Camping Knife, Crossing Uk Border???

I ALWAYS have a Buck knife in my pocket when I’m away working. I’m pretty sure it comes out every day for one thing or another.

I don’t carry one at home but I wish I had a quid for every time I dig in my pocket for it… doh…

 

The problem is that one persons good reason is an excuse to another for confiscation. That said, if you are on a bike with camping kit, stove, tent etc then good reason is easy to demonstrate. Tucked into the belt of your shorts in the middle of Birmingham on a Friday night, less so. I have always had a small knife in my tool kit but don’t declare it, if asked I say I have ‘tools’. Not fell foul of it yet but never been specifically asked about it - always the ‘do you have any prohibited items’ question which is bloody stupid. If I had a bomb I’m hardly likely to say ‘oh yes, I happen to have a Grenade, good job you asked or I would have forgotten about it’.

 

Interesting discussion.

Generally I own up to having a Leatherman because it is not worth the grief if they were to find it - after you said no. Then you are accused of hiding an illegal weapon - which is a different legal situation to find yourself in (in my humble opinion).

Looking at this relative to the UK - the Leatherman Bond appears to be compatible with UK law. None of the tools lock, and the knife blade is less than 3 inches, however;

There is an argument that the Leatherman Bond is a lock knife because you have to open the tool to be able to fold the knife blade back in. But this process is not a button (or similar as described in the law). Also the blade appears to be able to fold partially so therefore is not locked in place, even though it cannot be folded away completely does not mean that it is "locked" in place.

Is it a lock knife ? - there appears to be an argument that it is not.

I think I will get one anyway. Whether it is a locking blade is open to legal challenge, whereas my Leatherman Waive is very clearly a locking blade. I will be very miffed if some customs jonny confiscates it !

 

Irrespective of blade length, lock knives are classed as offensive weapons in the UK. As said above, the good reason rule is as clear as mud, because if you have good reason, you can carry one in public. Ray Mears and Bear Grylls must have lost loads of knives then.

 

I grew up in a rural area, and from a very young age have always had a knife on me.
When you disappear into the woods and fields each day with your mates as a child a knife is almost essential.

I have a few different ones these days, including my Diving knife on my boat, but find when I'm gardening, Camping, or doing stuff in the workshop or around the house a cheaper but slightly larger than average penknife is great when you are going to be abusing it without the worry of damaging it.

With that in mind I brought one of these at least 10yrs ago:
https://www.tradecounterdirect.com/stanley-skeleton-liner-lock-knife-0-10-253.html
I expected to break it or wear it out really quickly, but it's been abused all that time and just needs a few wipes down my stone with some Oil occasionally.

But I'm an idiot, it's in my pocket so much because I forget it's there, and having a locking blade is not legal to carry around.
I don't know what I'd do without it though, and it's almost become a bit of a luck thing.
If I leave it at home I know I'll need it.
.

 

Chris, a lock knife is not an offensive weapon per se under UK law. It is illegal to carry one in public outwith certain circumstances but is not defined as an offensive weapon.

 

This is kind of me too. I’m a tinkerer and it annoys me constantly that I can’t just keep a knife in my pocket for the many conveniences it affords me. Have all these bans stopped or reduced knife crime? I don’t know. They still seem (in the news) to be quite an issue and it’s not middle-aged men with pocket knives that appear to be the issue.

 

Invaluable thread for people who haven't travelled much lately (me) - Thanks all.

 

I have a very similar sized knife which is climbing orientated. I don't even think about it when it's in my climbing-gear bag. Might have to change that if/when I go outside UK...

 

Per se - but it is still an offensive weapon

Knife crime is too prevalent in the UK

 

It certainly has reduced knife crime, but nothing will ever stop it. What it does is to allow the removal of knives from people who are likely to cause issues by carrying them. However it’s a drop in the ocean and whether that end fit is worth the effects on the law abiding citizen who is inconvenienced is a long standing debate. I guess if one of the kids saved was someone you knew it might shift a view. The law always seeks to avoid interpretation and tries to remove ambiguity but just having reason to carry goes against that.

All that said, I have never been searched, or stopped in the street (except when on a bike) so could have carried an illegal weapon without ever having been caught. If I was 17 and walked around Lozells at 2am wearing certain clothing, with other similarly dressed males I guess I may have a very different experience.

 

Japan has I believe the same restrictions on knives, told my son to put his Gerber in his hold luggage along with all the other tools he has.

 

Sorry Chris but your statement above is wrong. Under certain circumstances, one can be seen as an offensive weapon but by its mere existence it isn’t one, that is the meaning of per se, it means that something has an intrinsic/existential state or value. Lock knives do not appear in the relevant schedule of the relevant Act and therefore your statement is inaccurate. Certain items are offensive weapons as they are listed in the Act, other items, by their use at the time CAN be considered to be the same, a bit like the camping axe you mentioned earlier. A lock knife can become an offensive weapon when it is produced and used to threaten or injure someone, not before. When discussing the law, details matter.

 

For my use the crucial understanding is that I can have a shorter than 3 inch folding Swiss Army knife and not be required to explain why (in normal circumstances) I am carrying it.

This changes if the shorter than 3 inch blade is a locking blade, then I have to explain why I am carrying it. That to me is the differentiator.

It seems to me that if you have a large blade or a locking blade then you have to be able to explain why.

That is why the interest in the Leatherman Bond because it has a short blade as well as all of the functionality of a Multitool. Because none of the tools lock then (in normal circumstances) I probably do not have to provide a reason for carrying it.

 

Now look at what you have made me do - gone and bought one of these