Grand father arrested for carrying a knife

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SimonM

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Apr 7, 2007
4,015
10
East Lancashire
www.wood-sage.co.uk
This has made me re think my EDC, which is a Gerber multi tool that I've had for about 14 years. It is carried in a belt pouch, alongside a minimal FAK and mobile phone. All very discreet under my suit jacket, out of sight.

It gets used for all sorts of tasks, but sadly both blades lock ...

If I had to defend carrying it legally, would I have a chance...

... I think not in light of this story :(

Simon
 

In Wood

Nomad
Oct 15, 2006
287
0
57
Leyland, Lancashire.
No Excuses, He took it into a court room building.

I carry a knife (at least 1) every day.
My always on me knife is only a very small SAK, razor sharp, but small and non locking, I also usually carry a tool logic slp2 that contains a whistle, fire steel and locking blade, when out walking the dog, in the woods, garden, office etc, etc.

Someone said they had never been in a situation where they have said “Oh I wish I had a knife”, I find that difficult to believe.

Along with the everyday uses of opening boxes, cutting tape, bailing twine, packaging bands etc the fact I have had a knife on me has even saved lives, and I am not talking mountain rescue here, just every day happenings that occur sometimes too often.

I have rescued birds tangled in fishing line, cut a lamb free from fishing net, on one occasion saved a human life too, when a boy was tangled in rope under water. Let alone the odd times a knife has come in handy or saved the day, rope wrapped round a prop shaft on a jet ski, taking plant cuttings the list goes on.

I feel very strongly about the “Knife Ban Panic Culture” going on at the moment, knives are not the problem, as said before you can do just as much damage with other tools, screwdriver, hammer, even a pencil, chopstick or steel rule, even a credit card slashed across the face will cut you. The problem is the scum that carry a weapon with intent to harm or defend. It is this we need to stop and banning the likes of us from carrying a tool of the trade with reasonable cause is not going to do jack to solve the problem.

As this shows there are “enforcement officers” out there that will stick to the letter of the law and not take into account what we feel is a justifiable reason and lead to us being slapped with a criminal record, so we must ultimately make the judgement ourselves if we are prepared to accept the actions of these over keen enforcers or not and carry or not carry what we feel we need.

If I knew I was going to a court building I would not take a locking knife with me. But I would still venture my small SAK on my keys.
 

SimonM

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Apr 7, 2007
4,015
10
East Lancashire
www.wood-sage.co.uk
Do you really need to carry them Simon or are you just used to carrying them?

FAK used almost daily up to last week - rubber gloves and wipes for self harmers. Now its summer hols (6 weeks :D ), and my return to work in September will be in a mainstream school so probably not.

Gerber used once a week for odd jobs around the lab and prep room, but again new job, not teaching science, so probably not needed.

Mobile phone goes wherever I go.

So, I think the answer is, I used to need them, but probably don't in my new job.

Simon
 

pothunter

Settler
Jun 6, 2006
510
4
Wyre Forest Worcestershire
Cant help thinking that someone is missing the point here, its easy to demonise an object that may be potentially dangerous it is much more difficult to prevent people using these objects to commit criminal acts. Surely society would be better served if efforts were focused on the perpetrators of crime.

The reality is most offenses are committed in the home using domestic kitchen knives between family members, but they are not news worthy.

Where does this leave the police many of whom carry multi-tools the majority of which will have locking blades. Their argument might be that they may be called to the scene of an accident where someone might be trapped by a seatbelt, although it is far more common for a member of the public to be first on the scene and would the potential victim be better served by the first person on the scene having a tool suitable to free them.
 

David.from.Holland

Tenderfoot
May 29, 2008
53
0
54
Holland
Cant help thinking that someone is missing the point here, its easy to demonise an object that may be potentially dangerous it is much more difficult to prevent people using these objects to commit criminal acts. Surely society would be better served if efforts were focused on the perpetrators of crime.

That's what everybody knows is true. But you can't ban "suspicious looking hooded characters between 12 and 18 years old walking about as if having a serious pelvis malfunction". You can however just ban knives and hope that solves the problem of youngsters killing each other. Excuse the politics.
 
I've never seen a dopey tit. Will it come to my bird table? Do I need to put out Horliks to tempt it? lol I had to go to Stormount (The Northern Ireland Parliment) on business and as I went through the metal detectors I buzzed. On emptying my pockets, I realisied that I had my Trever Ablett folding knife on me. It was a folder and under 3 inches. the security guard asked me to leave it behind in a named envelope, which I did and was able to collect it when leaving. There was no drama and no questions were asked.
 

pothunter

Settler
Jun 6, 2006
510
4
Wyre Forest Worcestershire
Hi David

I appreciate that by taking away a tool that may potentially be used in crime the crime can no longer take place. This has been implemented in prisons for decades but the sad truth is that criminals will find an alternative glass, rulers, pens, combs and almost anything else that can be fashioned into a cutting or stabbing implement.

Some of my best friends are hooded suspicious looking characters and carry knives as tools for opening boxes, letters, peeling apples, whittling and because it is their habit to so because history has told us that you never know when you may need to use one of the most basic tools in mans toolbox.

Where does this leave me with spare fuel and rope in the truck will I be labeled as a potential member of the KKK. Or a prepared motorist.

The only people to suffer in this narrow minded approach will be legitimate users and the freedom they are entitled to that is being eroded daily.

Pothunter.
 

David.from.Holland

Tenderfoot
May 29, 2008
53
0
54
Holland
@pothunter I couldn't agree more. It's all about the intention to which a knife is carried. And since laws as such are not intelligent enough to distinguish between good and bad intent it is up to the enforcers to apply laws intelligently.

Enough of this now (for me at least), the weather's nice and work is almost done. Time to go home and get the canoe out!
 

NatG

Settler
Apr 4, 2007
695
1
34
Southend On Sea
Tehere's a few things here-
1. he broke the law, it is illegal to carry a knife wiht a locking blade without good reason. I use a knife everyday and find a non locking one to be fine, the law is really quite adequate.

2. It is a bit silly to tak a knife into a courthouse anyway, not technically illegal i don't think but comes into the same sort of category as bars, clubs, schools etc, they're just not somewhere it is neccessary to have a knife.

3. His age, occupation and previous records are nothing to do with the matter, he wasn't being targeted and admitting to breaking the law doesn't mean you should get off of the charges. AS far as i'm concerned all people are equal under the law, so if i as a scruffy 18 year old took a knife to court, and would be arrested, charged and imprisoned, then so should he.
 

Wallenstein

Settler
Feb 14, 2008
753
1
46
Warwickshire, UK
Perhaps you can all see now why this countrys in such a state,with the various answers in this thread,where's the common sense gone.

Bernie
The real problem with the country is typified by senile old duffers in their 60s who are apparently unaware of the inadvisability of carrying blades into courtrooms. :rolleyes:

It's the lack of common sense shown by Mr Read that started this thread.
 
May 12, 2007
1,663
1
69
Derby, UK
www.berax.co.uk
The real problem with the country is typified by senile old duffers in their 60s who are apparently unaware of the inadvisability of carrying blades into courtrooms. :rolleyes:

It's the lack of common sense shown by Mr Read that started this thread.

Different story though no doubt if said old duffer was your father or grandfather,what a lot of you seem to forget is these old duffers,are a totally different generation,and its very hard for them to change there habits,they come from an era when the local bobby used to give you a clip round the ear,when wrong doing,and common sense was the norm.

Bernie
 

bothyman

Settler
Nov 19, 2003
811
3
Sutherland. Scotland.
How do you define a locking knife ??

I have a knife which I would call a locking knife, as it has a lever to release it when it is in the open position.

But the knife I usually carry is a Case Seahorse, which does not have a lever to lock it, but it does click into position solidly and stays there.

I would call them both locking knives but are they??

I find a lot of the comments on this subject less than constructive as I go everywhere with a knife in my pocket.

But then I rearly spend time in what I would call public places
 

ecobandit

Tenderfoot
Dec 28, 2007
94
0
northumberland
time to put this to rest, ban all knives ,anything made from plastic,glass,metal,resin or ceramic,give everyone a wooden spoon just like the one I purchased from rancid badger at the last forest festival,its pure bushcraft art and very practical too
 

NatG

Settler
Apr 4, 2007
695
1
34
Southend On Sea
Different story though no doubt if said old duffer was your father or grandfather,what a lot of you seem to forget is these old duffers,are a totally different generation,and its very hard for them to change there habits,they come from an era when the local bobby used to give you a clip round the ear,when wrong doing,and common sense was the norm.

Bernie

Just because it used to be ok, doesn't mean that you can do it now, the law is the law, regardless of what recollections we may have of "the olden days"

How do you define a locking knife ??

I have a knife which I would call a locking knife, as it has a lever to release it when it is in the open position.

But the knife I usually carry is a Case Seahorse, which does not have a lever to lock it, but it does click into position solidly and stays there.

I would call them both locking knives but are they??

I find a lot of the comments on this subject less than constructive as I go everywhere with a knife in my pocket.

But then I rearly spend time in what I would call public places

a knife is a locking knife if you have to do something to it before you colse it- so if you have to depress a button, press a lever, move a liner, then it is a "locking knife" if you can "readily fold at all times" then it's not a locking knife
 
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