He had it coming..
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I weas at a show today where there was a chap displaying his collection of axes to observe a couple of kids asking the chap about his axes to note how the questions changed from general questions to which one is the best weapon. To think who the eff is educating children to consider tools as offensive weapons, for sure it is this education that is causing politicians to remove freedoms.
Everything is a 'potential' weapon Broch. Your keys, phone, water bottle, legal edc, bag of shopping etc... Where do we draw the line?
I've looked at the site of the hori hori manufacturer in question, and I saw a pretty pointy blade with a partial double edge (halfway up from the tip). Where I live, in France, that constitutes an illegal blade, as any kind of sharpening along the spine (including sawteeth) counts as it being a stabbing weapon. I also have a hori hori (different brand), hollowish thick trowel blade, one somewhat sharp edge, the other having sawteeth for cutting through nasty roots in the ground when you are preparing a planting hole or weeding. I can understand why such a tool can be mistaken for a bladed weapon by anyone, including urbanite police officers who have little or no experience with gardening or farming. Walking on a public street with it on display is a bit dumb.
France is a bit less paranoid concerning carrying knives. Non-locking folders are usually OK (like the famous Laguioles and Opinels that have been defined by the courts as 'traditional culinary tools'). One-handed opening/auto-locking blades will get you in trouble though, even if part of a multitool. But don't carry any sharp object with you if you enter an area where a demonstration is going on, as police will check your bag, and they have a generous definition of 'weapon by intent' - i.e. a street tile can legally be a weapon if you bash someone's head in with it or throw it at riot police.
I live in a very rural area (lucky me) and use largish cutting implements a lot to cut down prickly bushes, trim hedges, clean out bramble along roads and trails nearby to facilitate access to berries, and whatnot. You can find me on the public road along our terrain while I am doing such things, often carrying a Skrama Bush Tool (many here will know them, from Finland, like a seax, 240 mm blade, one of the best large chopping knives ever) in a milgreen molle sheath across my shoulders, along with a sizeable saw in a similar sheath, and while likely wearing kaki multipocket pants, a UK Soldier 95 desert camo shirt (because it's dirt cheap surplus and it's dirty work), and possibly, when it's a bit colder, a milgreen smock-style jacket. Add wraparound dark-coloured safety glasses, an orange baseball cap/helmet combo and you get the picture. In any (sub)urban area the neighbours would probably think I'm a weirdo. Here, I'm just one of the people who work outside. Local hunters passing in their 4x4s often start waving at me before they realize I'm not one of them.
If our village trail-clearing group comes into action to clean up tourist paths, you see quite an arsenal. Sickles, shears, saws, axes, chopping knives, basically anything with a sharp edge. So nobody even blinks when they see me working with my edged tools.
The gendarmerie officers in the area really don't care. They know they could arrest the entire population if they started searching them for bladed items. Including their colleagues.
But I would never openly carry my edged tools on a public road in an urban area. The 80 percent of the population who live in cities are just too paranoid for that.
France is a bit less paranoid concerning carrying knives. Non-locking folders are usually OK (like the famous Laguioles and Opinels that have been defined by the courts as 'traditional culinary tools'). One-handed opening/auto-locking blades will get you in trouble though, even if part of a multitool. But don't carry any sharp object with you if you enter an area where a demonstration is going on, as police will check your bag, and they have a generous definition of 'weapon by intent' - i.e. a street tile can legally be a weapon if you bash someone's head in with it or throw it at riot police.
I live in a very rural area (lucky me) and use largish cutting implements a lot to cut down prickly bushes, trim hedges, clean out bramble along roads and trails nearby to facilitate access to berries, and whatnot. You can find me on the public road along our terrain while I am doing such things, often carrying a Skrama Bush Tool (many here will know them, from Finland, like a seax, 240 mm blade, one of the best large chopping knives ever) in a milgreen molle sheath across my shoulders, along with a sizeable saw in a similar sheath, and while likely wearing kaki multipocket pants, a UK Soldier 95 desert camo shirt (because it's dirt cheap surplus and it's dirty work), and possibly, when it's a bit colder, a milgreen smock-style jacket. Add wraparound dark-coloured safety glasses, an orange baseball cap/helmet combo and you get the picture. In any (sub)urban area the neighbours would probably think I'm a weirdo. Here, I'm just one of the people who work outside. Local hunters passing in their 4x4s often start waving at me before they realize I'm not one of them.
If our village trail-clearing group comes into action to clean up tourist paths, you see quite an arsenal. Sickles, shears, saws, axes, chopping knives, basically anything with a sharp edge. So nobody even blinks when they see me working with my edged tools.
The gendarmerie officers in the area really don't care. They know they could arrest the entire population if they started searching them for bladed items. Including their colleagues.
But I would never openly carry my edged tools on a public road in an urban area. The 80 percent of the population who live in cities are just too paranoid for that.
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Not a direct reply to your post, but there's a recent change to French law, I think it was enforced 5/9/2025.
Google lens will translate it, I think. I couldn't copy the photo of the translated version.
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The gardening-guy would have been allright had he carried his tools in a bag instead of on his belt openly for everybody to see.
A mountain guide in Corsica (a bit different to mainland France and they are big on guns and shooitng road signs) carried an Opinel No.12 (with locking ring) with a nice home-made juniper handle for chopping cheese bread, bread etc. Great knives, but the sort of thing that could be awkward to be carrying on your belt/in your pocket in the UK if you ended up engaging with the Police following a day out in the hills. Not really any advantages over a Mora either.
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