you have a reasonable excuse. Don’t listen to the Daily Mail version of the points and blades legislation. If it’s a picnic knife and you are on a picnic it’s not illegal. Equally a screwdriver could fall within the definition, but unlikely if you are using it to tighten screws.

You’ll be fine with it i reckon. just keep it inside the hamper beside the bread and you’ll be fine.

You’ll be fine, theres a 6″ folding kinfe with locking blade in the bottom of my camelpack most days, just incase I come accross any grizzly bears in the Chilterns you see?

Never actualy needed it for anything more adventurous than cutting up puncture patches, think I just caried it as it was that and a leatherman tool in my sailing kit and the same tools ended up dumped in my bike kit.