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> It’s illegal to [...] carry a knife in public without good reason, unless it has a folding blade with a cutting edge 3 inches long or less > The maximum pena

> It’s illegal to [...] carry a knife in public without good reason, unless it has a folding blade with a cutting edge 3 inches long or less > The maximum penalty for an adult carrying a knife is 4 years in prison and an unlimited fine. You’ll get a prison sentence if you’re convicted of carrying a knife more than once. This blows my mind a little bit. I have a Swiss Army knife (among a ton of other things) in a waistbag that I carry most places I go. It proved very useful a few times, but other than "in case I need it" I don't have a particular reason I carry it. It seems really dystopian to me that in the UK, I could get 4 years in prison for that.

entropicdrifter 6y ago
Does your Swiss Army Knife not fold? Is the blade on it over 3 inches long? Unless I'm mistaken it looks to me like that law was written almost specifically so that Swiss Army knives in particular are considered an exception to the rule.
- zucker42 6y ago
  Not the person you are replying to, but from memory/estimation the leatherman I own has a blade longer than 3 inches.
  - read_if_gay_ 6y ago
    My particular knife is also longer than 3 inches, but it's a larger model and I think you would be correct to point out that most Swiss Army knives are shorter.
DanBC 6y ago
> It seems really dystopian to me that in the UK, I could get 4 years in prison for that. You couldn't. That sentence is the maximum possible available for a particular type of offence. https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/offences/magistrates-court/item/bladed-articles-and-offensive-weapons-possession/ https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/offences/magistrates-co... You'd need to combine location (possession at school, or in prison, or at a place where there is serious public disorder) or effect caused (causes serious alarm or distress), and also intent (crime based on hostility to religion, race, disability, sexual orientation or transgender identity of the victim), or the blade would need to be a "highly dangerous weapon" (ie, not a swiss army knife). Carrying a swiss army knife, and not having a good reason to do so, would be culpability D and harm 2, and so the sentence at mags would be a band C fine (about 1 week of your pay) or a medium level community order.

entropicdrifter 6y ago

Does your Swiss Army Knife not fold? Is the blade on it over 3 inches long? Unless I'm mistaken it looks to me like that law was written almost specifically so that Swiss Army knives in particular are considered an exception to the rule.

zucker42 6y ago
Not the person you are replying to, but from memory/estimation the leatherman I own has a blade longer than 3 inches.
- read_if_gay_ 6y ago
  My particular knife is also longer than 3 inches, but it's a larger model and I think you would be correct to point out that most Swiss Army knives are shorter.

DanBC 6y ago

> It seems really dystopian to me that in the UK, I could get 4 years in prison for that. You couldn't. That sentence is the maximum possible available for a particular type of offence. https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/offences/magistrates-court/item/bladed-articles-and-offensive-weapons-possession/ https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/offences/magistrates-co... You'd need to combine location (possession at school, or in prison, or at a place where there is serious public disorder) or effect caused (causes serious alarm or distress), and also intent (crime based on hostility to religion, race, disability, sexual orientation or transgender identity of the victim), or the blade would need to be a "highly dangerous weapon" (ie, not a swiss army knife). Carrying a swiss army knife, and not having a good reason to do so, would be culpability D and harm 2, and so the sentence at mags would be a band C fine (about 1 week of your pay) or a medium level community order.