Carrying a knife

franciscobegbie
If it locks, its illegal, no matter how nice you or it may be.

Am I the only one who laughed at Begbie from trainspotting giving legal advice on knives?

Unfortunately if caught with it by the plod the first clause is the police deeming whether they believe their is sufficient cause to be carrying it with you, which opens a very grey area. If your job requires it and it's stored in a manner where it's not easily attainable then likely fine. If you've got a 5" locking knife in your pocket when getting pulled over and the bobby thinks you look dodgy, there likely isn't any excuse that will go down well with them.

A few years back I used to do field archery and it was common to carry a screw driver or knife to dig arrows out of trees, one lad left a long flat head screw driver in his pocket and got pulled over driving home, the police deemed it a weapon and he was arrested, DGAF about the bow and arrows in his boot, they didn't think his excuse of digging arrows out of trees was sufficient and believed it was to be used as a weapon in any possible road rage altercation. I think the charges were dropped in the end but it made a lot of people in the club pucker up

Well I’m surprised about this. I’m always using a knife – If its not cutting up food its fixing stuff or bodging stuff. I often cycle to work offroad and stop halfway for a brew etc so I will use it for cheese, cake, opening packets

So all stuff you could have prepared before setting off on your epic journey into the wilderness. “Officer I need  knife to cut my chees!”

Car you are in has an accident and is starting to burn, and you cant get your seat belt off,

In 34 years I’ve never had to cut a seatbelt off at an incident other than to make it easier. As for the extremely unlikely chance of you coming across a burning car and needing  to free the occupant, keep a belt cutter in your car. Good luck getting near without causing third degree burns to yourself.

And no police don’t routinely carry leathermans, they usually ask if the ambulance crews have their scissors on them.

I’ve got a Swiss Army Classic in my pocket - I work in a hardware store so opening boxes, prising open key fobs to replace batteries etc. We sell knives and have to record details/check ID for all locking blades over 7.5cm. I can sell an axe, screwdriver or a 10” filleting knife without any verification.

I got caught out for accidentally having darts with me.

Could you not hide them in your rolls of belly fat?

Nah, that’s the real test of an Alpha right there. 😂

<shuffles back to beta land where I belong> 😉

Serious? Then again, I’ve seen people pulled out of line for nail scissors.

I'd planned a road trip to the US. On my own and planning is not my forte. A mate came over the previous evening, he was driving me to the airport in the morning. We went out for a pint and a throw, I was on the ceiling.

Going through check-in the next day, the darts were still in my bag. The guy looked at me oddly, "are there... are there darts in here?" Oh, crap. I had to dispose them.

A few years back I used to do field archery and it was common to carry a screw driver or knife to dig arrows out of trees,

In a past life I used to teach field archery. The number of times we had to dig arrows out of trees was never.

Could you not hide them in your rolls of belly fat?

Say you've not met me without saying you haven't met me. I have the opposite problem.

I can’t say I’ve ever felt the need for one in day to day office life.

Fine. Not everyone works in an office. I feel the same about mouse mats.

Ah good - can we do mouse mats now? What is the useful function served by a mouse mat? I'm unable to think of one beyond helping a mouse yoga ground moves maybe? And no I'm not going to start a new thread, that would serve less purpose if possible than an actual mouse mat.

All those carrying a knife most days, what do you use it for? Do you eat an apple with cheese like my long gone grandad did?  Do you do knot tying demos to the descendants of the Famous 5?

Mouse mats? That thing that existed before laser mice. No, mice with freaking lasers on them.

Got my tin opener.

It’s a shame you can’t get tins with ring pulls.

You can get an Opinel with a rounded at the front blade, and the law concerning knives specifies specifically a pointed blade.

This is why you should never take legal advice from random people on the internet... the law says both bladed articles and pointed objects are (or can be) illegal.  There's no exemption for a blade that doesn't have a point.

I’ve one conviction for being in possession of an offensive weapon, which was a long time ago(in my 20’s) but was for a huge lockback. 5″ blade affair and i didnt have it for camping. Resulted in a £300 fine

It might be a long time ago - but if caught again it could be squeeky bum moment - almost certainly community sentence, possibly custody unless you have very convincing mitigation.

But as you say, 50yr old, no trouble with the police, shouldn’t really be an issue unless you’re pissed and waving it about in the street. On that note you will probably find having a pointed locking blade knife without a reasonable excuse will have them taking it off you, you may get arrested, though its not going to be a serious charge being in simple possession.

Because of issues with knife crime, "simple possession" is no longer viewed as not a "serious charge'.

Even if they were to have you in court to explain, i think you could talk the case easy, pocket knife etc etc.

That may be possible, but don't underestimate the stress/hassle etc of a court case.  Its unlikely anyone who can afford fancy MTBs is getting legal aid, so you'll be paying the solicitor that talks your way out of it.

Theres also things like where its stored, so it is different whether its easily and readily available in your pocket, or in a holder in a pocket deep in a man bag.

None of those things get you automatically off the hook, but they help make your story credible.  In your pocket on the tube v's in a bag in the boot of your car.

So where does the UK stand on what appears to effectively be a Butterfly Chisel?

That is an article which is "sharply pointed" so you'd need a legitimate reason.

@Poopscoop before 2005. It has coloured my view of what we are subjected to at security ever since, not helped by the make it up as we go along operatives that are some of those employed.

Interesting cultural differences, everytime I go to cheap lunch places in Helsinki centre there is bunch of construction workers who usually have a Mora knifes  and hammers on their work vests. No one panics, not even security people or police who are eating at same locale.

All those carrying a knife most days, what do you use it for?
I work in a theatre. I'm not part of the maintenance crew, but I do fix minor things as I'm going about my work, as the actual maintenance guys always have a backlog - loose screws, ripped out wires (surprisingly common), smoke alarm batteries, removing splinters, replacing bulbs (there are a lot of bulbs in a theatre, and many of them need tools to access) ... that sort of thing.

The theatre is on five and a half levels. It is extremely annoying if I am on level 6 see something that needs to be done but realise that all the tools are on level 1, so I have little multi-tool on my key ring. It doesn't do everything, but it saves me a lot of stair and ladder climbing. It includes a couple of screwdrivers, a pry tool, a bit driver and a small blade. The screwdrivers and blade are the most used functions.

I suppose I should leave it at work at the end of the day but I don't. Partly as it is also useful at home for similar reasons, and partly as I usually forget to pick it up until I need it and I'm up a ladder four levels away.

I ignore the law. It is one of those stupid ideas put in place to catch a few dimwits who will ignore it anyway. As with many laws it purely penalises the innocent. I don't carry a dirty great machete through the streets of the nearest city but as such things are dumps I wouldn't be there anyway. Since I returned from my bike ride after lunch today, I cut a mattress in half, split a bit of kindling to make some wall plugs and carried on with stripping the paint off a window frame. All with the knife that lives in my pocket.

I completely fail to see why there should be a ban. A few youngsters get killed which is awful but how many are killed by cars? Lets ban them as well.

teresting cultural differences, everytime I go to cheap lunch places in Helsinki centre there is bunch of construction workers who usually have a Mora knifes  and hammers on their work vests. No one panics, not even security people or police who are eating at same locale.

I’ve not seen anyone in the UK panic either when they see construction workers carrying tools for their work, even in public areas. That said I might if I seen a Cowboy.

Different attitudes exist across the world to knives. I remember catching a connecting flight from Christchurch to Auckland before flying home. Chap in front of me at security swears out loud and then confesses to Security that he has forgotten to remove his knife. Shows it to Security who commented on the small opines like knife. ‘Ah it’s only a small one. You’ll be ok’.  This was post 9/11 too.

Our friend was bringing a polo mallet back ( apparently best ones are made in NZ) and was allowed it on the connecting flight but received looks of horror as she tried to board her flight to the USA with it and had it quickly taken off her  and put in the hold.

Used to carry a small knife at work but have since given up as it’s not worth the hassle of getting stopped with it in your pocket. Have a set of folding scissors/belt cutter in the central compartment of the car  in case of emergency.

My mother got opinal locking knives taken off her in airports 3 times.  Little old lady carrying a 5" lock  knife.  Biologist / Scientist by trade and carried one for cutting interesting things up

I ignore the law. It is one of those stupid ideas put in place to catch a few dimwits who will ignore it anyway. As with many laws it purely penalises the innocent.

aka

'Rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men'

So where do I stand with my concealed / stealth muck off bar end mounted tubeless plug trimmer knife ! (After spending about 5 minutes looking for my Multitool and unscrewing it).

It’s a shame you can’t get tins with ring pulls.

The cheapest beans and spaghetti don't have ring pulls 😭

Alright already - just stop now

I promise I'll leave my vicious shank at home, bite my tomatoes into small pieces before adding them to my sandwich, stop eating apples and cheese or tying knots in boy scouts. No longer will I stop and admire the morning inversion on a hillside whilst munching on a freshly buttered croissant but will use dairylea triangles on presliced white bread whilst sitting on a train instead. I'll sell the SUV I don't own and arrogantly but naively tip my hat to sleeping policeman whilst ignoring burning cars (Batman is on his way madam!). I will no longer strive to be the alpha male and stop throwing darts at airport security if you'll all just stop posting on this thread about how you would all live my life differently!

(I've just found a small Wenger folding knife in my desk draw. It also has a corkscrew and a bottle opener so if I turn into an alcoholic I'm blaming STW)

Three pages - this is why I only carry an axe as my EDC.

My mother got opinal locking knives taken off her in airports 3 times. Little old lady carrying a 5″ lock knife

A repeat offender eh ? tsk tsk

How to eat tomatoes at work.

Substituting 'gun' in for 'knife' in a few of the above posts, and I can see the 'right to carry' etc mindset isn't limited to the other side of the pond.

Have you tried buttering a croissant with a gun?  Its not nearly as easy as it looks.

What an absolutely mindbendingly ridiculous comment.

I've carried first a Swiss Army knife, and then a Leatherman multitool every working day for the last 33 yrs. I use it several times throughout the day and would be utterly lost without it, but this thread has made me think. Many of my colleagues don't carry one, but always come to me when something needs doing. One thing I would never do though is pull it out as some sort of weapon, as anyone with " combat" experience will tell you , it will end up stuck in you. I'd rather run, though not as fast and as far these days.

Have you tried buttering a croissant with a gun?  Its not nearly as easy as it looks.

What an absolutely mindbendingly ridiculous comment.

I did say 'some' of the above posts. I didn't think it was necessary to spell out the posts I was referring to.

Comparing knives with guns is a bit ridiculous. Yes, they can both be used as weapons, but one is a fundamental tool that's been used daily by humans for thousands of years. I'm pretty sure everybody commenting here still uses them daily. The other is designed entirely for killing people and/or animals.

Exactly Butcher. Though I often carry a small knife it has never and would never ever occur to me to use it as a weapon - even in a life threatening situation. Comparing that to carrying a gun which even in the best use scenario would be to threaten to shoot someone in 'self defence' is non sensical.

Where does your commute go? It sounds quite interesting.  I used to go over Wim Common - being stopped with a knife there, middle aged or not, would not end well.

I’ve carried first a Swiss Army knife, and then a Leatherman multitool every working day for the last 33 yrs. I use it several times throughout the day and would be utterly lost without it

Genuine question, what for? Struggling to think of any daily situation whereby I wish I’d have a knife to hand. I’ve managed my entire adult life without carrying one. Have a multi-tool and small folding knife in my camelback but rarely use either.

Where does your commute go?

Uckfield to Newhaven - little roads then over the south down way. Normally make it a little longer on nice days. Firle Bostal is the highpoint (literally).

Our neighbour's adult son was arrested in Spain for carrying an Opinel, she had to go to the guardia station to get him out. I don't normally carry a knife, if I do it's a legal carry length non-locking folding knife in the bottom of a cycle bag or rucksac. Or one of those plastic knife-spoon things they used to give away free with kiwis.

I stopped carrying a leather man with a lock knife in my bike kit and swapped to a smaller leather man type thing with a non locking blade.

I've never needed to use the knife for anything other than cutting zip ties. The very slight possiblity of getting serious consequences just doesn't seem worth it.

My locking opinel now lives in a kitchen drawer and only come out of the house if I'm camping and will be prepping food. Swiss army knife if there are apples to be peeled/ bread to be buttered while out and about.

I lost a folding leather man copy for months. The nice man at the airport found it for me in my rucksack 😱. It went in the bin as I walked of feeling very lucky not to have had more than a withering glare.

On a slight tangent (but on the subject of items confiscated at airport security...)

I once watched a couple of back-packers, who evidently were hoping to save some money by not checking in their big rucksacks, get searched and had their pointy tent pegs confiscated!  Hopefully, they weren't heading somewhere windy....😄

I have an SAK for camping.  Two nice lock knives and a sheath knife.  None but the SAK leave the house these days

I promise I’ll leave my vicious shank at home, bite my tomatoes into small pieces before adding them to my sandwich, stop eating apples and cheese

You could prepare them before you leave, have you tried biting an appple and breaking cheese off? Or maybe just maybe, buy one of those little cutlery kits for backpacking, it’s what I have in my work bag.

I'm a heathen, I take squeezy cheese.

aka

‘Rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men’

certain irony that the only person who has admitted to being convicted of carrying an offensive weapon posted that!

As with many laws it purely penalises the innocent.

that’s certainly not true!  It places the onus on you to explain why you are carrying the knife, it doesn’t stop innocent people from being in possession of knives in circumstances where there is a legitimate need, but makes those with potentially malevolent intent either think twice, or guilty before they pull it out and brandish it.

Am I reading this correctly. There are people who carry knives and butter/spread around with them? I’d arrest someone for that combo any day.