The BBC reports that “Gordon Brown has called for the age that teenagers are prosecuted for carrying knives to be lowered from 18 to 16 in the wake of a rise in attacks.”
I don’t understand. This implies that the way the laws are currently setup, a person can legally carry a knife till they turn 18. At 18 and onward, carrying a knife is illegal. That makes no sense. Shouldn’t it be the inverse?
The whole notion of outlawing knifes seems absurd. It is our species’ first substantial technology. For better or worse, it may be argued, the knife set us down this evolutionary and cultural path. And today, the knife remains a valid tool. It is something that I use regularly in my daily life and is critical to my survival should this hyperreal, simulacra of an existence fall apart.
When I first started carrying a knife, I researched the laws in my area regarding them. The laws, collectively, are so varied and convoluted as to make them irrelevant. Today, I simply ignore them.
Why is that I can earn a license to carry a concealed gun, but cannot, under any circumstance, carry a concealed blade of a certain type or length? I would much rather someone with the intent to kill me be armed with a knife than a gun.
These violent deaths that the PM is attempting to prevent will not be mitigated by prosecuting the youth for carrying a tool. A pre-meditated murderer will not curtail his action because knives are frowned upon. A murder committed without prior thought may be executed with a pen. Or hands! Does Gordon plan to outlaw these? Perhaps his intent is to turn the UK into a population of sedate amputees?
Better they should focus on the cause of this high rate of youth crime. Perhaps it has something to do with the massive surveillance, the elimination of privacy?
I’m from the UK, Scotland more specifically. I ran into the same problem as you did. The laws in Scotland and England are different and I can’t find a legitimate source of accurate legislation.
If I remember correctly, I found that carrying is ok provided the blade length is under 3 inches and that you have a good reason for carrying (saying self defence is not a good reason and you will get arrested). Folding knives are legal so long as they do not lock, which is very unsafe.
I think provided you don’t look like a chav the police will have no interest in you and you can carry all you want, which suits me fine.
I strugled a lot with this one, since I moved to the UK. Here’s what PNLD (Police National Legal Database) has to say:
“Question:
Is it illegal to carry a knife around in my pocket?
Answer: It is illegal to carry any sharp or bladed instrument in a public place (with the exception of a folding pocket knife, which has a blade that is less than 7.62 cm (3 inches)).
A lock knife is not a folding pocket knife and therefore it is illegal to carry around such a knife regardless of the length of the blade. A lock knife means a knife which is similar to a folding knife, in that there is a spring holding the blade closed. However, a lock knife has a mechanism which locks the blade in position when fully extended, the blade cannot be closed without that mechanism being released. A lock knife is not an offensive weapon per se (because these knives were made with a specific purpose in mind and not as a weapon). However, possession of a lock knife in a public place without reasonable excuse is an offence.
Possession of a multi-tool incorporating a prohibited blade/pointed article is capable of being an offence under this section even if there are other tools on the instrument which may be of use to a person in a public place (screwdriver, can opener). It is for the person to prove on the balance of probabilities that he/she had good reason for possession.
The penalty for committing this offence is a minimum prison sentence of six months, maximum four years and/or a fine.”
End of quote (from http://www.askthe.police.uk/content/Q337.htm)
Coming from Poland, I feel now like being in Israel or something. Couple a months ago they put a thing in the paper: the Police had put an ad-hoc metal-detecting gate outside of the pub near the place that I live, to check for knives.
Pigmonkey, you were right, people can be killed with hands, or pen. They can also be killed by the alcohol (or by people under its influence). No one is ever going to ban alcohol again! Maybe it’s time to demonize something else?
My swiss knife (with short, non-lockable blade) stays on my person at all times when I’m in public. It get me aout of lot of health over the years (ie. I have extracted stucked earplugs from my ears). For me it’s an utility tool, not a weapon; I would never fight with a knife. It goes in my Versipack when I’m in public AND NOTHING’S GOING TO CHANGE IT!
Also on my person, I’ve got a printed note from the quoted PNLD website, to ensure smooth cooperation with the Police force. Respect for them, anyway, and shame on the police state that we are becoming.
PS. Sorry for keeping it so long.
What do they have against locking folders?
I carry a locking folder, multitool with locking blade, and small fixed blade.