I don’t know what this Twitter postor/Tweeter is talking about when he says, “there is never a reason to carry a knife”; that’s a fairly broad generality. Fortunately, he’s only a mayor. Maybe DR could start up a “Knife Rights” affiliate in the UK.

I’ve been carrying and using a knife routinely since I was 10yo and other than myself (by accident) I’ve yet to hurt anyone else with a knife. REI sells a few knives that are very good and easy to carry because hikers and backpackers occasionally need to cut something. Once they realize that sometimes things need cutting while hiking in the woods, they do something radical like carrying a knife in an urban setting; on occasion things in the city need cutting too. It’s primarily a tool, not a weapon.

I recall an traffic accident a few years back where the car caught fire and the seatbelt locked up. No one on scene initially had a knife to cut the seatbelt. No need for a knife? I have a fully serrated Spyderco folder in the console of my truck always.

Seriously though, this is simply a knee-jerk reaction to the recent number of knife attacks and as mentioned the illegal drug trade and turf wars are central to that increase in violence. So will banning the carry of knives of all residents of London stop the drug wars? Will the participants of the drug/turf wars pay heed to the London mayor’s knife ban? Would anyone involved in drug trafficking and distrubution care one little bit about a knife ban? Would a person who is apparently more than willing to kill as part of his business plan stop carrying a knife because a mayor says something inane.

Typical though -- make law abiding folk pay for the actions of law breakers just because “I need to look like I’m concerned and doing something”.

This is not politics, just a discussion of knife policy.