Can I carry gardening tools in public?

[Glennis]

I wonder if I can carry my knitting needles in public? I suppose anything could be a weapon if you really thought about it.

[RootsBooster]

Almost every Leatherman is considered a locking knife though - there are only a few that are "UK legal"

Why are most considered to be locking knives?

 

A non-locking leatherman doesn't generally fall into this description;

"Lock knives are not classed as folding knives and are illegal to carry in public without good reason. Lock knives:

 

have blades that can be locked and refolded only by pressing a button

can include multi-tool knives - tools that also contain other devices such as a screwdriver or can opener"

 

 

But it was a locking one - there are a number of them that do lock and hence need good reason to carry.

It doesn't mention this in your article, after googling the guy's name it turns out not only was it a locking knife, it wasn't a Swiss Army knife at all. Neither was it the type of knife you'd use for peeling fruit

Also there were reports that the guy had threatened to use a knife to harm someone.

 

http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/police-arrested-disabled-fruit-knife-man/story-11739409-detail/story.html

 

---------- Post added 27-09-2016 at 10:40 ----------

 

I wonder if I can carry my knitting needles in public? I suppose anything could be a weapon if you really thought about it.

 

It comes down to reason and intent.

Do you have a reason to carry them? If so, that's generally okay as long as they're being carried safely.

 

Do you intend to harm someone with them? If so then they would be classed as offensive weapons.

 

---------- Post added 27-09-2016 at 10:41 ----------

 

Odd that cutting up fruit is not a good enough reason for having a knife.

 

I know lots of campers who carry pen knifes for cutting up food - strange that is this not a good enough reason?

 

I thought the same but if you read the article I linked, it turns out it wasn't that type of knife at all.

Edited September 27, 2016 by RootsBooster

[Robin-H]

 

 

It doesn't mention this in your article, after googling the guy's name it turns out not only was it a locking knife, it wasn't a Swiss Army knife at all. Neither was it the type of knife you'd use for peeling fruit

Also there were reports that the guy had threatened to use a knife to harm someone.

 

http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/police-arrested-disabled-fruit-knife-man/story-11739409-detail/story.html

 

 

The following is from the article RootsBooster posted. It makes the incident seem to make a lot more sense.

 

The case related to the night of February 23 when Knowles was stopped by police after leaving the Highweek Inn pub. He was arrested for suspected drink-driving but a breath test showed he was under the legal limit. Police searched his car and found the knife.

 

Because he pleaded guilty some background details to the case were not given in open court, the Crown Prosecution Service says.

 

Supt Meakin said in his statement: "At 11.45pm on February 23, police received a report that while Mr Knowles was in the Highweek Inn he had made an alleged threat that he was going to use a knife to harm someone.

 

"The police were advised that Mr Knowles had left the address in a vehicle.

 

"The vehicle was stopped a short while later by my police officers, where Mr Knowles was arrested for supplying a positive breath test. A further test at the police station proved he was under the legal drink drive limit."

 

"The vehicle was searched for a weapon and a Buck Whittaker lock knife was found. The knife is illegal and has a serrated edge."

 

Supt Meakin maintained it was not a Swiss Army-style knife, as stated in Knowles's court case by prosecutor Philip Sewell.

[Obelix]

Why are most considered to be locking knives?

 

A non-locking leatherman doesn't generally fall into this description;.

 

The law considers a knife to be a lock knife if it cannot be completely closed. If you have a leatherman where the blade pivots partially before hitting something, but remains open, then as far as the law is concerned it's a lock knife.

 

For the exemption of a 3" folding penknife to apply, it must be able to be folded completely shut against spring pressure only.

[tinfoilhat]

Why are most considered to be locking knives?

 

A non-locking leatherman doesn't generally fall into this description;

"Lock knives are not classed as folding knives and are illegal to carry in public without good reason. Lock knives:

 

have blades that can be locked and refolded only by pressing a button

can include multi-tool knives - tools that also contain other devices such as a screwdriver or can opener"

 

 

 

Most leathermans are considered locking knives because most blades on them, erm, lock. There's about 8 out of their range that don't and only one in their full size range that doesn't and that doesn't have a blade at all.

 

I'll admit, the numbers who get pinched for carrying a locking multitool are going to be very very small but you are purely relying on the copper who catches you with one to use common sense and you to pass the attitude test. You can't rely on the law to back you up. If you've a good reason, fine. Carrying it for self defense btw, really isn't a good reason.

 

It's not worth risking in my eyes, but each to their own.

[RootsBooster]

Most leathermans are considered locking knives because most blades on them, erm, lock. There's about 8 out of their range that don't and only one in their full size range that doesn't and that doesn't have a blade at all.

 

I'll admit, the numbers who get pinched for carrying a locking multitool are going to be very very small but you are purely relying on the copper who catches you with one to use common sense and you to pass the attitude test. You can't rely on the law to back you up. If you've a good reason, fine. Carrying it for self defense btw, really isn't a good reason.

 

It's not worth risking in my eyes, but each to their own.

 

I'm not disputing that a multitool with a locking blade is not a locking knife, it certainly is, I was referring to the statement that "Almost every leatherman is considered a locking knife".

The more affordable leathermans will be the most popular, they're the ones that tend to have a non-locking blade.

[Nagel]

So.

 

He was stopped for suspicion of drink driving and threatened some one with a knife.

 

I stand by my belief that I will never get stopped and questioned by a policeman in my entire life.

 

Therefore for me it does not really matter what I have in my pockets

 

No he didn't threaten anyone with the knife. He hadn't been drink driving either.

[Berberis]

I suppose it all depends if you can lift Alan Titchmarsh on your own.

[Robin-H]

No he didn't threaten anyone with the knife. He hadn't been drink driving either.

 

Are you privy to some information that we are not?

 

The article claims...

 

Mr Knowles was in the Highweek Inn he had made an alleged threat that he was going to use a knife to harm someone

 

Do you know different?

[tinfoilhat]

I'm not disputing that a multitool with a locking blade is not a locking knife, it certainly is, I was referring to the statement that "Almost every leatherman is considered a locking knife".

The more affordable leathermans will be the most popular, they're the ones that tend to have a non-locking blade.

 

I'd take issue with as well if I'm honest (although not massively ;):)) the none locking juice range is way more expensive than models like the wingman which you can pick up for less than 30 quid online. You've got the really tiny range but I'm not sure how many they sell of those.

 

However, we are talking about a very specific brand. Most multi tools you'd buy at diy chain or pound shop won't have a locking blade.