Bought my own knife recently and have been carrying it every day. Only trouble is I now know why so many people are into knife collecting... I can't afford this It's come in handy often enough for me to be happy with my purchase. Cutting rope, cardboard, random plastic packaging, etc. It's fun to flip it open and play with it too, like my Zippo. The Zippo is just too fun to play with, plus it's an instant hit whenever anyone pulls out a cigarette. I don't have enough dexterity to pull off any knife tricks (and I enjoy my fingers), but I can get fancy with a Zippo..
Quite. I was not meaning Glasgow is a bad place or the people are not nice, quite the opposite in fact. But out of the major cities in Scotland, I believe Glasgow has the highest stab rate (not sure what the official term is there).
When I was at school, we were told XX% of students come to school armed. I thought "That's daft, what idiot goes to school armed?" Then I realised they meant me, carrying a knife ever since boyscouts. I've toned down to a keyring, keysized swiss-army knife, as it does everything I need. I'm actually not capable of cutting my fingernails with anything other than lab-scissors (my mom's) or this little pair on the knife. Why are locked blades knifes not allowed, but multitools with locking blades are?
I'm not sure there's much point in supplying you with anything because as I have said many times before, some people have their opinion and it can't be changed. Or as I like to put it: "You can't be told". Anyway I'll have a go - change your EDC item (that's everyday carry for those who don't EDC anything and don't know) to a flashlight. I carry a flashlight on my person every minute of every day. Sometimes it's a small 1x CR123 LED light clipped to the inside of my pocket, sometimes it's just the 1xAAA one on my key ring and sometimes it's a 1x 18650 (large lithium cell) monster that can throw a spot of light hundreds of meters. Now, with this information, you might ask why on earth I would carry a flashlight around during the day. Sure, part of it has to do with the fact that I collect flashlights. Part of it is even because I've made as much a habit of making sure I don't leave the house without a light as I have making sure I don't leave without my wallet, but most of all it's because since I started EDCing a flashlight about 3 years ago, it has come in handy at least once during the day almost every day of the week. Now, let me get down to why exactly I'm talking about this. I - as well as many other enthusiast grade flashlight users - consider each and every one of my collection of lights to be a tool. I look after them just as much as I do any tool in my workshop and at least one of them gets used for work any time that I am working. When I leave the house in the morning with a Nitecore Extreme (that's one of my favourite EDC lights) clipped to my pocket, I don't know for sure that I'm going to switch it on at some point that day and use it, but experience tells me that I am probably going to use it at some point. I can assure you, if I left the house without a light and later that day dropped a screw under someone's desk for example, and my right hand instinctively went to my right pocket to unclip a flashlight to use to find it and there wasn't one there, I'd be pissed with myself. Now, take an example of someone using a knife to open a package of some sort, or doing something as simple as cutting a loose thread off a piece of clothing. If that person is in the habit of carrying a (legal of course... I mean, I don't carry my green Laser around) knife and reaching for it if and when they need it for a constructive task and they haven't got it for one reason or another, they're going to be irritated by it. It all boils down to people seeing knives purely as potential weapons. It takes a little bit of open mindedness for someone to see that a knife can be carried on someone's person every day here in the UK or anywhere in the world and used as a tool, with absolutely no intention from the person carrying it of using it as a weapon.
Ok, I have read through this whole thread and can see there is quite conflicting views here. First of all let me just comment on the argument of: Don't make me laugh, how many times am I going to have to hear this utterly ridiculous statement? Secondly: There is a whole load of people with the same mentality as you they all get together in a state owned 'club house', and guess what they even get a matching uniform of jumpsuits, feel free to join them. O/T:- I take people's points that a knife can come in very handy, I have encountered these situations myself as well. But to say you need it on you all day, everyday is rather unnecessary I feel. If you need it at work - have one at work. Need one in your workshop - same again. But to need it randomly in the street? (I refer you to possibly the best line in this whole thread - 'To slice an onion at an impromptu time?' )
But you havent really given any examples here of where a switchblade is any more useful than a swiss army blade - ofc if you are in the habit of dropping screws then you would carry a flash light - on more than one occasion ive found a situation where i have needed pliers but it doesnt mean i have started carrying pliers around with me. Loose threads and opening packages whilst you are walking around outside? Packages come to your home or work, never while you are walking around - unless you buy a dvd you simply cant wait to open until you get home and you cant get through the packaging yourself (admittedly them hard plastic sealed cases some things come in, a knife may be handy, but how often do you need it /right then/?). I KNOW people dont carry them around with them as weapons only, but if it came to a situation where its handy as a weapon then you escalate a situation. You say I cant be told, but I can, I can honestly be very told - im just yet to hear a good reason other than, "sometimes it comes in useful", because if we had that attitude about things we would all be carrying around shitloads of stuff with us... Carry your water proofs everywhere with you too? Seems like it might be more useful in UK weather (as would a swiss army knife, as that does everything you have specified as a knife being useful for, and other things too)
It's not about needing it in a street, it's about needing it anywhere were one might currently be doing something, I'm currently flitting between three addresses for the purposes of eating sleeping etc, plus a job, plus a car, plus an evening class I go to. I should get six identical knives/multi-tools ? Or I can just carry it on my person, thereby always having it when I need it. Problem solved? No now I get arrested
Correct me if I am wrong, but wouldn't having it in the car be nearly as convenient? (as you most likely have it at each of those locations - this may be the inaccurate bit ) and therefore be within the letter of the Law?
That's just the logistical situation I'm currently in, unimportant perhaps as I don't carry anything more lethal than a yale key or a leather belt. But my general situation isn't exceptional, take away the car, add a second job and what have you got? This debate has been and is of great interest to me, and it's very complex and involved. One of my best friends was stabbed in the back four times with an oh-so-innocent Swiss army knife, the thing that saved him was the ineptitude of his attackers who hit his shoulder blades every time. Conversely my brother is almost never without his multi-tool, which has a three and a bit inch long locking blade, I wouldn't dream of taking it away from him, it's far to useful to him and oft times to me. Regardless, the only thing that makes a weapon dangerous is intent. With the proper attitude anything can be a weapon.
I completely concur with your final statement there, but I would not say it is an argument to legalise things.
OK, that makes sense.. now what are you using it for where a knife is absolutely the only tool for the job?
Oh I'm not ^^ and I don't think there is any job where a knife is the only tool for the job, though I'm prepared to be proven wrong. What a knife can be is many tools at once and for a reasonable price; most tools are quite specialised and only have one or two applications, a knife has literately hundreds if not thousands of potential uses. Example, I'm basically a jeweller/architect (except I'm not actually an architect as I haven't got my part three status, but if I moved to just about anywhere else in the world, I could call myself an architect, but that's another rant, for another day) as a jeweller I use my sgian dubh a lot, for unsetting stones both bezel and claw set, cleaning adhesive/gunk, as a pry bar, splitter, scraping excess solder, removing watch backs, cutting soft stone, adjusting the position of large pieces while heating... ohh and at least a dozen other jobs I can't think of just now, where my first reaction would be to reach for the knife. There are specific tools for all of these jobs, the total cost is very high.
Oh yeah, no you get me wrong - I have a clear understanding that knives have a good place in many workplaces - obviously not desk jobs but things like what you do, packaging people, computer repair even, many different places a knife would be useful. Im talking about in the day to day, just going out with a knife with no known purpose other than "something might come along where a knife might be handy". Opening packages and stuff just isnt it, ive not met many packages where I need anything more than my hands to open (though I admit there are some that do) - and even then I receive them when I am at home or at work, not when I am out and about
It's blatantly obvious you don't get the concept of EDC items and that's fine, most people don't. I'm not even a prolific EDC guy - head over to a dedicated EDC forum and have a look at what some people carry round with them every single day of the week, no matter what the occasion or weather. Also, please stop referring to me as someone who carries a knife in public because as I have already stated and others have suggested is the best idea, mine stays clipped to the netting in the lid of my toolbox whilst I am travelling anywhere, which places it strictly and firmly in the "tool" category. I used the examples of opening packaging and cutting threads as a quick example. And about 70% of my work is done on-site, so yes I do have plenty of use for a knife when I am working anywhere other than in the workshop. You are using silly examples to try and explain why carrying a knife in public is pointless and I am trying my best to show you that there are thousands of occasions when some people might need a knife for cutting any one of a thousand things. Just this morning I was at a job where I was installing some components in a few office servers and the blister packaging which some of the stuff came in was cut open in two seconds with my Spyderco UKPK. I'd have been hacking at it for about 5 minutes with anything else. Anyway I think I'm going to leave this discussion now, because it's just never going to end. I have my opinion on UK knife law and the legality and usefulness of knives and plenty of others have differing opinions. I'm going to leave it at that and keep carrying and using my UK legal blades as long as the law allows it. The rest of you can keep using your teeth if you want, your loss. [edit] I never mentioned switchblades or assisted opening blades. If it's illegal, it's illegal. I carry UK legal only even though I also have a small collection of non UK legal carry knives.
I used to carry one every day, but there's restrictions on them at work and the massive stereotyping at school leads to hassles with college security if I ever use it. Typically those uses are cutting my lunch, salami and cheese slices on crackers is one of my favorites. In this case a longer blade is actually very useful. Knives are also great eating tools if you're careful! I'm a bit on the fence over assisted open and switchblades. On one side, I can see why having any assistance or mechanization shouldn't be needed for a utility knife. On the other, I can see anyone with some practice can manually open (with one hand) a legal knife with thumb holes/bumps very quickly. Though more to your point, assisted open and switchblade would make more sense being classed together in legislation, they're similar in advantages and purpose. Would just like to point out that this is certainly a factor in knife legislation: people don't know what they're talking about. Pocket knife... switchblade... same thing, right?
Have I missed something here? As I've said, I don't walk down the street with it clipped to my pocket... much as I'd like to be able to, in this country I know better. I refuse to stop carrying one every day though, and it stays in the toolbox when I'm not on a job. I was only defending the rights of those who do carry one in public for legitimate reasons. Of course many people in the UK do carry legal and illegal blades for sinister reasons, which I am completely opposed to. It's people like them and those before them who are to blame for our stringent UK knife laws in the first place. Apart from all else, we are talking about potentially lethal wound inflicting implements. Knives are not to be messed with. The sharpest of my collection - a professionally edged Spyderco Police - is easily capable of slicing through flesh with minimal force during improper use, and that's not even using it in an offensive way.
I have a Gerber Powerframe as my EDC, I use it everyday, pretty much without fail. Between opening packaging, mail, removing the idiotic cable-ties the college continually puts on everything in the networking lab.... at work, I use it for opening silicon and caulk tubes, sharpening pencils, etc.... certain EDC tools are incredibly useful.... I can't really comment on UK law, but we have similar laws in NYC, no knives longer than 4" (not sure if that is blade or total), no locking blades, no open carry, but with those laws, they don't care if you have a 4" blade, non-folding blade . The rest of the state really couldn't care less except that they don't like automatic/assisted open knives....
Those are surprisingly similar but still less strict than UK laws. UK blade length restriction is 3" and locking blades are totally banned because they are considered equal to or at least equally dangerous as the other type of illegal knife, a fixed blade. As all assisted openers and switch blades are locking in some way, those are illegal as well. I still find it silly that they consider a locking blade equally as dangerous as a fixed blade. Liner locks/lock backs as well as any other blade locking system were introduced as a safer knife to avoid accidental injury whilst using them No open carry applies here too. It has to be folded and in your pocket/put away unless you are using it at that moment in time.
If someone is crazy enough or try and kill someone else then they will find any means to do it. The thing is though is that you want to limit accessibility to as little as possible. If knives were allowed and then all these teenagers started walking around with a locking knife in their pocket, and end up drunk at a party and get into a fight, then they person has access to a potentially lethal weapon. Having these restrictions in place prevents people acting out of rage and killing others. Laws not perfect, but I've never been in any situation where I was threatened with a knife, or felt that I neede dto carry a knife to defend myself. Americans seem to enjoy poking fun at our "ott" laws, but then in the UK we don't have serial killers walking into school and machine gunning everyone in the vicinity. And that sort of stuff has happened in the USA a lot more.
