Not sure about the signal to noise ratio on this thread but given that some folks have expressed serious doubts about the "Surrender Your Knife" program it does appear to be real. In fact, there is a whole website dedicated to it:
http://surrenderyourknife.co.uk/

If you take the time to check out the blog section you'll see that the program has been around for a while. But the initial move toward banning "pointy" knives dates back to 2005. I've already posted a link to the BBC website and there's the Guardian story here:
http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/may/27/ukcrime.prisonsandprobation

And for a quick impression of the yellow press response, here's a one story for starters:
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/new...d-machetes.html

Now, it's entirely up to the British to decide what kind of legislation they want. My only concern is that the anti-knife hysteria might gain more ground elsewhere and eventually put me in a position where I could no longer legally own knives that I use daily for all sorts of valid purposes, none of them having anything to do with crime or violence.

That's my concern as well. The "anti" crowd regularly references the UK in their arguments.

It is easy. You invite a chef to give his honest and unbiased opinion. After he agreed he has three options:

• bail out and be the coward who eventually has not got the guts to make his (obviously wrong) opininion public
• be the thug who is comfy with people owning deadly weapons and does not care about the death toll
• just say what the press wants to hear and be a hero for the general public

If he has a sound judgement about the objectivity of the reporters he will inevitably choose the last option. It may be different in the US but in Europe the press staff has worked long and hard to earn the title "liar".

Maybe it´s just reporting it in an inaccurate way.
In Germany legislation also tries keep dangerous knives from the streets. They are fairly accurate in their description (double edged knives, knives with a double edged point, bayonets, butterfly knives, ...).

I haven't read all the posts, but want to vent in a way about knives. I am a post-retirement guy and have always carried a pocket knife with another fixed blade in the car trunk bag. It disturbs me a great deal when I see the types of knives that are most available these days in gas station shops ..etc. Many of them are too narrow to be useful as a camp knife or survival knife. Not for cooking either. Narrow, straight, and not so flexible. They seem to be designed for stabbing !!

Then again there are big Bowi knives. Not good for camping, cooking or any other purpose but fighting. It seems when I look for smallish multi-purpse knife, it is the hardest to find.

The occasional stabbing crimes are not helping to make make people knife-friendly. And I have already heard negative comments on my pocket knife when I had to use it at work.

OK, I have vented.
Carry on.

I agree that many knife designs these days are a bit outlandish and impractical. Many "survival" knives are a lot like what you describe, basically closer to fighting knives than real tools.

That said, I would not dismiss Bowie-type knives out of hand. It's true that very large Bowies are essentially fighting knives, but many smaller versions actually work pretty well for utility purposes. The good old Kabar is a case in point IMHO. Not quite big enough for a dedicated chopper and a little long for fine work but as an all-around tool it works just fine. I've used a Kabar on many an outdoor expedition, often as my primary knife, and in my experience it is a very decent general purpose tool.

As far as criminal misuse, I'm afraid it's a very tricky subject. Any knife with an edge and/or point can be used to hurt a human being. The puukko is not thought of as a fighting knife and yet it established a very solid combat record during the Winter War in Finland. Even a tiny penknife can be lethal in the hands of an individual determined to use it for a violent purpose. Same as with any other tool, rock, stick, even one's bare hands. That's why I'm not particularly fond of knife bans in any shape or form.

There is a difference between what is needed for survival and what is functional as a field/camping knife. A larger and heavier knife capable of chopping is practical for camping, and still useful for survival. A smaller survival knife is less capable of larger wood cutting jobs but small enough to actually keep in a kit and still capable of sufficient wood cutting needed for survival.

Basically any durable cutting tool is useful for survival, and better than nothing. The smaller knives with a decent curve for possible skinning and the ability to shape wood or cut small pieces fit in kits better and conform to most laws regarding knives. If it is small, you are more likely to carry it, and it more likely to be available when you really need it.

All of that said, the tools I normally carry, even on commercial airplanes, are EMT shears and a very small saw. For wood cutting a saw is functional and capable. When teaching survival, I generally teach that you can build very good shelters without the need for chopping. The shears can perform most of the cutting jobs necessary, including helping with skinning small animals.

However, as someone who spends a good deal of time in the outdoors, I would rather have a larger chopping tool if I can. Most smaller cutting jobs are done by my SAK, including skinning.

http://www.onlycowardscarry.org Only Cowards Carry



Looks like they are going after screwdrivers and hammers as well.

Time for a tool rights movement?

Montanero, what brand/ model small saw have you been allowed thru a TSA check? I too have flown, without objection by TSA, with EMT Sicissors, a small screwdriver ( vest pocket size , reversible shaft points) and a small needle nose pliers. A saw would be a handy tool, but I never tried to fly with one in my carry on, self reasoning/ censoring that it was a forbidden cutting tool. I am happy to be wrong. Pls. Let us know make/ model & size? Many thanx.

This is the one I have carried:

Pocket Survival Saw

It is small but fairly durable. I have seen recently that TSA is prohibiting all saws though. The pocket survival saw has never been questioned, but when I saw the TSA notice I removed it to the bag of sharps in my checked bags.