What would you do if carrying a knife became illegal in your country?

Louky

Louky

Joined
Apr 21, 2003
Messages
518
My grandfather gave me my first knife (a tiny slip-joint) when I was 7 years old.
I don't think I've ever gone a day since then without having a folding knife in my pocket.
For over 40 years, I have been carrying all kinds of folding knives without ever having caused the slightest problem: modern, traditional, SAK, Spyderco, Benchmade, Laguiole, Sebenza... J'adore les couteaux de poche !

Unfortunately, here in France, the situation for knife lovers is becoming critical.

There are many problems of aggression, especially between young people, and our leaders, unable to do anything, use the easy solution, which consists of banning knives. It won't solve any problems, of course, but it gives people the impression that they're doing something.
This summer, they classified "brass knuckles" and "zombie knives" in "category A", that is to say the same classification as full-auto firearms!!!

Fixed knives, automatic knives and butterfly knives are classified in "category D": their possession is authorized, but their carrying is prohibited (except for professionals in the exercise of their profession and for hunters in action). All other knives "can be" classified as category D, depending on the circumstances, according to the assessment of the police officer carrying out the check... in other words, it's Russian roulette...

Violation of the law carries a risk of a fine of €500 (approximately $580).
More importantly, it creates a criminal record, which prohibits you from owning a firearm and from holding certain public sector jobs.

So far, I'm resisting: I'm taking the risk of putting a Victorinox Cadet in my pocket regardless.
But I don't know what philosophy to adopt regarding this problem. We are rarely checked where I live, but if I get caught, the consequences would be enormous.

What do you think about this situation?
What would you do if carrying a knife became illegal in your country?
 
Louky said:
My grandfather gave me my first knife (a tiny slip-joint) when I was 7 years old.
I don't think I've ever gone a day since then without having a folding knife in my pocket.
For over 40 years, I have been carrying all kinds of folding knives without ever having caused the slightest problem: modern, traditional, SAK, Spyderco, Benchmade, Laguiole, Sebenza... J'adore les couteaux de poche !

Unfortunately, here in France, the situation for knife lovers is becoming critical.

There are many problems of aggression, especially between young people, and our leaders, unable to do anything, use the easy solution, which consists of banning knives. It won't solve any problems, of course, but it gives people the impression that they're doing something.
This summer, they classified "brass knuckles" and "zombie knives" in "category A", that is to say the same classification as full-auto firearms!!!

Fixed knives, automatic knives and butterfly knives are classified in "category D": their possession is authorized, but their carrying is prohibited (except for professionals in the exercise of their profession and for hunters in action). All other knives "can be" classified as category D, depending on the circumstances, according to the assessment of the police officer carrying out the check... in other words, it's Russian roulette...

Violation of the law carries a risk of a fine of €500 (approximately $580).
More importantly, it creates a criminal record, which prohibits you from owning a firearm and from holding certain public sector jobs.

So far, I'm resisting: I'm taking the risk of putting a Victorinox Cadet in my pocket regardless.
But I don't know what philosophy to adopt regarding this problem. We are rarely checked where I live, but if I get caught, the consequences would be enormous.

What do you think about this situation?
What would you do if carrying a knife became illegal in your country?
Click to expand...

There kinda a abrupt saying we have in The States. Some say......It's better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6.

You need to do what works for you .
Everyone has their own comfort level.

*I'm definitely not recommending you break Any laws.
 
I am sorry that France is moving in that direction, especially since Le Thiers remains a powerhouse of knife production. My first thought would be to organize and push for legislative reform, but I'm not familiar enough with French politics to know if that is a viable option.
 
oldmanwilly said:
I am sorry that France is moving in that direction, especially since Le Thiers remains a powerhouse of knife production. My first thought would be to organize and push for legislative reform, but I'm not familiar enough with French politics to know if that is a viable option.
Click to expand...

Yes, This...
if you don't like the laws, change the lawyers.
Voting, community influence, or......

*Change is from the people.
We are guilty too, of letting our government walking all over us. We pretend we have rights
 
No, I'm not moving! ;)
I'm at home here, and I have family obligations, my job, my house...

Anyway, it wouldn't change much. All European countries will end up adopting the same type of restrictions. It's for the same reason that the vote won't change anything: everything is now decided at the European level, by unelected people who don't care what citizens think.

For now, we are trapped by this system.

My goal isn't to break the law. Furthermore, in theory, I can carry a folding knife if I have a "legitimate reason". But there's no definition of what a "legitimate reason" is, which makes the situation very uncertain. Especially since there's been a real psychosis about bladed weapons in the country for several years.

This is what the Vice-President of the National Assembly presented in May as "weapons seized from students"... :rolleyes:

La-vice-presidente-de-l-Assemblee-Naima-Moutchou-sur-le-plateau-de-BFMTV-RMC-ce-jeudi-29-mai-2025-2089075.webp


My (other) grandfather told me that during the Second World War, when the Germans occupied my region, he and his friends used to carry a penknife in their wallets to avoid getting caught.

I should think about that! 😁
 
In my experience (in the U.S.), the police usually don’t search you in public unless you give them a reason to. It sounds similar in your region of France? If that’s the case, comport yourself in a discrete, mature, non-threatening manner and keep carrying your Cadet. Unjust laws should be resisted, even in small ways. You don’t intend violence (which would probably backfire anyway if you tried to attack someone with a Victorinox Cadet) and you aren’t doing anything wrong.

Or you could buy some obsidian and learn flint knapping, which is only half a joke, sadly. ;)
 
Unfortunately knives seem to get picked on lately. Make the innocent pay for a few guilty parties. Usually banned in places where a knife would be handy to protect yourself from undesirables in case of attack. Got some real stinkin politicians both here and in Europe. Better watch out for your scissors too!
 
Louky said:
What would you do if carrying a knife became illegal in your country?
Click to expand...
I would carry one anyways and just stay out of trouble.
I quite often carry fairly small knives that the average person of a modern knife mindset might say is too small to be useful though, here is what I'm carrying lately.

20250923_101333.jpg
Even if I did get stopped when carrying a knife was illegal, I may be let off with a warning or something especially if I were a the mercy of officer discretion.
 
Louky said:
No, I'm not moving! ;)
I'm at home here, and I have family obligations, my job, my house...

Anyway, it wouldn't change much. All European countries will end up adopting the same type of restrictions. It's for the same reason that the vote won't change anything: everything is now decided at the European level, by unelected people who don't care what citizens think.

For now, we are trapped by this system.

My goal isn't to break the law. Furthermore, in theory, I can carry a folding knife if I have a "legitimate reason". But there's no definition of what a "legitimate reason" is, which makes the situation very uncertain. Especially since there's been a real psychosis about bladed weapons in the country for several years.

This is what the Vice-President of the National Assembly presented in May as "weapons seized from students"... :rolleyes:

La-vice-presidente-de-l-Assemblee-Naima-Moutchou-sur-le-plateau-de-BFMTV-RMC-ce-jeudi-29-mai-2025-2089075.webp


My (other) grandfather told me that during the Second World War, when the Germans occupied my region, he and his friends used to carry a penknife in their wallets to avoid getting caught.

I should think about that! 😁
Click to expand...
Can you get wanded?

Like with a metal detector?
 
Louky said:
My grandfather gave me my first knife (a tiny slip-joint) when I was 7 years old.
I don't think I've ever gone a day since then without having a folding knife in my pocket.
For over 40 years, I have been carrying all kinds of folding knives without ever having caused the slightest problem: modern, traditional, SAK, Spyderco, Benchmade, Laguiole, Sebenza... J'adore les couteaux de poche !

Unfortunately, here in France, the situation for knife lovers is becoming critical.

There are many problems of aggression, especially between young people, and our leaders, unable to do anything, use the easy solution, which consists of banning knives. It won't solve any problems, of course, but it gives people the impression that they're doing something.
This summer, they classified "brass knuckles" and "zombie knives" in "category A", that is to say the same classification as full-auto firearms!!!

Fixed knives, automatic knives and butterfly knives are classified in "category D": their possession is authorized, but their carrying is prohibited (except for professionals in the exercise of their profession and for hunters in action). All other knives "can be" classified as category D, depending on the circumstances, according to the assessment of the police officer carrying out the check... in other words, it's Russian roulette...

Violation of the law carries a risk of a fine of €500 (approximately $580).
More importantly, it creates a criminal record, which prohibits you from owning a firearm and from holding certain public sector jobs.

So far, I'm resisting: I'm taking the risk of putting a Victorinox Cadet in my pocket regardless.
But I don't know what philosophy to adopt regarding this problem. We are rarely checked where I live, but if I get caught, the consequences would be enormous.

What do you think about this situation?
What would you do if carrying a knife became illegal in your country?
Click to expand...
The good news is that when you get caught and adjudicated a criminal, you are then free to carry anything. Good people are law abiding, criminals are not, and once the portion of the lawful diminishes, it will take the society down with it.

N2s
 
I'm a 49-year-old man who works 50 hours a week and lives in a semi-rural area.
I've always had a habit of avoiding strange places, strange people, and strange situations. :cool:

When I'm at home, wherever I'm hiking in the hills, I always carry a Spyderco Delica or a Sage 5. No one here will give me any trouble. Elsewhere, it's much riskier.

In France, too, we're used to doing pretty much whatever we want. But this attitude is dangerous: on French forums, per example, no one wants to talk about these regulatory issues. Everyone thinks that, in any case, we'll continue as before and ignore the law, because the chances of getting caught are slim.
So, unlike gun enthusiasts (of which I am also a part), there is no effective defense association or professional organization.
The market is collapsing, and many small knife makers are shutting down.
Worse, knife culture (which is important in France) is disappearing.

This makes me sad and a little angry.

I live in Alsace, on the border with Germany. We speak a very old Germanic dialect that many people still speak: Alsatian. When something annoys us, there's a very old expression that says "I have the knife that opens all by itself in my pocket" : "Do geht eim s’Masser em Sack uf !" ;)
 
Louky said:
My grandfather gave me my first knife (a tiny slip-joint) when I was 7 years old.
I don't think I've ever gone a day since then without having a folding knife in my pocket.
For over 40 years, I have been carrying all kinds of folding knives without ever having caused the slightest problem: modern, traditional, SAK, Spyderco, Benchmade, Laguiole, Sebenza... J'adore les couteaux de poche !

Unfortunately, here in France, the situation for knife lovers is becoming critical.

There are many problems of aggression, especially between young people, and our leaders, unable to do anything, use the easy solution, which consists of banning knives. It won't solve any problems, of course, but it gives people the impression that they're doing something.
This summer, they classified "brass knuckles" and "zombie knives" in "category A", that is to say the same classification as full-auto firearms!!!

Fixed knives, automatic knives and butterfly knives are classified in "category D": their possession is authorized, but their carrying is prohibited (except for professionals in the exercise of their profession and for hunters in action). All other knives "can be" classified as category D, depending on the circumstances, according to the assessment of the police officer carrying out the check... in other words, it's Russian roulette...

Violation of the law carries a risk of a fine of €500 (approximately $580).
More importantly, it creates a criminal record, which prohibits you from owning a firearm and from holding certain public sector jobs.

So far, I'm resisting: I'm taking the risk of putting a Victorinox Cadet in my pocket regardless.
But I don't know what philosophy to adopt regarding this problem. We are rarely checked where I live, but if I get caught, the consequences would be enormous.

What do you think about this situation?
What would you do if carrying a knife became illegal in your
Click to expand...
"Concealed" means just that: Concealed. I don't know how much search and seizure authority exists in your country. We do have Constitutionally-protected rights against unlawful search of person or property in the United States, but at the end of the day it all becomes a matter of what I call risk tolerance. Again, not knowing the laws in your country, I would suggest that you carry a lock-blade folder with a blade length between 3" and 4" well-concealed in your pocket at all times. This is a good, useful, and practical EDC knife that will serve you well. Avoid anything tactical-looking. Stay with a good brand name. Buck, CRKT, Sypderco and Cold Steel are all good choices. Remember to use your head and be careful.
 
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