legal folder idea

[daveO]

I just got a crkt ritter mk5 and looking at it has raised a question. Obviously it's a fixed blade and illegal to carry without good reason, however if you made a similar style blade with scale to cover the handle that rotated (somehow) so the blade folded inside it leaving just the handle showing in a similar way to a svord peasant style friction folder, would it become a legal folder? You'd have the sercurity of using it as a fixed blade but with a larger handle and the possibility to remove the pivot and just having the blade where legal.

Ignore the practicalities of making it for now I'm just wondering how the law would view it.

 

[Asa Samuel]

Try taking a look at this thread: http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=59813 in particular FGYT's post!

 

[daveO]

Yeah that pretty much answers my question lol. Thanks for the link.

Shame this blade is skeletonised or I could could have a play about with it.

 

[Matt.S]

Could you not cut a piece of something to precisely fit the 'hole' in the middle of the handle, of a similar thicknes to the knife, glue in place, and drill a hole in that for the pivot?

 

[Deleted member 7976]

Umm don't want to open up another can of worms but I would say no, it wouldn't be legal. Neither would FGYT's in the linked thread. Neither are Svords IMO, having knowledge of the judgments handed down on S139 and being a Clerk of the Court. I've just checked Hennie and although they sell the Svords they are not listed in the UK legel section (not that that means squat). The views of individual police officers are likewise, with respect, of little significance. It only takes one with a different opinion to decide otherwise and make the arrest.

When is a folder a blade folding into a handle and when is it a cover folding around a fixed blade?

The whole basis of the Court of Appeal judgment was that Parliament distinguished between fixed blades and folders because they didn't want people stabbed and lock knives were effectively fixed blades when it came to stabbing. Having a design where the back/tang/handle/whatever of the blade extends into the hand to give more of the security of a fixed blade seriously starts to run foul of this principle.

Currently the maximum sentence is 4 years imprisonment and the guidance coming down from the Lord Chief Justice is to come down hard on any knife crime. If I am doing bushcraft and have reasonable excuse I carry a fixed blade. If not I have a legal folder. I wouldn't think about pushing designs to see what could be got away with, it's just not worth it.

I don't agree with the way things are, but this is my professional opinion.

 

[daveO]

Yeah not a good climate to be pushing your luck in. I was just curious as to how the law would view that.

The svord is not listed on hennies because the blade is a touch over 3". It used to be shown as uk approved until recently but someone measured it and they had to alter the listing.