Knives

  • Thread starter Ron 'The Hat' Clay
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay

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After several years of putting up with blunt unsharpenable rubbish, I decided to get myself a decent folding knife once again. My last one was nicked, many years ago.

It was a Sheffield made lock blade that I had for years. It was hand made by a craftsman who had a little workshop just off The Moor. I bought it in 1970.

This time I have ordered a Kershaw lock blade which are also very good. They are made in Japan by a company who's history goes back to the 13th century - Samurai swords etc.

But I believe there are some strange laws in England governing the carrying of knives. Can anyone enlighten me?
 
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mattzzzzzz

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Hi Ron,
Don't know the law but if you stick "knives and the law"into google it came back with lots of info especially from the bbc.

just a thought.
regards Matt
 
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay

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The basic law states that if you are carrying a knife, without good reason, you can be arrested.

Is killing frogs a good reason?

:eek:)
 
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mattzzzzzz

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I would say so,athough i hope you mean the french and not our little green friends

:)
 
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Clikfire

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Sorry Matt,

was reading the article before I posted, and did see you had already done a link to a knife type thing.
 
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alan

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Ron i asked a copper about it, if you are just walking around the shops, going to the pub etc you will be charged for carrying one.

If you are fishing and the knife is put away, in a box or pocket they are not too bothered as you have it for a genuine reason.
 
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay

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The last thing I am going to do is use a knife as an offensive weapon.

Thanks for the info guys, it confirms what I though. Certainly the knife I have ordered is not illegal. I just thought that blades that lock into place might be illegal in UK but they are not.

Personally I wouldn't carry a pocket knife without a blade that did not lock. Such knives are bloody dangerous and can fold in on you and cut you.

I use a knife quite a lot as I am a trout angler. Where possible I like to gut and clean my trout as they are caught. Good trout fisheries have a gutting room which is an excellent idea.
 
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Wolfman Woody

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"I just thought that blades that lock into place might be illegal in UK but they are not."

That's the grey area, they are, but as Alan says above, providing you don't carry it around when you go to Macdonalds (as if) and keep it safe in your tackle bag, then it should be ok.

I have quite a few, Ron. One of which is a really nicely shaped blade and perfect for cutting sausage with the sharp bit or the blunt bit if I want a roughened finish to the meat. Illegal to carry around because they lock back, but it would be a desparately hard-faced policeman that would have me charged for carrying an offensive weapon.

Just don't think you can do a walk-about like Crocodile Dundee. Especially with your hat.
 
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Wolfman Woody

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PS - Trout and most oily fish are best with their guts left in them until you can freeze them straight away.

An old Welsh skipper told me that. It's why mackerel and herring have their guts still in on the (better) fishmongers' slabs
 
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay

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Oh Woody, I would strongly disagree with you there. I am not qualified to talk about mackerel and herring, but I've trout fished and eaten them for over 50 years.

The first thing that starts de-composing in a trout, or any other fish for that matter is its gut. Get the damn lot out as soon as you can is what I say, especially on a hot day. And remove that blood line along the fishes backbone and the fishes gills.

And I've had a few horror experiences with trout in warm climates I can tell you.
 
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Wolfman Woody

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Nah, they're just going a bit gamey, Ron.

Trout need something to add to their flavour otherwise their like eating damp newspaper.
 
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ED (The ORIGINAL and REAL one)

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Just found this ::

It is the Criminal Justice Act 1988 that most significantly affects the carrying of knives in the UK.

Simply put it is an offence under section 139 of the Act to carry an article with a blade or sharp point in a public place. A folding pocket knife is not included, so long as the cutting edge is under three inches. In practical terms it is best to take 'cutting edge' as meaning the whole blade, sharp or not. Until the court cases of Harris (1993) and Deegan (1998), a three inch blade locking folding knife was considered legal to carry.

Unfortunately in these two cases it was held that a knife that could not be closed without releasing a lock was in law a fixed blade knife and hence illegal to carry.

The position that we start from then is that all fixed blade (sheath knife style) knives, all locking folders and all folders with a blade over three inches long are illegal to carry on a daily basis. This means that a regular Swiss Army Knife, penknife, smokers knife etc are perfectly OK to have on you at all times.
 
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay

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I don't see the sense to that Ed.

A bloody standard penknife without a lock is darned dangerous as far as I can see.
 
B

Big Swordsy :O)

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Where does that leave my 26 and 22 inch swim clearing machetes then ?
 
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ED (The ORIGINAL and REAL one)

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I thought they were 26 and 22 inch yob clearing machetes ........
 
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Julian Parkin 2

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Just a quick one on how the law on knives is interpreted by our fabulous Police Force.

After working on a saturday morning I rushed off to the football. As an away fan at Bury FC I was searched and my work Stanley knife (Blade retracted) was found and subsequently confiscated. The policeman then informed me that after the game I could have my knife back!! So whilst I was penned in the ground with my fellow supporters I couldn't have my knife, but back on the streets surrounded by all and sundury I could!! Work that out.
 
T

The Monk

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I always thought it was alright to carry knives for the purpose of fishing, like, obviously you need your machete on some of the Manchester carp waters incase your drug dealer tries to rip you off!
 
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