Simple. Takealong a carrot and a folding pocket knife. Open blade, put carrot between blade and handle, then shut blade, cutting carrot in two. Explain that it works just like that with fingers..............
Displaying knives in public
- Thread starter Warthogiam
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Simple. Takealong a carrot and a folding pocket knife. Open blade, put carrot between blade and handle, then shut blade, cutting carrot in two. Explain that it works just like that with fingers..............
Defense lawyer: "The defendent was carrying the 8" fixed blade on his person because he was on his way to a bushcraft 'moot', your Honor, where he would use the knife to split kindling and whittle a spoon to eat his dinner."
Judge: "He was carrying an 8" fixed blade for that? Ridiculous. He could have used a micarta-handled Spyderco UKPN to whittle some wedges and a maul, batoned them in with a branch and split the wood like that.
Guilty of going excessively equipped with a tasteless Rambo-knock-off!"
I was quoting others, I am still trying to sort out, given that several people have suggested it would not be illegal at a bushcraft show, what these "good reasons" would be such that they would stand up in court.
I know a couple of suggestion have been made, and maybe I should just leave it at that.
Graham
ONe of the things I love to do when in the US is to go to gun and knife shows. And certainly, in North and South Carolina, you're a bit out of place if you aren't wearing camo!
"But, your Honour, this was a Lile knock-off, which is identical in every way with John Rambo's, and cost £750. Clearly no-one would risk getting blood on it, as it does terrible things to the shine, so could never be classed as an offensive weapon..."
you say that but I'm sure I read a newspaper article were a girl had abeen caught with a small fixed blade in her bag for 'cutting up fruit' and there was suggestion that the judge had said she could have used a pocket knife - cant for the life of me find the actual court case though so it could be an urban myth/daily mail article....cant find the article either now so i didn't use the example in my previous post
Couldn't you argue that part of the purpose of the show is just that? To compare your BC stuff (including knives)
Indeed that might be all that is required, knifes are part of bushy equipment, and its a bushcraft event where bushcrafters get together. But as several people here seemed confident that it wasn't illegal, I was hoping we might get something that was more than definitive. I didn't expect this to go on for so many posts.
As I said in my original posts, I have heard of the police taking some less than helpful stances regarding knifes. Retired Doctor with fishing gear in boot, including a filleting knife, who was cautioned as your boot is a "public place". Backpacker/bushcrafter travelling to campsite with fixed blade inaccessible at the bottom of a full rucksack, but picked up in a x-ray at a railway station and subsequently charged etc. All a bit anecdotal and you never know the full story, but not very encouraging.
Graham
For the record at every bushcraft meet I've ever been to in the Americas, formal or informal, knives worn openly have been par for the course. You're not crazy, or dangerous just bushcrafters.
Isn't it also standard operating procedure for period reenactors over there to openly display cutlery? I would imagine they would appear a bit more formidable than your average bushcrafter. "Because we're Vikings!" How's that for good purpose.
Isn't it also standard operating procedure for period reenactors over there to openly display cutlery? I would imagine they would appear a bit more formidable than your average bushcrafter. "Because we're Vikings!" How's that for good purpose.
And the act specifically recognises this. Naturally being England they had to gild the legislation by requiring a reenactment society to have at least three members and public liability insurance. No problem though really as we set up such a society a fortnight ago with a phone call.
We're not in America Pict, things are very very different here. I've two good American chums I speak to on a regular basis they both own hand guns and rifles, one has a permit to carry a concealed fire arm but hand guns are all but banned in the UK (but I can own a high powered rifle, this country is a strange place at times).
I worked for a chap years ago who was in the http://www.thesealedknot.org.uk/ They (members only) wear costume and carry swords, pikes, et al when taking part in organised re-enactment events/shows.
Just a vote of solidarity. Knives are a big part of bushcraft and are in no way a threat to anyone, especially at a meet. Here in Brazil the laws are very vague and context is everything. We have urban cowboys that ride around my neighborhood herding cattle. They all have 20 inch machetes on their saddles and look like the cavalry, nobody cares, riding the bus like that would be a different story not to mention the difficulties of getting the horse through the door.
Australia's knife laws are much worse than the UK.
At least most knives get through UK customs, Aussie customs are an absolute nightmare when it comes to getting knives through.
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The knife laws vary by state here in Aus and although people are permitted to own all sorts of knives which were designed with only one purpose in mind - namely the killing of other human beings - importing some knives is problematic. Nanny state by stealth. Rather than ban them outright, the federal government allowed the Australians customs service to dictate which knives are and aren't allowed into the country. All the while, New South Wales police intercept a shipment of 200 or so Glock pistols imported from Germany which customs missed and were destined for Sydney's criminal underworld wars. While the customs people were going over my parcels for examination and umming and ahhing about letting a freakin' A. White and Son's folding bunny knife into the country, hundreds of illegal handguns and ammunition were being imported and used in a campaign of criminal violence which is ongoing on the streets of Sydney.
Where's the sense in that?
In some ways Australia's laws are worse than the UK's, but it's the mentality behind them that I'm whingeing about. That's a mentality I did not expect to see echoed here on a bushcraft forum.
Biker
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
What if the horse breaks down and the cavalry officer needs to catch the bus home... wearing said 20" machete? Something tells me the driver won't insist on the him having the correct change.
Sad world indeed with all these knife laws only applying to law abiding citizens, the very people who have enough respect for their fellow man and wouldn't be breaking the law to start with! Unlike the scum element.
Bring back the birch I say
What if the horse breaks down and the cavalry officer needs to catch the bus home... wearing said 20" machete? Something tells me the driver won't insist on the him having the correct change.
Sad world indeed with all these knife laws only applying to law abiding citizens, the very people who have enough respect for their fellow man and wouldn't be breaking the law to start with! Unlike the scum element.
Bring back the birch I say
That's the whole point of this right there in my mind...a bushcraft event with law abiding citizens having tools on their person because they're using them over the weekend. Probably the exact reason why there are no police herding hundreds of people into black mariahs!
Perhaps wearing a knife on the belt makes some people feel special. I never saw it that way but if it does then so be it in my mind. It's no different to somebody wearing nice clothes or a decent watch they bought with their hard earned cash. Chances are though people at a bushcraft event wear a knife on their person because it's a tool that will be used. I'm one of those that thinks people should carry a knife at all times, call me old fashioned I guess.
