non locking knives, a rant!

[Deeps]

I carry a SAK (with a small torch attached, I think/hope this makes it less 'offensive' looking although I'm not sure it would make any difference really) and have done since a boy (I'm 47 now). It annoys me that I have to have a reason to carry it, I also carry a pen (and have done since about the age of 20) just in case. All I can say is the SAK has been more useful than the pen over the years although both get used. Realistically I'd have to pull a 'reason' out my arse for why I carry the SAK, the thing that really annoys me is the two times I've asked coppers (in a social situation) if they were legal they both used the scenario of not taking it to a football match (neither knew I was a season ticket holder at the football). Especially at away matches, I'll be travelling a reasonable distance to and from the game so its handy, even for opening the odd bottle of beer/wine, I can't exactly 'check it in' at left luggage and having carried a wee knife for 35 years or so, I've never stabbed anyone (or considered it) even when I've been in fights over the years (not exactly a weekly occurrence).

I don't want to take this down a political road but I'm all for punishing the crap out of people who break the law, especially ones involving knife crime but blame the person wielding the knife, its a tool, nothing more. Let us law abiding guys and girls use them properly. If there was some kind of petition I'd be keen on backing it, as long as it wasn't for decriminalising wandering round with samurai swords etc.

[preparedsurrey]

Changing the law wouldn't make any real difference to the number of knife crimes, I'm sure there's some figures somewhere on the net saying most knife related crime involves kitchen knives, lets see the powers that be restricting them to sub 3" and non fixed!

[Deeps]

Changing the law wouldn't make any real difference to the number of knife crimes, I'm sure there's some figures somewhere on the net saying most knife related crime involves kitchen knives, lets see the powers that be restricting them to sub 3" and non fixed!

Taking the thread off on a tangent, there are a huge number of people killed by motor vehicles each year, while people need to pass a test to drive them, its still pretty frightening that they let people too young to buy cigarettes drive.

As I posted earlier, a knife, like a car is a tool, if its misused then punish the wrongdoer's, let the rest of us go about our business (or leisure etc)

[Wingfoot]

As I posted earlier, a knife, like a car is a tool, if its misused then punish the wrongdoer's, let the rest of us go about our business (or leisure etc)

Deeps,

I think your logic is sound, & also applies to some other items prohibited by successive uk governments over the years, inanimate objects are not dangerous by themselves, it takes a person with evil intent to missuse it for harm to be caused.

Vet & licence legitimate users & let law abiding folks with a genuine need carry whatever they want for their work or leisure persuit.

Focusing on the object itself & attempting to write legislation that prohibits the carrying of an everyday tool is simply ridiculous & is typical of a nanny state mentality that we see everywhere these days unfortunately, seems common sense is not so common in the modern world.



Wf

[grenfell]

Apologises if this thread is moving in the wrong direction but I've always thought a sensible option would be to decriminalise the carrying of knives , tools or whatever one wants to call them but to be totally draconian on any body who uses those things to threaten , injure or kill another person. So there would be a situation where one person could have a 12" knife he uses to cut the string on parcels being left alone but another who threatens someone with a piddling little 1" folder gets 25 years behind bars.

As an edit
There have been threads on this forum about nuclear weapons and I have to see it as something of an irony that the same government who restricts our ownership of small knives argues that the country should have the ability to kill millions of people by owning those nuclear weapons

[PreparedKent]

Its a ridiculous law really, I plan to carry a small lock knife as I use it everyday and like my fingers. It is a real pain in my arse having a missing fingertip, cant roll a cigarette , hurts to type...

I live in rural England, knife crime out here is a real rarity

[MissAnpassad]

Can I just ask about your laws concerning knives? Are you not allowed to wear a knife if you need it for your work? We have quite strict knife laws, we are not allowed to wear a knife in public places unless we don't have a good reason to. These reasons can be that you are a carpenter, in the military, you are on your way to the woods etc.

Prepared Kent, are you insured? I got a bit of money from my insurancecompany when my sister banged a door on my fingertip so it fell off (thankfully the surgeon could sew it back on).

[Yorkshire Andy]

Can I just ask about your laws concerning knives? Are you not allowed to wear a knife if you need it for your work? We have quite strict knife laws, we are not allowed to wear a knife in public places unless we don't have a good reason to. These reasons can be that you are a carpenter, in the military, you are on your way to the woods etc.

Prepared Kent, are you insured? I got a bit of money from my insurancecompany when my sister banged a door on my fingertip so it fell off (thankfully the surgeon could sew it back on).

See here
https://www.gov.uk/buying-carrying-knives

[sniper 55]

It's not that easy to buy a non locking legal carry knife these days, not one of the fishing/camping/hiking shops I tried had any non locking knives, Go outdoors insisted they are all legal to carry everyday, even the Bear Grylls sheath knife.... I'd get some very funny looks walking around town wearing one of those.

[yorkshirewolf]

I'm not encouraging anyone to carry knives as a daily task, but I'm a little confused what the issue is here - is it a legal thing that no-on wants to break the law, or is it a case of 'i don't want risk carrying a technically illegal knife in case i get stopped and searched?

Because on the assumption you're going about your usual business -

-not trying to walk into a court/school/police station/get into a plane

-are dressed in normal clothing (not like swat team member)

-Are behaving yourself in a decent and quiet manner

Why would you be searched?

I carried a knife (CRKT big dog) as an EDC for years when i worked as a farm hand, it was always clipped to the inside of my pocket (leg or hip) i went all over with it as i was always busy, so supermarkets, trade yards, other farms and local pubs and I was never stopped or searched once, in fact not once did anyone notice it was even there.

Now i live in a city i don't have an EDC knife on my person as i don't use one on a daily basis, but i have them in my emergency camping gear in the car and easy access other places. and again, don't really worry about being pulled over and the car getting searched because i don't do anything to actually get pulled


Am i missing something?