Pocket Knife

[Musher]

The classic flick-knife is a beautiful piece of design; always makes me think of Henry Fonda in Twelve Angry Men.

BowThey've been illegal in the UK for much the same time. The Restriction of Offensive Weapons Act 1959, which took effect 13 June 1959, in part was inspired by the US ban of 1958. Probably get away worth possessing one at home (as long as you inherited it, or were the original owner who bought it pre-ban - the main offence is in selling rather than owning, though if you bought one now you could technically be open to a charge of aiding and abetting the sale), but it would be illegal to buy and get there, and given I could never take it out anywhere and use it, seems a bit of a waste. I can see the point; it's unlikely anyone with a legitimate reason to use the knife will ever need one that opens that quickly, whereas they were often put to criminal use because they could be easily concealed within handy reach, and whipped out to attack very quickly. Once no longer able to easily obtain a switchblade, the Teddy boys took to carrying straight razors...which probably did as much and more harm to those trying to wield them as the intended targets. Gravity knives are included in the same ban, which is why re-enactors in the UK can only buy adapted versions of repro paratrooper knives.



Those are nice.... Case have been around a long time, haven't they? Mark Twain mentions them in Huckleberry Finn - as I recall in quite an unflattering light!



Have one of these I bought in France years ago. Still trying to figure out whether the rotating collar constitutes a 'lock' for UK legal purposes.



No on the Bowie knife... though TBH I can't think of why anyone would want to carry something like that as a 'just in case' as opposed to a weapon, so it's not a restriction that causes any complaint, really. WRT the hatchett, as long as you have a good reason to be carrying it at the time at which you were stopped by the police, it'd be fine. Technically it could be a problem if you had it lying in the car 'just because', though I suspect as long as you were reasonable, most plod would be likely to let you off with a warning and/or confiscation if they thought it was an innocent mistake, which would definitely not be the case with a bowie knife, ever. At least or now, a hatchett is not really perceived as a weapon in the same way as a knife, though that might well change if they become popular with gang kids. In reality in day to day UK life, though, very few people have any need to carry one around, or often even own a hatchett - bearing in mind that fewer and fewer folks here have an open fire at home, and there are neither quite the same wide open spaces as in the US, nor the same hunting culture.

The classic flick-knife is a beautiful piece of design; always makes me think of Henry Fonda in Twelve Angry Men.



They've been illegal in the UK for much the same time. The Restriction of Offensive Weapons Act 1959, which took effect 13 June 1959, in part was inspired by the US ban of 1958. Probably get away worth possessing one at home (as long as you inherited it, or were the original owner who bought it pre-ban - the main offence is in selling rather than owning, though if you bought one now you could technically be open to a charge of aiding and abetting the sale), but it would be illegal to buy and get there, and given I could never take it out anywhere and use it, seems a bit of a waste. I can see the point; it's unlikely anyone with a legitimate reason to use the knife will ever need one that opens that quickly, whereas they were often put to criminal use because they could be easily concealed within handy reach, and whipped out to attack very quickly. Once no longer able to easily obtain a switchblade, the Teddy boys took to carrying straight razors...which probably did as much and more harm to those trying to wield them as the intended targets. Gravity knives are included in the same ban, which is why re-enactors in the UK can only buy adapted versions of repro paratrooper knives.



Those are nice.... Case have been around a long time, haven't they? Mark Twain mentions them in Huckleberry Finn - as I recall in quite an unflattering light!



Have one of these I bought in France years ago. Still trying to figure out whether the rotating collar constitutes a 'lock' for UK legal purposes.



No on the Bowie knife... though TBH I can't think of why anyone would want to carry something like that as a 'just in case' as opposed to a weapon, so it's not a restriction that causes any complaint, really. WRT the hatchett, as long as you have a good reason to be carrying it at the time at which you were stopped by the police, it'd be fine. Technically it could be a problem if you had it lying in the car 'just because', though I suspect as long as you were reasonable, most plod would be likely to let you off with a warning and/or confiscation if they thought it was an innocent mistake, which would definitely not be the case with a bowie knife, ever. At least or now, a hatchett is not really perceived as a weapon in the same way as a knife, though that might well change if they become popular with gang kids. In reality in day to day UK life, though, very few people have any need to carry one around, or often even own a hatchett - bearing in mind that fewer and fewer folks here have an open fire at home, and there are neither quite the same wide open spaces as in the US, nor the same hunting culture.

I have a very nice Buck 124 Frontiersman which is their version of a Bowie that I carry on my belt often. If my sled dogs get tangled in their lines I can slice through a line in 3 strokes. I tested many Bowie knives including German Pumas and the best any other could do was 5 strokes. If you used a pocket knife, the dog would choke to death. I know my hobby may be unusual but there are practical reasons for carrying such a large sharp knife besides protection.

 

[Edward]

The best I have seen for modern ones is probably the Hanwei greyhound model it looks fairly classic and gets good reviews as sturdy and functional. As I understand it my Georgia weapons permit covers all concealed legal weapons so knives with blades of any length, even sword length, are legal to carry in public. I can't see a situation where I would ever draw it in public although I used to be a fair hand with a sabre having fenced for 15 odd years. But I would rather rely on whatever pistol or revolver is in my front pocket if a defensive situation arose. I guess I just like the idea of it. I would love a quality original Victorian era one but then I would probably never take it out of the house much less use it for walking

The swordstick really is a thing of a very specific era; I guess they became largely obsolete around the time that nobody carried a sword - openly or concealed - any longer. I believe they were initially replaced with a loaded stick - effectively the same thing, but the steel shaft was fixed in place inside the stick, so it could still be used as a parrying device, without any need to draw it. In Ireland, we had a different thing - the shillelagh. It was originally a two foot long club made from a blackthorne branch. When these were outlawed, the Irish just made 'em a foot longer, the story goes, and passed them off as walking canes.... Never metal reinforced, but a couple of goo blows with a shillelagh could give you enough time to make good your escape. Not really sure what modern people this side of the Atlantic carry for 'self defence'; it's not really something we culturally think about for the most part. Self defence is usually the excuse the gang kids give when caught with some extreme knives, but of course that's never accepted as an ecuse for something that is illegal carry.

 

[Jaxenro]

Given the way crime rates are increasing in London it might be something many Londoners culturally will need to start thinking about but I hope not. For the most part crime is rather low in the USA also outside a few major cities. Of course the cities get the press but on the whole there have been very very few times in my life I felt the location was unsafe. Still it is best to be prepared

 

[TPD166]

When in uniform, I always have a knife on my belt. In jeans, etc. I carry a Benchmade tactical knife. But on most days, I wear mostly dress slacks and had stopped carrying a knife for EDC - until I found this one. It's an inexpensive Gerber ($10 or less) and it weighs NOTHING. I'm now never without a knife, no matter how I'm dressed. I've now probably given away a half-dozen of these knives as gifts.

As a friend once told me about his dad (and it would apply to mine as well), when asked if he had a knife, his standard reply was "If I've got my pants on, I do." I can use that line now.

 

[robrinay]

I have several I keep lying around. The two that get most use are an older, bone-handled two-blade, and an Elk Ridge branded one that I bought for a couple of pounds from a knife seller that was closing down because - they said - eBay UK was stopping selling knives on there. I mostly keep these two lying in my office, don't tend to carry a knife at all times very often.

Blinkin’ Silly - you can’t sell knives on eBay U.K. but you can sell axes!

 

[Edward]

Given the way crime rates are increasing in London it might be something many Londoners culturally will need to start thinking about but I hope not. For the most part crime is rather low in the USA also outside a few major cities. Of course the cities get the press but on the whole there have been very very few times in my life I felt the location was unsafe. Still it is best to be prepared

Hipefully it won't come to that. The nature of the current issue is that the vast najority if them are gang kids involved in territirial dusputes, which has yet to spill over to civilians.

Blinkin’ Silly - you can’t sell knives on eBay U.K. but you can sell axes!

Seems mad, I know. I suspect it's a defensive pr thing: as of yet, the gang kids are still using these so-called 'zombie knives', never axes. Ebay are, I suspect, simpky trying to avoid the "Murder Wespon Bought on Ebay" tabloid headline headache. From the pov, it starts to make more sense.

 

[Bfd70]

Given the way crime rates are increasing in London it might be something many Londoners culturally will need to start thinking about but I hope not. For the most part crime is rather low in the USA also outside a few major cities. Of course the cities get the press but on the whole there have been very very few times in my life I felt the location was unsafe. Still it is best to be prepared

I enjoy a nice knife, but think that maybe
.000001% of the population has any business carrying it for self defense. Imho thats the least useful tool function in a knife. In the US, if your life is in peril, there is a gun at the other end of that trouble. Remember what Sean Connery said about knifes and gunfights in The Untouchables.

 

[Jaxenro]

Which is why I carry a gun for self defense

 

[Sheepdog149]

My trusty pocket knife goes almost everywhere with me. It's a great tool to have.

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[AbbaDatDeHat]

My trusty pocket knife goes almost everywhere with me. It's a great tool to have.

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Hey Sheepdog:
Would you mind elaborating on that knife? It appears to be like a Buck 110 with a clip. A custom?
Thanks.
Bowen

 

[Sheepdog149]

It's a custom 5" lockback made by Al Warren knives. It's similar to the 110, but beefier. This one has staghorn scales and a hand forged Damascus blade.

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[OldStrummer]

I have carried a knife since my father gave me his Swiss Army Executive, which was given to him by Hubert H. Humphrey, then Vice President of the United States. It was black with gold seal of the president on one side and Lyndon Johnson's signature on the other. I carried it every day until it disappeared. Every time I put my hand in my pocket, I felt its loss. So, I've gathered a small collection of replacements, including a sterling silver Tiffany version, which was my choice for a five-year employment award (back when they did such things).

 

[OldStrummer]

True story: Years ago, a co-worker was giving me a load of grief about my carrying a pocket knife. "Why in the world would anyone carry one?" he asked. A short while later, he contracted a splinter in his finger, which he couldn't remove. I casually took out my Swiss Army Executive, pulled out the tweezers from their socket and removed his splinter. "That's why," I simply said.

 

[steve u]

It's a custom lockback made by Al Warren knives. It's similar to the 110, but beefier. This one has staghorn scales and a hand forged Damascus blade.

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I believe I saw his knives at the Blade Show in Atlanta last year(or maybe two years ago). Very nice! steve

 

[steve u]

Derrick Bohn owner of "Knives ship free" died yesterday. ....A great loss in the knife community. steve

 

[HudsonHawk]

When in uniform, I always have a knife on my belt. In jeans, etc. I carry a Benchmade tactical knife. But on most days, I wear mostly dress slacks and had stopped carrying a knife for EDC - until I found this one. It's an inexpensive Gerber ($10 or less) and it weighs NOTHING. I'm now never without a knife, no matter how I'm dressed. I've now probably given away a half-dozen of these knives as gifts.

As a friend once told me about his dad (and it would apply to mine as well), when asked if he had a knife, his standard reply was "If I've got my pants on, I do." I can use that line now. View attachment 117375 View attachment 117376

I have a small Gerber, similar to that one, that I carry almost every day. It's one of the best little pocket knives I've ever had. It's extremely light, good strong blade that stays sharp, and I can open and close with one hand. I've been carrying it about 20 years now...love it.

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

Greetings All:
An aside.
Best knife quote ever:
“Now this is a knife”!! Crocodile Dundee
Whenever i think of knives, this line always comes to mind. Like a song that won’t leave.
I carry several diff knives depending on how i feel.
Today it’s a CRKT Fossil 5470, Ikoma.
Be well. Bowen

 

[RJR]

My favorite;a Boker auto.

 

[Bushman]

My favorite, and my EDC. Good old fashioned American made Leatherman...

 

[VinhatFancier]

Found in an old tackle box at an estate sale. A Boker large Congress. Best I can date it is first or second decade of the 1900's. Not small but I like it quite a bit.