quote:

Originally posted by GoToAway:
I worry about this sort of thing happening here. Knife laws are already incredibly strict in most of the country. It's not much of a stretch to imagine them being banned outright.

I always carry one, and yet I've somehow managed to avoid stabbing myself or anyone else. I really fail to see the point in this level of nannying.

I've heard, rumors mind you, that the wild Chav population has really become a nuisance on the island. Learning from Australian efforts to counter invasive species with other invasive species, plans to import American gangs have not been implemented, although they would certainly scythe through the feral Chav population in short order.

GoToAway, are you prepared to use that knife or are you just going to wave it at you assailant hoping they will bugger off? Apart from getting caught by the law for carrying, it seems pretty pointless, no pun intended.

quote:

Originally posted by Dance:
GoToAway, are you prepared to use that knife or are you just going to wave it at you assailant hoping they will bugger off? Apart from getting caught by the law for carrying, it seems pretty pointless, no pun intended.

As my uncle always said, don't point a gun at something unless your willing to blow a hole in it. Waiving it about is a stupid idea, fairly likely to get you killed if the mugger knows what he's doing and GoToAway shows even an ounce of fear.

I don't believe GoToAway mentioned anything about a "weapon", he carries a "tool".

Good grief, I don't think he carries a leather strap either just in case he needs to tie his wrist to an assailants arm, Beat It style.

Umm, guys, a lot of people around here carry a knife all the time, and very rarely is it for protection. I guess you wouldn't see the usefulness of carrying a pocket knife if it was taboo, but around here it's normal. It's a tool most of the time, not really a weapon, we have guns for that, lol. It's not unusual for my boss at the office to stand up and say "who has a knife, I need to open something?". Of course, he's mexican so he has no excuse for not having a knife on him, lol, j/k, we joke like that around here .

quote:

Originally posted by Cajun76:
I don't believe GoToAway mentioned anything about a "weapon", he carries a "tool".

Good grief, I don't think he carries a leather strap just in case he needs to tie his wrist to an assailants arm, Beat It style.

A swiss army knife would be counted as a tool, but you'd be questioned over it depending on where you were. If you live in the country a police officer won't bat an eyelid, he has much less grounds for suspicion. In a city, you'll be doing a lot of explaining.

Sharp pointy things, if they are hidden in your coat pocket are classed as "Offensive Weapons" in the UK.

Yep things are different here, I carry a one inch pen knife on my key chain, that's about all I can legally carry here, for the most part I don't see the need to carry anything bigger.

We got this thing about guns too, go figure.

What about a sheath or pouch on a belt?

I used to carry a knife constantly before I joined the USAF. They don't want unauthorized tools around aircraft, FOD hazard.

If I were working the same jobs or living in the same place as before the USAF, I would return to carrying it.

I suffer a dilemma when I go fishing, I can't carry a gutting knife for fear I may be searched, but when it means that teenagers carrying them on the street are exposed to the same rules, I'm not so bothered.

I have a knife collection. I usually cary a multi-tool with me though.

Along with a wallet and a phone.

And when camping or hikeing or long didstance stuff, I carry a 20 pound bag of survival stuff.

Heh. Even with all of the Escrima, Kali, Arnis, etc. that I have studied over the years, I have only carried an itty bitty penknife in my pocket wherever I go.

To any British here on the forum: Are Sikhs allowed to carry their kirpans in the U.K.?

quote:

Originally posted by Dance:
I suffer a dilemma when I go fishing, I can't carry a gutting knife for fear I may be searched, but when it means that teenagers carrying them on the street are exposed to the same rules, I'm not so bothered.

I thought you could if you had reasonable grounds to do so. Fishing counts as reasonable grounds! Might be worth nipping in and just asking your local plod.

No knives on sheathes either Cajun, again you'd get away with it in the countryside if you needed it for whatever you were doing. Gutting deer or whatever.

Bit of a grey area, you have to prove you have a good reason for carrying it.

"it is generally an offence to carry a knife in public without good reason or lawful authority (for example, a good reason is a chef on the way to work carrying their own knives)"

quote:

Originally posted by Dance:
Bit of a grey area, you have to prove you have a good reason for carrying it.

"it is generally an offence to carry a knife in public without good reason or lawful authority (for example, a good reason is a chef on the way to work carrying their own knives)"

I should imagine carrying fishing equipment on your way to go fishing would be enough! Ask though.

Will do Aimail, have been kind of paranoid about these laws, but with 18 and 15 year old male kids, I have seen some sort of sense in them.