British Multi Tool Poll

Interesting, Leathermans seem quite popular.

I am British, but moved to the US about 5 years ago. Prior to coming to the US I was never really aware of plier based multitools, but have carried a SAK since I was a lad. I vaguely remember seeing a PST, but that was it. The comment from the old geezer in the shop that showed it to me was something to the effect that the WWII POW would give his right arm for one of those.

I now EDC a Juice along with a SAK, but really don't have much need for pliers (I am a computer techie) but more need for screwdrivers.

I am suprised how popular Waves are because I didn't think the knife on them would be legal in Britain. The knife looks partularly vicious to the average Briton.
 
Vicious? Really? I wasn't aware that the average Brit was that in fear of a blade esp on a multi.

Kap
 
Aren't the knives on brittish leathermen different from the american ones? I know they are in denmark... Here they can't be opened single handedly. :(
 
Welcome to BladeForums -walle- !!

How exactly do they prevent the blades from being opened single-handedly? (Do they replace the thumb-hole in the knife blade with a nail nick?)

Please post a picture of a Denmark Wave, if possible.
Thanks,
~Bob
 
-walle- said:
Aren't the knives on brittish leathermen different from the american ones? I know they are in denmark... Here they can't be opened single handedly. :(
Click to expand...

I didn't think it was the single handed opening was the issue in Britain - it's the fact that the blade locks.
 
You're very welcome dunc5!
I've been lurking around in the shadows at BritishBlades for quite awhile now. You chaps always have some interesting discussions going on. Glad I do not have to abide by some of your overbearing knife laws though!:thumbdn:

Regarding your poll results so far; I'm somewhat surprised that Leatherman tools are so dominant. Or more precisely, I'm surprised that Victorinox is not scoring higher in comparison. In the United States, the average multi tool buyer has never even HEARD of a SwissTool, because the local WalMart or Costco store does not stock them. They stock plenty of Leatherman, Gerber, and Chinese junk tools, but no Victorinox.

Is it the same way in England and Scotland?
 
Funny enough its not quite the same over here , Victorinox are imported and distributed by Burton McCall who also deals with Maglite so quite often you will see big display cabinets with Vics and Mags displayed along side each other, Very common in outdoor and camping shops . Its a similar story for Leatherman who are imported by Whitby knives .

Dunc
 
Thanks Jooliesews :) Yea, they replaced it with a little nail nick. Sadly i don't have a danish wave on hand. Thinking about getting one soon though, or maybe a charge xti.
 
I'm a Brit and carry my Leatherman Wave (inc. one-hand opening blade, locking)on the odd occassion, usually only when I know there's a task I'm going to need it for, altho I do keep it handy around the house. I think the main legal issue for multitool carry in the UK would focus primarily on the blade length (2" for an EDC technically). However, I've seen other ppl carrying similar multitools openly, and whether a copper would confront them over it would probably depend, as far as I can tell, on the situation it's being carried in (e.g. at a rowdy footy match it'd definitely betreated with a lot of suspicion) and the copper's own discretion. So my wariness about carrying my multitool on my belt openly is more to do with scaring 'sheeple' into asking questions all the time.

Btw, I think Leatherman probably scores highly partly cuz of brand-recognition: most people think multitool, think leatherman - except I'd prob got for a Gerber next time.
 
Its funny even in Canada Wally World and our own Canadian Tire stock Vics but not the Multi-Tools.........

Kap
 
ArchieCS said:
I think the main legal issue for multitool carry in the UK would focus primarily on the blade length (2" for an EDC technically).
Click to expand...

I thought is was 3" b/c thats the length of the Spyderco UK Penknife that was designed to be legal there. Or is the 2" law for knives that have a lock?
 
If it's got a lock then it's considered to be a fixed blade and therefore illegal:mad:

I carry a wave but after 4 years use it's had it, I'm going to give the Gerber a try next.

Cheers,

Mark
 
Bodieism said:
I thought is was 3" b/c thats the length of the Spyderco UK Penknife that was designed to be legal there. Or is the 2" law for knives that have a lock?
Click to expand...

Your right about the 3" but its a no no for locking knives of any blade length unless you have a very good reason .

Dunc
 
dunc5 said:
Your right about the 3" but its a no no for locking knives of any blade length unless you have a very good reason .

Dunc
Click to expand...

Man that sucks. I still couldn't see a cop over there hauling someone off to jail for carrying something like a Spyderco Jester or Ladybug.... or would they? That seems like a really silly law... to me a lock has always just be a saftey mechanism not something that made it more functional to stab people with... of course there are some really stupid laws here in NC to. Like no automatic knives. Its funny because my Spyderco's are perfectly legal and with zip tie waves on them I can open them faster than any of the automatic knives I've handled.
 
i think the laws up here in canada regarding knife carry are the most liberal of them all =). the main tip that i always here though is that if asked by a cop to open your knife, open it with two hands regardless of what it can do, and identify it as a tool used for opening boxes, packages, cutting cardboard, etc.

hey bodieism... how do you create a wave with a zip tie?
 
flybri said:
hey bodieism... how do you create a wave with a zip tie?
Click to expand...

On Spyderco's that carry tip-up you can run a zip tie through the opening hole and pull it down real tight leaving the square part on top. Then you cut off the excess and the little square part functions like a wave. Works great to :D

A picture is worth a thousand words (sorry for the quality):

Sep09_0004.jpg
 
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