Yes I am. And the excuse needs to be provable. What happened was that some smart mouthed [censored] of a lawyer convinced a court that having a lock on a knife makes it a fixed blade knife. And an offensive weapon is whatever the Magistrate decides it is. So if a Police Officer decides that the rolled up newspaper under your arm is a O.W, it is. And the Magistrate will quite likely support him. The problem we have at the moment is that tha Police are saying that any knife is an O.W. Legal right to have about your person or not.

The law on carry of fixed blade and lock knives in the UK is not what I personally would wish, but it is not as bad as has been portrayed here. The law allows one to carry anything with good reason - and contrary to views expressed here there are no magistrates who decide that there can be no good reason. The law in fact enshrines several good reasons, such as for religious reasons and for work. Basically, if you have a good reason, you can carry.

I enjoy bushcraft; when I'm in the woods I often carry a Ray Mears designed fixed blade. Along with my firesteel, cooking pot etc it is obvious what I am up to and no reasonable person is going to question my carry. Trying to carry the same knife to a football match would be likely to find me in court as I doubt any police officer would consider it reasonable.

The law here is designed to prevent (mainly) youngsters from going armed on the streets. Whether or not it achieves that aim is a separate debate, but its effect on generally law abiding citizens is minimal. In my 42 years, I have never even been questioned by the police let alone searched - I just don't fit the profile. I have carried a pocket knife of some sorts for most of those years without problem.

One point I would make is that at least I know what the law is wherever I go in the UK. In the US, the local variations make such knowledge difficult to obtain - for instance it is not legal to carry a locking blade knife in San Antonio TX if the web is to be believed.

Yes the UK law is asinine - passing laws is easier than solving problems. And yes, I would prefer a lockblade - it's a safety device and I have a nice scar on my knuckle to show what happens when a slipjoint, er, slips.

But carrying a small non locking folder is usually reasonable, and why I carry an SAK - it is so familiar even those unused to knife carry know what it is, and aren't threatened. There are other knives (the Spyderco UK penknife for example) but while they are excellent, they will panic the uninitiated. A swiss army doesn't, so I feel comfortable using it at work without getting funny looks. And 99% of the time, it is all the knife I need.

When I transport other blades, I generally keep them sealed in an tough envelope and labelled clearly - I usually then bury them in the bottom of whatever bag I am carrying. Not keeping them available for quick access can't hurt if I run up against the law. British law has a fair degree of leeway, regarding whether minor cases are taken to court

My condolences to our esteemed UK forum users. Let's see, the law says here in TN:

39-17-1307. Unlawful carrying or possession of a weapon.

(a) (1) A person commits an offense who carries with the intent to go armed a firearm, a knife with a blade length exceeding four inches (4"), or a club.

The law is stated more lengthy and there are more conditions, exceptions, places where to and where not to, can and cannots

This says "with the intent to go armed," so I think common sense would dictate which scenarios would not be appropriate to carry a blade alot of the time.

BTW, LBJ was the last U.S. President to tote a pocketknife if the History Channel is correct.

That implies a lot.

I am a frequent lurker (infrequent poster) over at BCUK and I have heard quite a bit about this little blade from the folks over there. I don't share in your dilema but I am interested in hearing your review of the UK Pen Knife. I have often wondered about it.

It answers for most normal everyday tasks. The sliplock is much stronger than the one on a SAK. I have cut notches with it in heavy pine planking with no problems. Edge retention is excellent. Grip is more than good enough. It's light, so no revealing bulges. Spyderco have got it very right. I would not be unhappy to have it with me in a survival situation. As a urban E.D.C. it's about perfect.

The major problem is that the prosecution is going to contend that a fixed blade knife is not nessesary. Therefore your possession is not lawful. You have the problem of demonstrating that it is. We are all perfectly aware that a fixed blade knife or a lock knife is a tool, not a weapon. Most of us take deep and abiding offence at being tarred with the same brush as the yobbo element. We are in the buisness of saving lives, not taking them. A subtle nuance that is probably lost on most magistrates and police officers.