EDC no more?

[Mikey P]

Sorry but I disagree - surely if its legal then its legal whether its buried in my pack, fighting for space in my pocket with my keys or superglued to my forehead! The law doesn't say a sub 3" non locking folder that must be concealed does it?

Correct in principle but foolish in practice, unless you are looking for confrontation with the law. As we've already seen above, even the police seem to get it wrong sometimes so openly displaying a knife - legal or otherwise - would not, in my opinion, be a good idea.

 

[verloc]

Right here it is - Not doing something that is legal because the Police might not like it is a bit worrying but each to their own!
Using your approach Mike you could argue that whilst it's legal to drive upto 60mph on a road its best not to drive as this removes any potential problem with the law.
Corso nailed it above - if you want to carry an EDC you can. If you chose not to - for whatever reason then again that's up to you. BTW I also think that a pen knife superglued to anyones head could be argued to be Jewellery ;-)

 

[British Red]

If you actually took the trouble to read what I said, and not just what you wanted to hear, then you would have noticed that I said I have not seen them walk into a pub with a knife on their belt (you even quoted the sentence yourself!).
That's nothing like saying they didn't actually have one.
My statement just recognised the fact that people who genuinely need to use a knife (e.g. farmers) don't feel the need to display it like a badge of some kind. Unlike most bushcrafters who, it seems to me, just want to carry a knife as a part of their bushcraft uniform and then engineer situations where they really needed it and it was really useful.

Oh nonsense you actually said

If they can manage to go without a knife 24hrs a day then I'm sure some office worker calling himself a 'bushcrafter' can manage it as well.

Are you now twisting that by "go without a knife 24 hours a day" you meant "they do have a knife"?

Yeah righto chap.

 

[durulz]

Sorry but I disagree - surely if its legal then its legal whether its buried in my pack, fighting for space in my pocket with my keys or superglued to my forehead! The law doesn't say a sub 3" non locking folder that must be concealed does it?

Yes, that may well be the case. No one is arguing with that.
But if you have it in your pack away from eyes then no one sees it, no one gets uppity.
You carry it on display, whether legal or not, you are courting potential trouble. That's the reality.
You may well say 'well, I'm willing to stand up for my rights'. But if the Police keep having to pull over people with knives on display (legal ones - whether the Police are in the right or not) then you may find that right soon taken away. But if you carry that same knife responsibly then no one gets pulled over, the judiciary don't see a recurring problem, and everyone gets to keep their knives.
Doesn't that seem obvious?

 

[durulz]

missing the point again

Are you bloody-mindedly obtuse?
No one is questioning the carrying of knives as part of an occupation (i.e. those farmers). So of course they have a knife on them.
That's not the debate.
We're talking about carrying a knife (a legal one) when you don't really need to. And no one is really questioning that (although personally I don't do it - I only carry a knife if I can see I'm going to need one). What we are questioning is how it's carried.
I think that if someone must have a knife on them at all times (and I doubt very many people need to in the UK outside of an occupation) then I think it should be carried responsibly - and that means away from eyes and acting sensitive to others who may not know you and be wary of knives. Yes, you may well take a bloody-minded interpretation of the law and say 'it's legal so it doesn't matter how and where I carry it', but I don't regard that as responsible.
Is that unreasonable of me?

 

[durulz]

Using your approach Mike you could argue that whilst it's legal to drive upto 60mph on a road its best not to drive as this removes any potential problem with the law.

Not quite.
The speed limit may be 60mph, but I see the traffice on the inside lane is at a standstill, it's rush hour so other drivers may be looking to pull into my lane, so I reduce my speed accordingly to avoid any potential danger.

In other words, you act in a responsible way dictated by the circumstances you are in.

So, you're in the field, making camp - you have your knife out.
You're in town, going to the pub for a pint - you put it away.

 

[shaggystu]

....You carry it on display, whether legal or not, you are courting potential trouble....

i still don't get why your hung up on carrying knifes openly in view of all and sundry, no-one's arguing with you.

You may well say 'well, I'm willing to stand up for my rights'. But if the Police keep having to pull over people with knives on display (legal ones - whether the Police are in the right or not) then you may find that right soon taken away. But if you carry that same knife responsibly then no one gets pulled over, the judiciary don't see a recurring problem, and everyone gets to keep their knives.

i'm slightly baffled here, if i get stopped by the police and searched (at which point thay must already think that i'm guilty of a crime otherwise there's no legal reason to stop and search me), they find a sub 3" non-locking folder and decide that there's a valid reason to arrest me for that, they then arrest me and take me back to the police station, i ask to speak to the duty brief (and if neccesary explain to thim exactly where he should be looking in his law books for the relevant legislation) and then i get released with an apology (and promptly take the police to court for wrongful arrest of course). where were the judiciary involved?

stuart

 

[British Red]

Are you bloody-mindedly obtuse?
No one is questioning the carrying of knives as part of an occupation (i.e. those farmers). So of course they have a knife on them.
That's not the debate.
We're talking about carrying a knife (a legal one) when you don't really need to. And no one is really questioning that (although personally I don't do it - I only carry a knife if I can see I'm going to need one). What we are questioning is how it's carried.
I think that if someone must have a knife on them at all times (and I doubt very many people need to in the UK outside of an occupation) then I think it should be carried responsibly - and that means away from eyes and acting sensitive to others who may not know you and be wary of knives. Yes, you may well take a bloody-minded interpretation of the law and say 'it's legal so it doesn't matter how and where I carry it', but I don't regard that as responsible.
Is that unreasonable of me?

No need to be insulting dear boy. Just because you clearly did state that farmers don't carry knives - (which is patently absurd and untrue) and were corrected on it. No need to get in a huff and be rude. Just admit you were wrong and move on.

Red

 

[Everything Mac]

I walked past a copper in Glasgow the other day on my way into town - any guesses for what was in the familiar small brown leather pouch on his belt?

Andy

 

[durulz]

No need to be insulting dear boy. Just because you clearly did state that farmers don't carry knives - (which is patently absurd and untrue) and were corrected on it. No need to get in a huff and be rude. Just admit you were wrong and move on.

Red

You'll have to try harder than that. Nice effort, though.

 

[verloc]

I've had enough of this thread Dru - you just seem to be looking for an argument and I for one really don't have the inclination to be involved in it. Thread out for me chaps.

 

[Manacles]

Boy have we all got the hump today, must be the weather lol!

Seriously, I believe it should be personal choice about an EDC, if you feel the need go ahead. When I went for my Scout training (first three, you Scouters will know what that means) I was asked if I carried a folding knife and firesteel, it was a curiosity question, not part of the rules and regs, by the way. I said "no" and waffled a bit about knife law. My Training Advisor produced his from a pocket and asked me if mine would be any use at home if I needed them when I was out and about. I've carried a small SAK regularly since then, but I also carry my warrant card. I don't carry it into town and certainly not in the pub. It's just about using a bit of common sense really. Most Police officers are, in my experience, also endowed with common sense, and even if they were unsure of the law would probably only ask for the knife to check things out.

I also would like to disagree with an earlier post that suggesting one might find a reason to use a knife should one carry one (apologies I can't remember the exact wording), I feel that implies the argument that a knife may become misused as a weapon rather than what it is - a tool (apologies again if that posting did not mean that implication).

 

[Wayland]

 

[durulz]

I'll put my sabre away now (I keep it in my bag when in public); always good to have a good spar with someone every now and then - keeps the skills honed. :swordfigh

 

[rik_uk3]

Nobody has fought and died for our 'right' to carry a blade, non that I can think of. 99 from 100 of us don't need a blade, most who carry them just look for a reason to use them. 'Had to open packages at work' Bullocks, work should have a pair of scissors or a stanley knife to use, if not nag until they get one. 'Had to sharpen a pencil' get a life and then get a biro or a pencil sharpener (no, the blade is legal on one), 'Show this card', yea right, love that one, get a police officer on a bad day and you could loose the rest of yours while they verify this and that.

Seems to me most folk here are just making life difficult for themselves. Don't carry a blade unless its part of your job and if it is it belongs in your tool kit or tool belt you don when AT work.

If new here and this was the first thread I read I would think 'what a bunch of knobs'.

 

[BorderReiver]

I have carried a knife for the past 45+ years - don't know how I could get through the day without using one at least once a day.....

57 years for me. Used at least once daily.

Some people who don't carry knives because "they never need them" end up being a pain in the bum by always wanting to borrow yours.

 

[Wayland]

57 years for me. Used at least once daily.

Some people who don't carry knives because "they never need them" end up being a pain in the bum by always wanting to borrow yours.

Isn't that the truth...

 

[bojit]

I have been carrying a SAK of various designs since i was about 12 that's just over 30 years , some days i use it a few times other times i won't use it for a week or so but i like the fact i have it when i need it .
I think of it like carrying a small tool kit for everyday tasks . Same way as in my van i have a first aid kit and tool kit ,i wouldn't dream of going on a trip without them .

To me it is all about being prepared for anything that crops up during the day .

This has been my companion for the last 15 years.
http://www.swisstool.co.uk/st/product.php?productid=329&cat=250&page=1

Craig.......

 

[Corso]

Seems to me most folk here are just making life difficult for themselves.

Why because we are chosing to do something that is perfectly legal? You'll be telling me to get a haircut next

If new here and this was the first thread I read I would think 'what a bunch of knobs'.

 

[Manacles]

People are quite within their rights to disagree, we are all reasonable and sensible on BCUK - probably more polite to stop before suggesting we are "nobs" though Rik.