self-defence

Soldato
Joined
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2,950

You are using a major city, not everyone lives in a city where you are not far from a ****hole. Seeing as you have picked Pimlico as a "nice place" I also work for westminster council, the Churchill Gardens and Lillington Longmore Estates, and even the Grovesnor/Millbank estates are absolute holes.

But even then In the 5 years I have worked for my firm and the 4 Years I have done callout I have never been mugged, threatened or attacked. Do I think it could happen, yes, which is why I now wear a stab vest, do I think it will happen. No. Probably not.
 
Caporegime
Joined
29 Jan 2008
Posts
58,899
You are using a major city, not everyone lives in a city where you are not far from a ****hole. Seeing as you have picked Pimlico as a "nice place" I also work for westminster council, the Churchill Gardens and Lillington Longmore Estates, and even the Grovesnor/Millbank estates are absolute holes.

Yes.. exactly! I pointed that out in my original post... I also assumed you probably didn't live in a city when you made the previous comment... the reality is that people can and do get mugged, jumped, attacked, raped etc..etc.. through no fault of their own and so actually it is feasible that someone might have to end up defending themselves in-spite of being otherwise sensible.
 
Soldato
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If you're really that worried, learn how to street fight or something. Martial arts is extremely hard to pull off in your average mugging situation.

But I do believe the UK law on this issue is absurd.
 
Soldato
Joined
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BOOMTIMES
There is if you dint have a good reason. You've been lucky. Is it worth a criminal record. If you did use it in self defence you would have a massive issue with the law.

Nonsense.
Your logic applies to things like stanley knives, fixed and locking blades etc.
Penknives with a non locking blade less than 3" in length, do not require 'good reason' to carry on your person. There is a big difference between a penknife and a kitchen knife/machete/flick knife/screwdriver etc which might need a 'good reason' to counter such a proscriptive.
Granted, if you tried to use it as a weapon, to defend yourself or otherwise, it'd land you in trouble. But the issue is most penknives are tools - mine is the most useful thing I own and lives in my pocket no matter where I am (except when flying).
No honest copper is going to try for a conviction, for possession of a dangerous weapon, of the carrier of a UK legal penknife, without prior evidence of it being used as a weapon.


But in answer to the OP, you are not allowed to carry anything to use specifically for 'self defence' in the UK.
 
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Soldato
Joined
5 Dec 2006
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15,370
Nonsense.
Your logic applies to things like stanley knives, fixed and locking blades etc.
Penknives with a non locking blade less than 3" in length, do not require 'good reason' to carry on your person. There is a big difference between a penknife and a kitchen knife/machete/flick knife/screwdriver etc which might need a 'good reason' to counter such a proscriptive.
Granted, if you tried to use it as a weapon, to defend yourself or otherwise, it'd land you in trouble. But the issue is most penknives are tools - mine is the most useful thing I own and lives in my pocket no matter where I am (except when flying).
No honest copper is going to try for a conviction, for possession of a dangerous weapon, of the carrier of a UK legal penknife, without prior evidence of it being used as a weapon.


But in answer to the OP, you are not allowed to carry anything to use specifically for 'self defence' in the UK.
Thank you.
 

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Soldato
Joined
24 Aug 2011
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ABQ, NM
It's not about being bothered. Its about being able to charge them with breaking a law. There's nothing illegal about simply carrying a small non-locking blade.

Last time i saw the law (5 years ago so could be out of date) locking blades were legal, it was manual opening that was the key issue, obviously a locking blade is no more dangerous than a small kitchen knife, however, it's the ease of carrying that is the issue. I think it was 3 inches too. A small kitchen knife needs a carrier which are cumbersome, so a locking knife that can be concealed easily is more of a threat which is why it has to be manual opening, it can't be sprung loaded or a butterfly knife which are very quick. It's basically to stop the knife being an easy tool to use to hurt, if you have to stop and open it the victim has a chance to either run or disable before a blade is out in the open. As i said in my bracket though they might have classed all locking blades as illegal now but it would be nice to see how the actual law is written.
 
Soldato
Joined
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Hamilton
Perhaps one of the polis that frequents here will clarify. I've wanted a multi-tool/utility thing for a while but I've always worried it'd be illegal.. there's so many times it would have been handy.
 
Soldato
Joined
5 Nov 2007
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3,207
Location
North East
A sock full of small change. Untold devastation will ensue.

Unless the weight of the change is too much for the stitching and it gives out, resulting in change flying all over the place.

Meanwhile you're stood there with one bare foot, an ex-sock twirling in the air like a......well.....like a sock in the wind and an angry person stood in front of you who's just been hit in the head by a couple of two pence pieces.



Just saying... :)
 
Man of Honour
Joined
11 Mar 2004
Posts
76,634
Nonsense.
.

It's not nonsense at all.
Over three inch or lockable is just plain illegal.
Penknife can still be classed as an offensive weapon. You need good reason to carry it. But obviously depends on the copper at the time and to a certain extent when and where. See what happens in a really rough emarea at night.
 
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Soldato
Joined
5 Dec 2006
Posts
15,370
It's not nonsense at all.
Over three inch or lockable is just plain illegal.
Penknife can still be classed as an offensive weapon. You need good reason to carry it. But obviously depends on the copper at the time and to a certain extent when and where. See what happens in a really rough emarea at night.
Newham. One of the, if not the, most "em" areas in the UK. Searched dozens of times.

Already seen first hand "what happens in a really rough emarea at night."

Trust me. The police don't like to waste their time. They most certainly won't waste their time on a 2 inch manual Swiss army knife.


EDIT: also, what's this "at night" thing? You think the law changes when the sun goes down? :D
 
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