In this video I show you how to make the Leatherman Wave legal to carry in the UK. This mod dose not require any sawing, drilling or grinding and is completely reversible leaving no damage to the tool.
I did a similar mod to my Leatherman wave. I used a feeler Guage blade of the same thickness of the original washer. Just cut the top of the feeler blade (the end with the hole in it) and widen the hole with a dremmel so it fits. It's a lot neater.
Mine is already legal carry bro. All you need is some business cards printed ;) 24 hour call out handyman. Job done. How many times you been stopped in the last 5 years? Do not live in fear
You will have to do it with all the blades as the law doesn't differentiate between a saw or a knife. The locking blade ban is one of the most ridiculous pieces of legislation as it actually makes a tool more dangerous to use which goes against every aspect of health and safety. Perhaps there should be a class action against the government for people who injure themselves in this way?
Zane Slocombe I get were you are coming from but I'm happy to carry with this mod, and indeed I agree that this law is very silly, just causing problems for honest people while doing nothing to deter NEDs and gang members with big kitchen knives. Of course it would be great to challenge the government on this but I'd assume that would require a lot of money and a lot if people demanding change. Cheers
if you're going to stab someone you're not going to do it with a £50 multi tool. it's normally done with kitchen blades or stupid foreign imported knives (zombie killers etc). You can stab someone with a screw driver is far easier or even a nail file. It's a silly law. Only people who follow the law will be affected by it. It won't stop those it's supposed to...
@@00daveyr You're 100% correct. I was on the jury for a gang related murder. As you can imagine, they used poundland knives which they threw into a river. Why on earth would they buy an expensive multi-tool with a short blade, which they would need to dispose of, when they could buy a huge kitchen knife at poundland. I can't believe police would actually arrest an average person for something which so obviously is a tool.
Glad I read your comment. Was thinking of trimming the end of blade on my almost new Surge. What’s a bit crazy about the law. Is most of the time criminals stab and kill, they are using kitchen bread knives. I think I will be legal if ever stopped and searched. As plan to only take when camping. Although saying this I think it’s a lottery for which officer you get. My friend who’s a tree surgeon was charged for a knife. He was annoyed as he was coming back from a job and also had his crossbow and chainsaw.
Amazing trick. Thanks a lot! Instead of a washer you could also use a very thin peace of sheet metal. More options to the thickness and can be cut just in shape.
I’ve got three Leatherman tools and currently none of them are legal to carry in the UK so this kind of video is extremely helpful. Might I suggest a square or oblong washer would make a tidier finished product? Just guessing here mind as I’ve not yet tried it. Video like and channel subscribed to. Keep up the good work!😊
i could not thank you enough dude! just ordered another wave after having my previous one confiscated (stupid but its the law unfortunately). i'm immediately doing this!
Alex Penny you're very welcome mate. I intend to do videos on modifying/jamming other locks on multitools and knives which also may be of interest. A word of warning though, I can't be 100% sure the police will be ok with this but I can't see the issue. Other users have said to do this to the saw and file also. I'm sorry to that it was confiscated, if you don't mind me asking, under what circumstance was it confiscated? Cheers
i was in the car on the way to my girlfriends and we got pulled over due to speeding (50 in a 40 zone, entirely my fault) and the searched me and found it in my pocket (they did explain their reasoning for searching). i was completely compliant and they where pretty good about it but it had to be taken. i hadn't broken any laws other than speeding. it was just piss poor luck that they searched me.
It is a stupid law. The guy who may stab someone doesn’t give 2 shits about the law and you will never keep a big blade out of his reach. Unless you start a knife buyback program, that may work. :)
I’ve carried one for years because there so handy . All the knife murders are done with kitchen knives, gangsters with a 3” pocket is definitely not gangster.
ReaPerZz z it will indeed, I made a video on the too if you're interested, this will work with all liner locking leatherman(or any liner lock knife). This works with the wave, wingman, OHT, ect. Cheers
There was a guy a number of years ago who had a slip joint with a blade longer than 3” but he blunted more than an inch of it. He still got fined in court. I don’t get it, maybe they argued it was originally 4”? Or of could be sharpened again? but I can see the same being applying here, so I honestly would try it.
Hello, may someone explain to me what is considered as "carrying" in UK?. May I possess not modified Leatherman Sidekick with locking blades in my backpack? Or in my travel case?
You can't take out off your property at all, even if it is at the bottom of your back it is still illegal to carry. You cannot carry any locking blade without a good reason, it's up to the individual police officer if he thinks your reason is good enough to carry the blade. "It's useful" or "I might need it " sadly are not conciderd a go reason. Hope this helps
If you are visiting the UK, you can bring it with you, however you will not to leave it in your place of accommodation when you go out. There is many multi tools that can be legally carried, I've done a video on that if you are interested.
@@scotsman7626 Thanks for the informations. I will leave my multitool at home then. Actually all my knives are equipped with locking mechanism. I saw your video about knives allowed to carry. It is so sad, when your government treats you as a stupid kid. Or terrorist. Our Polish goverment is going to implement European Commision's firearm directive. Seems that I will be not able to sell my "military" rifles to other collectors in the future. Or to buy new one. My collection may be even confiscated. This is sick... Thanks for your help.
Will Oneill well I've changed from locking to non lock a few times now in this tool which is honestly just dependent in if I want to carry it or use it at home. Tho this is not without issue, one being the tool gets jammed at times when closing, and this mod kinda interferes with the saw and file, and as another user had said, the other tools locking may be an issue with the police, if this concerns you, do the same thing with them. Hopes this was helpful👍🏻cheers
Looks bloody dangerous to me. There is absolutely nothing to stop it folding back on you. As someone who has had that happen and had to get sewn up as a result, there is no way I’ll ever do this to my Leatherman.
This idea might be good for getting around the law, but my mate nearly lost his finger with his leatherman as the blade didn't lock into place properly and the blade closed onto his hand when he put pressure on the knife by pushing it into something, from this I've always made sure mine is locked, so watching this mod makes me cringe a little, but if it works for you, be careful and think about that safety feature not been there.
I get your point but our law's are so awful, this is the only way around them. Personally I wouldn't use this hard when the locks are non functioning. It wouldn't be a bad idea to carry a second knife along side the wave.
Well it seems to me the British and Scottish governments are afraid of anything sharper than a teaspoon. In the UK, a lock knife is considered a fixed blade, they literally say a lock knife is not a folding knife. I believe the thinking is a non locking knife will just fold if it is use to stabe.
You can carry a Leatherman in the uk. The law states you can carry knives that fall within the law if you have "good reason" the actual act of Parliament gives a few reasons as examples but states they are not exhaustable. In legal jargon, that means there can be many other good reasons not listed.I am a handy man and I have many reasons to make use of a Leatherman and whilst I am on the subject, a stanly knife which incidentally is also a lockable blade under the act. I also hunt with a rifle and I fish for sea bass, another good reason for some of the tools on the Leatherman. Yes the law was in my opinion written very badly as unfortunately it gives the power to the police officer dealing with you to determine whether your reason is good at the time he or she stops you and asks the question, too subjective for my liking.However even if you are arrested by an officer who does not hunt, fish do Diy, bushcraft etc, the crown prosecution service will decide whether or not to prosecute. That option will cost money, and if you had "good reason" they will loose in court and pay your costs.To surmise, have your good reason ready at all times and don't carry a Leatherman on your belt in public.
Good idea but To make that legal you have to delete the lock permanently believe me, I bent my frame lock right back down so it wouldn't engage and that was not good enough for the cop that looked at it, I was unlucky to have a cop that knew about knives himself, it was still capable of easily being a lockable knife, you might get lucky and never get seen with it on you by a cop or if you did they might not know it's a lockable knife
I get you're point and I also thought about bending the lock. The difference here is its impossible to engage the lock without taking the tool apart using two screw drivers. I can't see how they would be able to argue it locks. Did you get yours taken from you? Did you receive any form of punishment etc? If you don't mind me asking.
@@scotsman7626 I didn't get into trouble and kept it, I was fixing my motorbike on the side of the road using the knife/pliers and screwdriver bits when the cop pulled up and I was basically outside my house, he thought it I was up to no good, he knew what the knife was as soon as he saw it and knew that it lockable and said not to carry it unless I delete the lock permanently, "temporarily modified" basically bending the frame lock right back down was not going to be good enough, I wasn't going to argue and he was tidy enough about it, I know not to carry a knife around outside of the legal qualification unless I've a solid good reason to have it and the cop was fine, he said that he was into knives as well
NOT UK Legal. These are still locking blade(s) in the context of the relevant legislation. This is a temporary and easily reversible modification and would not qualify for the statuary defence of exemption. Only removal of the blades or permanent removal of the locking mechanism itself would qualify for exemption. The method described merely blocks the lock mechanism. It can just as easily be unblocked. The authorities will argue that it remains a locking knife as the locking mechanism remains in situ. The only way to qualify - assuming you don’t remove the blades - would be to remove the lock mechanism itself by cutting or grinding it away thus making it a permanent and irreversible modification. There really is no point to carrying out this ‘washer’ modification since you will still be in position of a lock knife. Much better and safer to be sure you have good reason or lawful excuse for possession in a public place as per the Criminal Justice Act 1988. Also refer to Harris v DPP and the appeal R. v Deegan what constitutes a locking blade.
Hi there. I have read (skimmed through) those two cases (one relies on the other) and I don't see how they would disagree with this mod. Those cases both state "A knife of the type with which these appeals are concerned is not in this (acceptable)category because, in the first place, there is a stage, namely, when it has been opened, when it is not immediately foldable simply by the folding process and, secondly, it requires that further process, namely, the pressing of the button.’" Both of the knives (unless I've read wrong, please tell me) still physically required you to push a button, and both knives actually locked open.
Your rehearsal of the appeal findings are correct but, as ever, its not quite so straightforward. The principal of the possibility of reverting it to a lock knife is mirrored in the firearms regulations. If an air rifle that produces sub 12ft lbs of muzzle energy is converted to produce greater than 12ft lbs of muzzle energy then the law states it is a firearm and it requires the appropriate licence. If the same air rifle is then returned to its previous state ie less than 12ft lbs the law STILL regards it as a firearm. In other words, once classified as a firearm it can never be declassified back to its original status which would have allowed possession without a licence. The legislation (Firearms Act 1968 and as Amended) is clear on this. A similar principal would IMO be applied to the blocking of the lock mechanism. It is a reversible action and thus, at its heart, it remains a lock knife. The only difference between the air rifle/firearm example is that returning the air rifle to original muzzle energy would not mean its no longer considered a firearm for legal purposes. If you were to permanently and irreversibly remove the locking mechanism of the knife then it is no longer a lock knife since no locking mechanism exists and, subject to compliance in all other respects such as cutting edge length, it would qualify under the statutory defence of exemption. The ‘washer’ hack merely increases the risk of injury to the user and, inter alia, also increases the risk of the CPS trying its luck with a prosecution if you can’t demonstrate good reason for possession in a public place. In the end it would be for a court/appeal court to make a ruling on this such as with R v Harris & Firmin and R v Deegan. I raise the issue only by way of caution in case anyone thinks that this hack is certain to be in compliance with the relevant legislation - it may be, but only case law can determine whether or not it does.
