What if I’m a construction worker and forget to take off my toolbelt when I go on break to get lunch. Is my phillips-head screwdriver really that threatening? This is truly a case where if people want to hurt someone, they’ll do it. We can’t sacrifice daily items like kitchen knives, pocket knives, screwdrivers, etc. just because they can be used for violence. I mean, shit you could probably beat a guy to death with a Sunday New York Times if you really cared enough. (line stolen from George Carlin)
It’s not exactly that bad, but it’s still ridiculous and smells suspiciously like a slippery slope to me.
https://www.police.uk/crime-prevention-advice/possession-of-weapons/
Knives
It is illegal to:
- sell a knife of any kind to anyone under 18 years old (16 to 18 year olds in Scotland can buy cutlery and kitchen knives)
- carry a knife in public without good reason - unless it’s a knife with a folding blade 3 inches long (7.62 cm) or less, e.g. a Swiss Army knife (a “lock knife” does not come into the category of “folding pocket knife” because it is not immediately foldable at all times)
- carry, buy or sell any type of banned knife
- use any knife in a threatening way (including a legal knife, such as a Swiss Army knife)
Good reasons for carrying a knife
Examples of good reasons to carry a knife in public can include:
- taking knives you use at work to and from work
- taking knives to a gallery or museum to be exhibited
- the knife is going to be used for theatre, film, television, historical reenactment or religious purposes, e.g. the kirpan some Sikhs carry
A court will decide if you’ve got a good reason to carry a knife if you’re charged with carrying it illegally.
Banned knives
Examples of knives that are completely banned are:
- disguised knife
- stealth knife & baton
- sword
- zombie knife
This is not a complete list of banned knives and weapons. Contact your local police to check if a knife or weapon is illegal.
The idea that you can get popped and have to convince a court that you had a good reason to be carrying a knife sounds really uncool to me.