United Kingdom wanting people to give up their knives

[Darrell3644]

If you want to see some crazy stuff about groups against knives, go to facebook and search:
take knives not lives

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

There's one entitled "stop knife crime...NOW!" that I joined and was able to convince many of the individuals not to persecute knives themselves. It's amazing what a simple, calm, and respectful debate can do. There was the occasional fool who put up a big stink and wouldn't behave politely, but even he listened in the end.

Most oftentimes when you proclaim that you are pro-knife they jump to the conclusion that you are pro-criminal. Once making it clear that you are in favor of harsh punishment for those that would grossly abuse knives by employing them as weapons for unlawful assault and make your case for the knife as a tool they tend to calm down an awful lot. Just do everyone in the community a favor and stay polite no matter what.

 

[Reeek]

First guns, then knives - next it will be pencils, ink pens, silverware, etc.

What a futile mindset from so many governments in this world. It makes you wonder if they're really that dumb or if it's truly just the power thing.

I tend to think it's the latter . . . My own government seems to be walking down that path in baby steps now.

 

[mljoshua]

I read this article too, a simple pocketknife was determined to be a "flick knife" just because it had a thumb stop to open it - what next? Pretty soon you won't be able to use a hunting knife unless you buy it just before you go into the wild, because you won't be able to travel with it.... Michael
collectables knives

 

[will62]

Do the anti knife types realize that they could end up banning scalpels? Then how will they have any medical procedures done that require surgery. Doctors cut up more people than even most criminals, ha ha.

 

[mbassoc2003]

UK Law does not yet prohibit the carry or use of any knives with the exception of front loading flick knives, push button assisted openers, and knives disguised as inocuous articles.

The 'no locking blades' and '3" rule' are urban legends based on rules of guidance given to law enforcement. The bottom line is that if you have a blad on you, and it is not broadcast or visible, and it is also not deliberately concealed (ie stuck to your back with duct tape), and provided you can justify why you carry it, and that is taken as 'reasonable', then you are not breaking the law.

Now, if you get into a fight in a bar, and you are found to have a knife on your person (whether you pull it or not), you are breaking the law. And you are breaking the law because you went into a bar carrying a bladed article and you got into a fight.

It is a fine line to walk, but generally only a$$holes and idiots find themselves on the receiving end of knife prosecution, and that is the intent of the law. Remove the knives from those too stupid or irresponsible to have them.



As regards the anti-knife types (in the UK), most of them are scummy parents of scum kids, and don't want to acknowledge or admit to themselves that the reason their kids got stabbed is either because of the way they brought their kids, up, or because of the environment they brought their kids up in. Given the choice between living in sh"t and poverty in an inner city slum and living in sh"t and poverty in the rural Wales/Scotland, a sensible parent should ask themselves, 'What is the better environment to bring my child up in?' Some people are just too damn stupid and natural selection kicks in.

 

[Anaxes]

UK Law does not yet prohibit the carry or use of any knives with the exception of front loading flick

It is a fine line to walk, but generally only a$$holes and idiots find themselves on the receiving end of knife prosecution, and that is the intent of the law. Remove the knives from those too stupid or irresponsible to have them.

It prohibits the carry of all automatic knives, whether OTF or side opener.
Spring assisted knives are unofficial illegal now too; unless a test case goes in an unlikely direction.

A retired Police Chief inspector IIRC was recently hauled through court at massive cost over possession of a Swiss army knife given to him as a retirement gift by his fellow officers. Expect unreasonableness and ignorance of the law when dealing with knife related charges.

 

[mbassoc2003]

Expect unreasonableness and ignorance when dealing with knife related charges.

Or to be more specific, "Expect unreasonableness and ignorance of the law, when dealing with the police."
In my experience, they rearly understand the meaning of the law, even if they know the letter of it.

I agree, assisted openers and automatics are illegal, however, SOG produce a multitool with assisted opening blades which I have had confirmed is legal to carry for my work (construction), and the no locking blade and 3" rule are just myth. Any multitool you carry nowadays has locking blades greater that 3", and all 'rescue' knives lock and have blades greater than 3". These are acceptable carry provided you can justify it and demonstrate that you have taken reasonable precaution. I EDC a fixed blade, but I don't walk around with it on my belt. I have it in the base of a back, and bound with cable ties so that it cannot be retrieved with any ease for use as a weapon. It is a tool of my trade, and I use it at work.