What's your every day pocket knife?

[clcuckow]

Hi All,

I thought I would kick off this thread on what is your every day, shove it in your pocket, town, office, knife and what you think is the best.

I will start it off this an Carbon Opinel No. 9. It hold a great edge and its round beech handle is very comfortable to use. It is great for casting spark from a firestick, has a very simple, reliable locking mechanism and it's blade looks about 3" the legal blade length for an in the street pocket knife in the UK. They are also very cheap mine only cost me a couple of quid from a french market.

And to plagiarise this web site:

'The oldest question asked by outdoors folk is ‘what’s the best survival knife?’ And the oldest reply is "The one you have with you."'

Christopher

 

[sargey]

well i consider my self a swiss army knife sort of person. just recently though i've gotten a leatherman juice. it's swiss army knife size and just has all my favourite tools in a small handy package, assisted corkscrew included.

i recently lost my treasured swisstool which is my mainstay at work. i got a wave cheap from a mate in the states. as soon as i have funds i'll get another swiss tool.

my main pocketknife however is a benchmade 720. as soon as funds permit i'll swap that for a benchmade griptilian.

so many toys, so little money. :roll:

cheers, and.

 

[Martyn]

Christopher, your opinel is illegal to carry in the UK because that neat ring locking mechanism makes it a lock knife. Lock knives are illegal unless you can provide a good excuse for carry, such as religious reasons, or you need it for a particulr work related task. I generally carry a Chris Reeve small sebenza, yes it locks, but I have a good excuse.

Oh, leatherman waves are illegal too BTW, for the same reason.

 

[Tony]

I was wondering whether to say the same thing about the Opinel being Illegal or to just put in the URL for the pages of discussion on it on BB :-D

 

[Raz]

Well legally, you aren't allowed that Opinel!
Any locking knife is illegal without reasonable excuse.

When around the public, it's an old victorinox camper for me, custom handles I did with a fire poker one wet evening
I've been looking for a Greco friction folder to replace it, anyone got a spare one? :-D

 

[clcuckow]

thank for the legal bits especially since I also carry a leatherman wave when I am in casual(opinel in my jacket, wave on the belt), but I have seen loads of people including a lot police warring(leatherman) them openly here in merseyside.

Indecently which act does the locking mechanism breach?

 

[Martyn]

It doesnt directly breach an act (well it does, but it does it through a bizzarre judges decision). It was decided in case law, namely: Harris v Department of Public Prosecutions.

The lawyer for the DPP, convinced a judge that a lock turned a folding knife into a fixed blade an so Harris was in breach of the 1988 Criminal Justice Act, section 139, which outlaws fixed blade carry unless you have good reason. The judge agreed with the DPP about the lock and convicted Harris under breach of the 1988 act.

So it's passed into British law that a locking knife is effectively a fixed blade. It can be overturned, if a Judge from a higher court says otherwise, but that's very unlikely to happen. Inferior courts (eg magistrates court) must abide by the Judges decision. Untill, or if it's overturned by a higher court, the decision is effectively law as much as if it were written into an act of parliament.

The only legal knife you can carry about your person on a daily basis, without having to provide a reason for having it on you, is a sub 3" (cutting edge), slip joint, folding knife that is incapable of locking into the open position. These knives are explicitly exempted by the 1988 CJA, section 139, subsection 2. At this point in time, it is your right to carry one if you wish, just because you feel like it.

Technically, the police officers are breaking the law carrying leatherman waves (unless they have a reasonable reason for carrying it).

 

[clcuckow]

now I wish I had not got drunk that knight and lost my camp!

 

[Martyn]

worth remembering, in 99% of circumstances, a police officer would "probably" just say, hmmm nice knife, how much did you pay for it?" ...but, he/she could arrest you if they were of a mind to. It largely depends on the circumstances. If you are going about your daily, then the chances are that common sense will prevail.

Whether you choose to rely on that is up to you - but they are illegal according to the letter of the law.

 

[Celtic Dragon]

Letherman Original.

Simon

 

[gurushaun]

Well, its usually a Wave and an Emerson Commander, or a Kershaw Ken Onion Mini Random Task if I'm feeling a little dressy :-D .

Cheers

Shaun

 

[al]

i dont carry anything unless i`m going to do stuff , but has anyone seen old jimbos travel pack?!!!!!! http://www.oldjimbo.com/survival/v-shrake/stp1.html ,dont think i`ll be needing 600 rounds down here in kent :-D

 

[clcuckow]

Yes aren't these American Survivalists, uhrrr, 'entertaining'. We are talking about whether its OK to carry a small pocket knife and they are working out what carry just in case the four horsemen of the Apocalypse desend upon them.

 

[MartiniDave]

Back to the original topic :-D

I favour a Swiss Army for everyday use around the home and workplace. Which model depends on where I'm going and just plain what I fancy.
I also am fond of opinels, but am all too aware of the "lock knife" problems, so only use them around the yard or out in the feild.
My first opinel is now over 30 years old and still quite usable.

Sad, aren't I!

Dave

 

[The General]

My current EDC is a Large numbered Sebenza in a G2 sheath and a numbered M2 steel Benchmade 710.

This will change when I get my Lamprey Damasteel Frame lock, though the Sebi goes everywhere other than the pub! Then its a Spyderco Pride!

Don't act a fool and few probs will be evident. Then again I live in Wales and the local Police are more relaxed... A mate of mine was searched and had a N7 Opinel on him, now he was down the pub and acting very foolish, nothing more was said after they measured the edge length... They did not notice the lock! :roll:

 

[Hellz]

Day/Work carry at the moment is a Spyderco Cricket, nice and inoffensive.

But as soon as I get home it's a Small Classic Sebenza (and quite often a Spyderco Endura)

I'd love to be able to carry my Sebenza all the time :-(

Oh well...

Hellz

 

[johnboy]

Leatherman Juice the blue one.

 

[sargey]

technically speaking my old swisstool is also illegal, as is the wave and the BM720, but i usually carry them all the time anyway.

if i'm going into town for an evening, i frisk myself and turn out all the pockets just to check there isn't a stray opi in there. :roll: then just go out with a vintage slipjoint.

i used to think it was odd when guys on the american forums start discussing their preferred backpacking or trail pistol. :-? but then when looking at some of the potential wildlife hazards, some of it starts to make sense.

cheers, and.

 

[clcuckow]

Did not want to post this yesterday in light of the tragedy in Carlisle. But it looks like I will be getting a Juice to replace my wave for daily use. But it got me thinking about the act so I read it.

Question:
How do credit card tools like the swiss card and toollogic fit into this as they are marketed in the uk as 'put in your wallet and never be without it'.

I know that the knife in the swiss card is not much more than a letter opener but the one in the toollogic is quite a useful one http://www.toollogic.com/feat_icc2.html and neither of them fold.

Christopher

 

[Martyn]

swiss cards and the like... technically fixed blades, technically illegal. There are many that fall into strange territory.

But the ONLY legal knife to carry about your person, just because you feel like it, is a slipjoint, none-locking folder, with a cutting edge of 3" or less.

Everything else is legislated against, and falls under either the totally banned, or you must have a good reason for it category.

You must remember though, the law was bought in to give the police the tools they need to arrest nasty people doing nasty things. The intent of the law was never to penalise ordinary, sober, responsible people, going about their daily business. Although swiss cards and leatherman waves are illegal (unless you have a good reson), if you are an ordinary looking chap, going about your business, the chances of any police officer finding cause to be upset with you are very remote. Ask yourself this "when was the last time you were searched by a police officer?". If it happens to you regularly, then I would say swap your wave for a juice. If you have never been searched, then why would it happen in the future? A police officer needs a reson to search you, if you dont give them one, they cant do it. Also the "good reason for carry" get-out is fairly open, cutting cabbages at your alotment, opening boxes at work - there are many. You just need to have one. The only problem with that, is the arresting officer and the custody seargant must agree that your good reason is a good reason - that's up to interpretation and subjective opinion. If they dont agree, they'll arrest you and you'll go to court. Then you must convince the magistrate, if you cant to that - you go to jail.

It's awkward, if you dont have a good reason, and you want to stay absolutely within the letter of the law, then you only have one option - the slipjoint.