This summer Sarah and I will be flying to Ireland for a week in Dublin, then hopping the Irish Sea for a week in Glasgow, Scotland. So the knives go in the checked luggage.
I'm pretty sure I understand the law in Scotland will be no fixed blade or locking folder of any size, but slipjoints under 3 inches are OK. I'm not as sure about Ireland, but I don't think it's more restrictive?
Presuming I'm intending to be a happy law abiding tourist
, I'm thinking of picking up a pair of beater, but not junker, slipjoints. The other thought would be to take this an excuse to pick up a nice old fashioned gent like a Case Seahorse Whittler, but for now I think I'm probably going cheap.
Right now I'm thinking the small (3.5" closed, 2.75" blade) Kissing Crane Brown Mule Sodbuster looks like it does the job. $12 from Ragweed, $8 from Eknife, carbon steel full height grind, hardwood scales. If I really want to cheap out I could save a couple bucks more on plastic handled Black Angus / Coal Miner version, or a Stanley sodbuster, but the Brown Mule just looks better to my eye. I owned a large one a long time ago, and remember it was solidly built, if not too finely ground.
The Okapi is another option, but again I think the Brown Mule catches my eye better.
An inexpensive slipjoint I really wouldn't mind owning is a Japanese carpenter's knife - laminated blade, nice thumbrest - but Lee Valley right now only has them in a 4" blade, which defeats my purpose for the trip. Anybody know where to get one in a sub-3" blade?
I know there are non-locking Opinels, but without the ring I again might just stick with the Brown Mule. The Opie would almost certainly cut better, though. Hmm.
I have a Classic-sized Victorinox (little hawkbill main blade, not sure what that pattern is called), but that's tiny for an all-purpose EDC. I want a bigger SAK, but I'm looking at getting one with a lock, so I'm probably not getting one for this trip.
I'm worried enough that my Pacific Cutlery 983 - that's the Barry Wood with swinging handles - would be called a lock (which it effectively is) or a balisong that I'm not tempted to risk it.
Just remembered, the outdoor shop downtown had a Europe/UK legal climbers slipjoint - I'll look at it again.
So what else should I be looking at? Am I missing something obvious? I used to own a couple inexpensive but decent folders marked "Imperial Ireland", so I presume shopping in Dublin would be one option.
I'm pretty sure I understand the law in Scotland will be no fixed blade or locking folder of any size, but slipjoints under 3 inches are OK. I'm not as sure about Ireland, but I don't think it's more restrictive?
Presuming I'm intending to be a happy law abiding tourist
, I'm thinking of picking up a pair of beater, but not junker, slipjoints. The other thought would be to take this an excuse to pick up a nice old fashioned gent like a Case Seahorse Whittler, but for now I think I'm probably going cheap.Right now I'm thinking the small (3.5" closed, 2.75" blade) Kissing Crane Brown Mule Sodbuster looks like it does the job. $12 from Ragweed, $8 from Eknife, carbon steel full height grind, hardwood scales. If I really want to cheap out I could save a couple bucks more on plastic handled Black Angus / Coal Miner version, or a Stanley sodbuster, but the Brown Mule just looks better to my eye. I owned a large one a long time ago, and remember it was solidly built, if not too finely ground.
The Okapi is another option, but again I think the Brown Mule catches my eye better.
An inexpensive slipjoint I really wouldn't mind owning is a Japanese carpenter's knife - laminated blade, nice thumbrest - but Lee Valley right now only has them in a 4" blade, which defeats my purpose for the trip. Anybody know where to get one in a sub-3" blade?
I know there are non-locking Opinels, but without the ring I again might just stick with the Brown Mule. The Opie would almost certainly cut better, though. Hmm.
I have a Classic-sized Victorinox (little hawkbill main blade, not sure what that pattern is called), but that's tiny for an all-purpose EDC. I want a bigger SAK, but I'm looking at getting one with a lock, so I'm probably not getting one for this trip.
I'm worried enough that my Pacific Cutlery 983 - that's the Barry Wood with swinging handles - would be called a lock (which it effectively is) or a balisong that I'm not tempted to risk it.
Just remembered, the outdoor shop downtown had a Europe/UK legal climbers slipjoint - I'll look at it again.
So what else should I be looking at? Am I missing something obvious? I used to own a couple inexpensive but decent folders marked "Imperial Ireland", so I presume shopping in Dublin would be one option.
