A Lot of fuss over 3 inches! 😉 

It's 3 or 4 years now since I was challenged by a pair of police officers over my 'deadly weapon.' A folding pocket knife with a blade just over one inch long. Traces on the blade showed clearly what it was used for - sharpening pencils (yes, I still use pencils.) But the blade was lockable and that made it a potential deadly weapon! Please leave it at home in future! And how did Mr Plod discover my deadly weapon? Spotted it on the keychain on my mobility scooter - 76 years old and with serious mobility issues. What would we do without such wonderful people to protect us?

Being able to lock a blade makes it a lot safer to use. So once again we have an example of how incredibly stupid the law can be.

When I was growing up as a kid we all had knives. It was one of those things. I live abroad and when I worked we used to carry mora knives in the bank at dinner times. I always had 3 knives. Today as a pensioner I still carry a knife as it's always helpful to have.

I expect more law abiding citizens have been injured by their own 3inch or less knives because of the stupid non locking law for these blades. Most crimes that have been reported using knives have been kitchen knives, etc.

I'm dreading the day that they legislate against being in public with a sharp wit.

I was arrested for a Stanley knife once, it was in the boot of my car with a whole load of of other tools and was being used in a car audio install, It locks which is why I got arrested. After 3 hours in a cell, before I even got to interview I had two plain clothed officers come to my cell and say they were my late night savour and said the arresting officer was an idiot and should have used some common sense and that they were releasing me. Got to say, I was pretty nervous about being arrested for a knife despite having it for a genuine and honest reason and it being well out of immediate reach, not that I would ever use a weapon!

Imagine being caught with a sharpened pencil.

It always surprises me the amount of police that carry around leatherman tools with locking blades. They have no no good reason to carry them, but a blind eye is turned to this. I know of one case where someone was arrested for carrying a leatherman and when he was being interviewed his solicitor pointed out that they interviewing officers was also carrying a leatherman. After a brief discussion with the custody sergeant, he was realeased without charge and handed back his leatherman

I am 88 years of age and for as long as I can remember have carried a pocket knife, my current one is street legal and in a leather case I still sail and use my knife for rope work etc. I can’t I again using my knife fir self defence as I would have to take it out of my pocket and remove it from its pouch by which time I assume I would be flat on the floor! I would feel strange without a pocket knife and hope it is never legislated against Thank you fir an informative summary Ken

A couple of useful terms when describing the knife: Choil, is the little cut away at the bottom of the blade that allows you to sharpen the whole cutting edge, many knifes do that have this, but your utility knife shown in the video does. Ricasso, this is the bit between the choil and the handle that is unsharpened. The length of the blade is from the tip, to the start of the handle and that length includes both the choil and the ricasso.

My swiss army knife is my survival knife, tin opener, bottle opener and corkscrew .

I worked on a farm in the early 1980’s and walked around with a 6 inch sheath knife on my belt, absolutely no problem back then! It was a rural community not in the middle of a city though. Thanks for the video. Best wishes, Colin.

How do you know when you'll need a knife until you actually need one? Stupid law. Does nothing to prevent knife crime (criminals tend not to follow rules), but can turn an innocent person into a criminal for carrying around a useful tool. I loathe the state.

Whilst growing up, my mates and I always carried penknives many of the old WW2 Army black handled types, we also carried sheath knives on our belts on our scout uniforms. We never even thought of using them for offensive purposes. At school we would wander to the litter bin at the front of the class pull out a knife and sharpen our pencils. Nobody ever paid any attention except when o e lad pulled out a commando knife and had it confiscated. As an expatriate, I always used to carry a Swiss Army knife, I had two but only ever carried one at a time. These were bought at airport duty free shops and airport security were never bothered by them.

I'm so glad there's not loads of cops in the countryside. Probably get arrested for having a picnic.

I wonder if todays Boy Scouts carry a small sheath knife on their belts like we used to in the 1960's? It was part of the uniform back then and we were taught how to use them and (just as importantly) what to use them for.

You haven't addressed a "locking or not?" question raised by several on previous topic: What if the locking mechanism is optional? Case in point: "Opinel" style folding knives with a ring next to the hinge (eg. Opinel 08), if you turn it some 90degrees it's locked. (Truly a safety feature!) So it is immediately foldable by default --- but also lockable.

I live in a rural area. When i walk my dogs i always carry vetwrap gauze and a swiss army knife. One of my dogs got a very nasty leg wound and i had nothing but poo bags tissues and a phone, all utterly useless miles from home.

love to know your take on fixed knives, i carry them for work and they are often in my kit bag in my boot

There was a recent case in the UK in 2020 where a Sikh man was attacked by a group of three men who were armed. He was carrying a kirpan, which is exempt under UK law under religious grounds. The guy killed his three attackers and was not charged.

This idea of folding or locked just shows how stupid the legislation and therefore law is. A folding knife of 3 inches can just as easily kill someone if you stabbed them. What did the Government think when making this distinction? The folding knife would fold automatically when pressed against someone's body and not cause the victim an injury? STUPID beyond belief. Locking knives are safe to use for many applications.

I keep worrying about carrying tools to and from my parents house up the road as I've had the cops pull me up for changing my shelf in my garden as they thought i was stealing them Twice! So you never know if you are just going to come across a bad tempered copper one day

I remember a few years ago my mate was going on a biking holiday, he had a multitool on a keyring which had a bottle opener, mini screwdriver nail file and 1 inch blade. He carried it everywhere and used it to get stones out of tyres etc. He got detained at the airport, arrested and taken away and held for 3-4 hours, strip searched and questioned and then released at a police station several miles from the airport at 3am.

A non locking knife can be very dangerous if you're not used to it and also it easier for an accident to occur.

The increasing legislation covering the carrying of knives appears has done little if anything to decrease their use as a weapon. Truth is anyone carrying a knife with intent won't worry too much about the law. Not sure the penny has dropped on this one at legislative levels! 🤔

I know someone who was stopped by an event security bag search, with a ornament/trinket knife on his keyring. Less than an inch long, no cutting edge to speak of, but it did have a barely functional lock which he wasn't aware of. It went to court and he was found guilty, even though everybody involved thought it was a waste of time. It went on to have a impact on his life.

I remember 35 years ago when I was in the boys scouts I own a large fixed blade hunting style knife- a lot of us did; perhaps partly encouraged by watching the movie Crocodile Dundee (I don’t have it anymore). More recently, I bought a Swiss Army knife which looks pretty much like any other multi-blade Swiss Army knife. But what I didn’t realise was that unlike other Swiss Army knifes I have owned it has a locking mechanism. This means I cannot carry it about my person, which I didn’t realise until I read up on it. This is a very useful video; it’s so easy to unintentionally fall foul of these laws without realising it.

The laws around knifes have absolutely nothing to do with making the streets safer, what they are all about is making it easy for the police to get a conviction and making the politicians look good and producing statistic that they are actually doing something about the problem. I can understand the argument that when something is deliberately designed to do harm [military bayonets, stabbing blades etc] then they do not belong on the streets without good reason, But Literally anything can be a weapon if used with intent to do harm, and Just because something ‘COULD’ be used as a weapon is no reason for making it illegal. The law is currently based on ‘INTENT’ and so this should remain, and it should be the deciding factor on each and every individual bespoke case or incident. The repeated introduction of more and more oppressive laws leads to police overreach and needs to be restrained. This is why you had the case a few years back where an OAP guy was in an argument with a traffic cop and was charged for having a Swiss Army knife in the car’s glove box. [the Cop used the knife law as retaliation for the old boys disrespect] And also the case where another OAP had his walking stick confiscated, there was an ongoing incident in his street and they wouldn’t let him walk past to go home with the stick because they considered it a potential weapon. When he went to the station the following day to collect it they refused to hand it over because it had been officially classed as an offensive weapon so cannot be returned according to their procedures and guidelines. [so it was then included in the national statistic recorded for offensive weapons that have been confiscated]

I have carried one of the original Leatherman's since the 90s. As a teacher it came in very useful from time to time. When a child got a pound coin jammed in the slot of the chocolate machine, when a kid lost to key to his bike chain the pliers came in very handy. The screwdivers and blade opened and secured many things, as a Drama teacher for sets and costume running repairs the Leatherman was a boon. So let's not limit the work reasons to manual occupations.

That's what she said!

I had an argument with an officer over my pen knife, so glad you've explained it.

I carry my sharpened wit always. It’s used as a form of self defence !

I built a 5ft claymore for a college project and I walked through my home town with it on my shoulder without a box. The interactions with the folks in the bus station were funny when I was buying my ticket to travel home.

I had a Swiss Army knife confiscated at Heathrow's Terminal 5 a couple of months ago as I'd forgotten it was in my handbag. The main blade on it is two and three-quarter inches (60mm) but they held it up against a scale and said it was too long. I don't recall by exactly how much, but it couldn't have been more than an eighth of an inch or so. Did they really think that a 69-yr old woman in a wheelchair was going to go on the rampage on the plane..? It was only an internal flight to Aberdeen by the way, not an international flight, don't know if that makes a difference. Talk about annoying, it cost £28.47 to get it posted back to me 🤬

"What about the pointed stick?" Monty Python 1970s 😆

I do not understand the reasoning behind the locking distinction. Why can the law not simply use the intent to cause harm clause? Yes if i am carrying a blade and hanging around the streets at night then that is one thing, but people have been charged just for having a tool in there pocket and people have been charged for having a knife on them when going fishing or camping (think that was Scotland). Its crazy.

Would be very interested to hear your take on all the material published by the met and the london mayor's office about how "there's no good reason to carry a knife". Since several reasons are explicitly laid out in the legislation this would seem to be far more misleading than any of TV Licensing's material. Also to mention, I have heard of cases where "carrying for work" was considered an inadequate excuse since the person was still carrying when they had stopped at the store on the way home, rather than leaving it in the car or making a separate trip. I dont have caselaw to cite on this one though.

In ireland, they started out banning the carrying of blades over two inches. Now, you'll be arrested if you have a nail file on you

I couldn’t even get a dough cutter from Amazon without an over 18 with proof to sign for it. At the end of my road this evening people trying to kill each other with 18”Machetes so at my age I don’t care what the law is I will carry what I want.

I wanted to buy a beautiful folding Damascus knife whilst on holiday, but when I looked at the knife I noticed it was locking. I explained that the locking feature was a legal quagmire in the UK, and asked if they had any that didn't lock. The guy looked at me like I was crazy and said "But...if it doesn't lock, you could get hurt". I didn't get one in the end, but that's the view that other nations have towards our laws. Criminals do not obey the law, so overly strict laws serve no purpose other than to punish and control the law-abiding masses. If the law does not distinguish between a 3 inch locking knife and a machete, the criminals may as well carry machetes, whereas those who just want a functional tool have to jump through hoops to not be considered a criminal.

I've got a locking knife, roughly 1" blade with Jack Daniels written on it. It came with a shot glass and a 5cl bottle. A Christmas novelty present from a time when the law wasn't quite so ridiculous. Perhaps the police should concentrate on the machete carriers, or would that be waycist?

What about a 4 inch fixed blade carried in the middle of the woods, surrounded by evidence that I had been using it for Bushcraft? (Creating feather sticks, tinder, kindling, etc, from bigger logs? - this would basically render bushcraft illegal - even if on private land, as one would need to convey the knife to that site.

I went to Spain to work as a musician. The hotel I stayed at was going through improvements so no restaurant, just a bar. So I bought a cheap Swiss army lookalike that had a blade, a spoon and a fork. It came apart so that you could have a fork in one hand while having a knife in the other. I didn’t see the need to measure the knife but I had it in my hand luggage on return, it was spotted by Spanish customs who claimed that the blade was too long after measuring against the width of three of his fingers. I explained the reason why I bought it but that didn’t satisfy him and it looked like he might confiscate it, but, when I told him that since it a only a cheap knife, to alleviate the situation I told him to keep it. At that he relented and returned it to my luggage. I don’t remember it lasting for longer than a month once I was back in the country.

I carry a telescopic baton. Never had to justify having it. I just like the feel of it when im nervous. It comforts me.

A locking knife is so much handier and safer to use than a non-locking knife. The fact that a law has been made making them illegal is a damning indictment of the state of law-making in the UK. Bad people create crimes not objects

@BBB - there was a discussion on a related forum about the UK interpretation of this around a tang that helps you open the blade more easily, the "flipper tab" was brought up and the creator of the forum said that it had been commented on by someone in Government related to the implementation of the regulations (no idea who or what they were but the implication was that they had some technical authority on the subject) - the flipper tab is a natural part of the blade and assistive in helping someone open the blade particularly important for someone who has impaired movement (or like me with near no fingernails, youtube makes me nervous). They said that banning the tab would be tantamount to infringing on a part of the knife that is intended to assist the disabled or impaired; I'm being VERY rough in my recollection of their point here but in a general sense that was the claim they said they'd had "verified". That tab is genuinely important for opening one-handed, it doesn't increase the length and affords no locking mechanism. You've displayed a Spyderco blade which had a finger intend which would permit your finger to stop the blade closing if held in that way, have these types of elements ever been tested by the courts? My personal concern is for EDC (everyday carry) - my intention is to carry with me several items including a pair of small multitools (non-locking) and other equipment such as paracord, torch, USB drives, screwdrivers, etc. on a daily basis (I'm an IT guy). Have you any perspective on these aspects at all?

I remember about 60 years ago, aged 14, I won a sheath knife at a bingo session at a coastal village while on a family holiday in Norfolk. I put it on my belt and walked around with it for weeks and nobody ever said a thing.

You said the exact fact that everyone forgets about knife crime, it's mostly committed with common kitchen blades.

I have a victorinox rambler been carrying it 30 years and never felt the need to carry anything bigger, its perfect, it has a knife, scissors, nail file and bottle opener on it.

Technically a folding pruning saw is illegal without a reason, however I do not think many people carry those around for assault. Mostly it is common sense. As for camping I take an axe and a fixed knife because I need to cut vegetables and wood for my stove.

I have a knife for field craft. I am more worried about being stopped with the knife over the rifle or shotgun 😂

"You're what's called wrong" 😂😂

The last Chief Constable of the PSNI told his officers that carrying a hurley stick, a hockey stick or a baseball stick does not make it a offenceive weapon.

It's about the blades penetrative area of effect ie from point tip to its handle.

I always carry a leatherman or a swiss army knife, just be aware that it will be confiscated if you take it to an airport when flying or if you go to a court. I went to Guildford Magistrates court on my way back from work to pay a fine for someone else, metal detectors picked up my Leatherman and they wanted to confiscate it, luckily I was able to give it to my wife who then waited outside.

Fuss over 3 inches? Not entirely unheard of.

I've often wondered if leatherman knife tools are EDC because of the folding at all times part as it can fold when the blade is out and the handle is closed but it's not fully retractable.

From what I have read the measurements are from the end of the handle around the curve to the tip which would be longer than a straight line

Yet in the 1970s I carried a machete externally tucked into the rucksack frame around Exeter…. Now that was a knife at 14 inches and had seen service in ww2. No problem then but I had been rough camping for two weeks. Never any idea of doing wrong.

Another point is that I believe the legislation about carrying around knives and offensive weapons in general includes having them in the boot of your car.

You mention multi tools the main one that would be massive clarity would be the leatherman bond which is advised and sold as uk legal but seems abit of a grey area with the way the blade folds

I've learned so things today. I thought the relevant measurement was of the edged section, not the whole protruding metal piece. Thanks for putting me right. I carry a SAK every day, and camping knives when, er, camping. I used to carry a Stanley 99E and a cut-down scalpel for work.

They should just completely void this legislation. It's long been shown to have no effect whatsoever on knife attacks.

2:10 - LMAFO!!!!! That is one of the funniest and most British things you have ever said

I live in Canada, I have always carried a locking blade in my pocket, some have had a four inch blade. I carry them everywhere, the pub, the shops, everywhere and so do many other people. Some how we all manage not to stabby stabby.

I work for uk HMG. The government employed HSE officer has banned all of us including highly quallified machinists and engineers & scientists etc, from using Non Lockable blades (any and every length) and Only permitting the official purchase of fixable blade knifs.

When are they moving on to regulating scissors lol

In Australia, a Bishop Mar Mari Emanuel was repeatedly stabbed in the face and neck earlier this year, whilst preaching in his church building. Resulting in the lose of his right eye. The attackers knife folded shut during the attack and severed the attackers fingers and almost certainly saved the Bishop's life. So maybe this legislation does have some merit after all 🤷

That thumbnail question is as daft as asking if it is legal for a scuba-diver to carry a knife, when he/she is going diving! It qualifies as an essential tool.

Excellent, straightforward guidance that sets straight many urban myths.

the guy who 21 years ago tried to rob me at knife point (he failed) had a rather large kitchen knife but never took it out of his coat, just showed it to me.

i always carry when river fishing and always will do regardless of any legislation as i need a good size tool for killing and gutting any legal fish i catch and for using said tool to clear out any dead or fallen debris such as branches from my swim and occasionally theres other dangerous debris such as rope that i feel the need to remove from the water (could be dangerous to kids that swim in there during summer or to myself when wading) a non locking knife is also not safe for using in the way i use it when fishing (would likely eventually cut off a finger) and it never leaves my bag unless its going to be used for obvious reasons

I am a walker (rambler, hiker, call it what you will) and have an Opinel knife in a press studded leather case, kept in a zipped pocket of my rucksack.There is a means of locking the blade, which is useful when cutting through such obstacles as small, overhanging, branches. Given the way it is stored; it could not be used on the spur of the moment, I do not carry it with any unlawful or illegal intent, and I do not intend to use it for a belligerent purpose. How might my possession of this knife be viewed were I to be stopped and asked to empty the contents of my rucksack?

I reccomend you get yourself a propper Swiss army knife! The Red ones! They are very "Cute" and "Friendly" with blades well under 3". I reccomend the "Super Tinkerer" or the "Swiss Champ" variants! They will geniuenly make your life easier, and you feel like Mac Gyver all day! :)

I carry a small boot knife, an OTF karambit a multi tool and a good flashlight which I find as important as a knife.

There are many many good reasons to carry a pocket pen knife. Locking or non locking, it doesn’t matter, a leatherman or swiss army is an expensive bit of kit. Carrying a cheap kitchen knife pinched from the kithen draw down the back of your jogger pants is a very different game

I wonder if you could do a video on antique weapons such as victorian swordsticks or old bayonets. Obviously, you wouldn't carry them in public except for taking them home from an antique shop/auction but are they legal to have at home as a collection? Also, is taking them home, suitably wrapped, a reason to be carrying them for the purposes of taking them home?

The silliest thing about folding vs locked knives is that with the right hinged geometry a folding knife could be made ideal for stabbing too and not fold when stabbed. Also the law says nothing about the force required to fold, so a very stiff folding knife with the right geometry would probably be as good at stabbing as a fixed knife. Plus there is no restriction on the direction it folds is there? So could it fold backwards or sideways?

Are you positive we're 'wrong' for thinking blade length refers to the cutting edge, not the protrusion from the handle? Taken from the Gov.uk website: "The exception to these 2 rules are folding pocketknives that: have a cutting edge no longer than 3 inches are not lock knives (they do not have a button, spring or catch that you have to use to fold the knife)"

Please correct me if I'm wrong. I thought that the law stated "a cutting edge of no longer than 3 inches". "Sections 139 & 139A". Heinnie Haynes (a leading UK knife retailer), sells knives as UK friendly that have a blade length of over 3 inches but a cutting edge of 3 inches or lower. I think verification is needed here!

Seeing as most knife crime is done with kitchen knives and/or machete type instruments then the legislation is flawed

I’ve watched your videos from across the pond just out of curiosity. Just thought, if no one else has mentioned it, it might interest you that the way you measure blade length in the USA for purposes of law is the same. I grew up in Chicago and was a police officer in the late 80s. The measurement is taken from the beginning of the exposed blade material. I believe this is true in New York State as well. Other states might have different case law.

As we have already seen. The pen is far more dangerous. Yet no one has legislated or licensed them yet.

The strange thing in NZ, where I live, you cannot carry any knife at all unless with reasonable excuse. My son’s an electrician so is permitted to carry one during his working day.

As a child I usèd to buy my own pocket knives and play up the mountain... now as an adult over 50 the knives I bought are illegal... absolutely pathetic laws in this country.... ridiculous actually, and a non locking knife can be more dangerous than a locking knife if used incorrectly.

Please discuss the exemption for historical re enactment as lots of knives swords etc at medieval events that I attend and just about everyone is carrying one or the other

I think the British need to rid themselves of any notion of a right to self-defense.

I took a knife out to one of the back alleys the other week to remove the magnetic seal on an abandoned fridge. I remember when i was a wee laddie not to play in abandoned fridge/freezers because you can quite easily get yourself stuck in one and suffocate. Hopefully, that was a good reason to have it with me.

A Lot of fuss over 3 inches! I can't remember how many times I've said that to my husband...

Years ago there was a journalist for The Guardian, I think, and he’d just been away on scouts weekend. During the week he was driving through London (towards a bridge I think ) when 2 policeman step into the road and stop him. The one explains he has a trainee with him, he’s conducting a training exercise and would the driver mind if they searched his car? Well they did and found a fixed blade sheath knife in his boot. They were going to prosecute this middle class proffesional and the only reason they didn’t was because he got his story run in several broadsheets. He did make the point, it wasn’t fair that he be prosecuted or 2. be able to influence the decision not to because he had more access to the press than the next man. Take away: once a body politic starts down a course and gathers momentum, then common sense might no longer carry and weight.

Simply can carry a non locking knife with blade 3" or less tip to handle eg medium swiss army knife in all circumstances (not large)

So does this mean that all women doing knitting must use needles of less than 3 inches length or be charged with carrying offensive weapons? I have heard women with mouths more offensive than an 18 inch fixed blade. O fck, do I now have to put my garden lawn sheers in the bin? If so, will the gov buy me some short leaf astroturf for my garden?

A guy was jailed last week for carrying a novelty 6 inch toy zelda sword

The prohibition on locking knives is frustrating. A locking mechanism is a safety feature, not designed make it a better weapon. It's laughable that a one inch locking blade is prohibited, yet a three inch folding knife is ok. It makes the law look stupid, for its sheer arbitrary nature.

What if the reason for carrying a sharp pointy tool is because you like the look- no intent to harm anyone?

My friend was just in court for having a "bladed" article upon his person...it was a tin opener of some 2 inches...the JUDGE advised him to plead guilty as it was a bladed instrument (via a 3rd party)...it was such a convoluted case and it had been adjourned so many times he went guilty...sentence 9 months imprisonment suspended for 9 months and 1 year probation...this is 100% true...less than 6 months ago...👉♾️👈

I once shared a tube train with one of the denizens of Freemasons Hall. He was presumably of a Templar grade, as in addition to his Apron case, he was carrying a Templar Sword, sheathed, cased and chained to a degree which might have made Ms Stormy Daniels jealous.

im still confused on friction folders like the svord pesant mini. the way it folds means it cant be closed when youre holding it, but requires you to move your hand away from the grip to close it. ive heard some say that that makes it not immediately foldable. by that logic, no knife is immediately foldable because it would cut through your fingers. it has no mechanism/switch etc. its just an extended tang that folds back into the handle.

Hi, whilst you are on this subject would you please answer a question for me. I have lots of knives accumulated over the years none of which I would dream of taking out of my house for any reason. Therefore I have a fair knowledge of what makes a good useable knife. So when the new knife laws came into effect I was disappointed to realise that I could no longer take it with me for circumstances that although good reason in my mind may be considered not a good reason by a judge. For instance in the car, taking my dogs for a walk, etc. So checking on my leathermans all of the blades are sub 3 inch. However as you no doubt are aware all items are locking. After taking one apart I deduced that I could grind away the locking mechanism on the blade so that it would not lock and also it would not be possible to return this blade to be able to lock. This therefore make it a sub 3 inch none locking pocket knife although it retains the other functions. Now this is my question what about the other items or screwdrivers files saws scissors can they still be locking? Because some of these would be very difficult and dangerous to use without the locking mechanism. The backwards and forwards motion of use would more than likely cause the item to fold thereby trapping the finger's and with the saw imparticular cause severe harm. If as I am aware you can not answer due to legal restraints were can apply to find out a definitive answer. Having suffered from the vague interpretation of the law in the past I do not want this to happen again. Under most normal circumstances I would consider common sense would prevail however as I am sure that you are only to aware some police officer's these days would rather try and charge you than see common sense in the situation in front of them. I have just considered taking my modified leathermans to the police station but I know that I won't get a straight answer and also have the chance of having them seized under the pretext of some unknown reason. Many thanks John

I'll vouch for Gerber. I've EDC'd their knives for years and never had a problem.