The British ARE allowed locking knives providing the blade length is below 3 inches and the knive FOLDS (not slides) according to this ammendment!
From the BritishBlades.com forum:
http://www.britishblades.com/forums/showthread.php?t=963&page=9&pp=15
"In moving the amendment Mr John Patten, Minister of State at the Home Office, explained the Government thinking saying:
"When the Bill was printed for the other place, we arrived at the original formulation of the clause mindful of the important and pressing need to ensure that Stanley knives and other knives with sliding blades which can lock open and do terrible damage, should not benefit from the exemption. We do not believe that someone should be allowed to produce from his pocket a sharp bladed instrument of 3 inches or less, which has a flick effect or a gravity effect or slides out and can then be locked into place ... In our discussions with the manufacturers with whom we have consulted widely in the interests of industry and employment ?, it emerged that we could catch those vicious slidingknives, while at the same time exempting ordinary pocketknives that lock into the open position, which is what the amendment seeks to do.
Folding, locking pocketknives, which I am advised that many people carry because they are safer to use than the non-locking variety, will be excepted from the general offence, which is right, but the exception will apply only to folding pocketknives with a sharpened blade of 3 inches or less .... We wish to keep within the law those people who carry ordinary pocketknives. When an officer finds a person in possession of a pocketknife in a public place he has only to check the length of the blade and ensure that the knife folds. If the knife does not fulfil those criteria, the possessor will have to show a good reason for having the knife with him.""
There is still legal precedent at the crown court level against the carrying of locking blades however since its been denounced, I'm pretty sure it can be overturned the next time there's a spurious case. Just DON'T carry a knife in self-defence. Don't use a knife in self defence.
From the BritishBlades.com forum:
http://www.britishblades.com/forums/showthread.php?t=963&page=9&pp=15
"In moving the amendment Mr John Patten, Minister of State at the Home Office, explained the Government thinking saying:
"When the Bill was printed for the other place, we arrived at the original formulation of the clause mindful of the important and pressing need to ensure that Stanley knives and other knives with sliding blades which can lock open and do terrible damage, should not benefit from the exemption. We do not believe that someone should be allowed to produce from his pocket a sharp bladed instrument of 3 inches or less, which has a flick effect or a gravity effect or slides out and can then be locked into place ... In our discussions with the manufacturers with whom we have consulted widely in the interests of industry and employment ?, it emerged that we could catch those vicious slidingknives, while at the same time exempting ordinary pocketknives that lock into the open position, which is what the amendment seeks to do.
Folding, locking pocketknives, which I am advised that many people carry because they are safer to use than the non-locking variety, will be excepted from the general offence, which is right, but the exception will apply only to folding pocketknives with a sharpened blade of 3 inches or less .... We wish to keep within the law those people who carry ordinary pocketknives. When an officer finds a person in possession of a pocketknife in a public place he has only to check the length of the blade and ensure that the knife folds. If the knife does not fulfil those criteria, the possessor will have to show a good reason for having the knife with him.""
There is still legal precedent at the crown court level against the carrying of locking blades however since its been denounced, I'm pretty sure it can be overturned the next time there's a spurious case. Just DON'T carry a knife in self-defence. Don't use a knife in self defence.
One of my favorites.
