Lion in Winter

So, I'm thinking of giving my son a new Swiss Army knife this Christmas. Folding knife, no blade longer than 2.5 inches, no locking blade, no hole in the blade so you can open it with one hand.

From what I've read, I think this is a legal knife in the UK. But can anyone tell me if this is likely to cause him an issue anyway if he happens to have it in his pocket when he's out with friends at uni? He is the most unlikely person in the world to get into a fight or anything himself, but what if he's out and about with some boozy mates? Is the anti-knife thing as strong as it seems sometimes from reading news, or is it more like the equiavalent of those who think it's impossible to come to the US without getting shot?

I'm not worried about the Little Lion getting knifed, I'm more worried about the long arm of the law deciding his pocket knife is a weapon.

Any thoughts?

Novocastrian

https://www.police.uk/crime-preventi...on-of-weapons/

No problem, but make sure you get the one with a bottle opener and a corkscrew.

Lion in Winter

Oh yeah, those are the two key features for a uni student.

I would absolutely only get him a legal knife (you can get them here with locking blades, etc., but apparently a no-no in the UK), but just wanted to make sure that the local rozzers wouldn't take exception to it, legal knife or not, if he happens to have it in his pocket and happens to, well, overindulge at the pub.

Novocastrian

I carry one all the time and the only time I had an issue was in France while visiting the National Stud* in St. Lo. I had to leave it at the entrance and collect it on the way out.

Horses, before you get the wrong idea.

Lion in Winter

I would put nothing past the French

I used to spend a lot of time in Provence and a bit around Bordeaux and Paris. Loved every minute.

Floridablues

I carry a folded work knife nearly all the time here in Florida and amazingly to me i've entered stadiums/events with the 'No weapons' metal scanner (accidentally) thats still failed to detect more than once, my knife! Although i personally wouldn't encourage my sons, who are back in England to carry a blade

rebs

Agreed - my son is home from university for Christmas and I asked him about this. He couldn't see any valid reason for carrying a knife (of any kind) while out and about and felt it wouldn't be a sensible thing to do at all. He also wondered if it might cause issues with doormen at pubs/clubs?

By all means have a swiss army knife, but I would be tempted to encourage him to treat is as part of a tool kit and kept at home (like screwdrivers, hammers, saws etc) rather than something that would be useful on the go.

DaveLovesDee

I've regularly had to leave my Wallet Ninja and Multitool at Security when visiting buildings with X-ray/metal detectors. Apparently they're potential weapons......

Yet my metal alloy elbow replacement never seems to get picked up.....

I'd suggest if he gets one, to keep it in his backpack.

Lion in Winter

I'm just not used to thinking of a swiss army knife as anything other than a pocket knife, or even a "penknife" rather than "a blade". It's a very simple tool and much less useful if it's left at home - I use mine for cutting string or opening packages, removing tags from things, cutting things like cheese and salami on a picnic, small branches that are in the way of something, getting something that you have tied to the roof of your car off the roof of your car, etc. It's just a simple tool, not a major piece of equipment, and the blade is only 2.5 inches long. If you haven't got it with you, it rather defeats the object of having one at all since they are not at all suitable for major work. It is also a legal knife in the UK. I know there are "issues" with stabbings in some places, but why is it a legal knife if you can't actually have the thing in your pocket?

rebs

Of course, if those are things you are likely to be doing in day to day life, then perfectly sensible.

I doubt my student son has done any of those things - certainly not on a night out in Cardiff

DaveLovesDee

Unfortunately, the UK government (and the Police) tend to see anything with even a small blade as a potential weapon. In certain parts of some towns and cities, I can see their point, but the majority of those living in the UK don't have violent tendencies.

As door staff, we are required by most nightclubs to refuse entry to anyone carrying a penknife.

scot47

i used to have a penknife on my keyring but after 2001 and the heightened security checks we had in the Middle East and Europe, I gave up on that eccentricity. I do not know how many penknives I surrendered to the security men !

kimilseung

They are legal, but I still wouldn't take one out drinking. I remember when I was a lad, and worked at Kwik Save, we would hide our stanley knives at the rail station when we went in to town after pay day; and pick them back up on our return. That before the clamp down on knives.

scrubbedexpat142

If the Little Lion must carry one of these at all times what about the Victorinox Rescue Tool - it's labelling & intended function might convince the local plod that nothing sinister is intended?

Lion in Winter

Yeah, I can see not taking one to a club with a load of rowdy uni students. And of course he doesn't have to carry one, he just wants to have useful pocket knife. Nobody could look less sinister than the Little Lion.

Nice idea on the "rescue tool" but it's not a legal knife in the UK - it has that hole in the blade that allows you to open it with one hand, and that makes it illegal.

I've got him a Swiss Army Alox Pioneer, and he'll just have to leave it at home a lot of the time until he gets to an age where he won't be as much of an immediate suspect.