Things OK here but not THERE

bdr, so its the locking function that makes it illegal. Interesting.

Maybe attitudes are different here in the UK, but why would you carry a knife, however small? It’s potentially a weapon. You certainly couldn’t take it in hand luggage on a plane.

I do find my small (2-inch blade) Swiss Army knife with a folding scissors handy while traveling but it does have to go in checked baggage for fear of losing it to security.

My husband had one of those small utility knives in his pocket, accidentally, as we were entering the Buckingham Palace Mews. A manager was called over and she took and looked at the knife. She handed it back to my husband and told him not to hurt himself. He was then allowed in. LOL

I will admit I carry a small Swiss Army Knife on my key chain. I think I use the nail file on it the most, but also the tiny scissors and the knife has been relied on countless times for prepping sandwiches, peeling apples, picnics at lunch while travelling.

I would hate to have it confiscated, so I either leave it at home when doing carry on only, or it goes into my checked baggage. I take it less often than in the past, but my alternative is a longer paring knife, either from the apartment I am renting, or from the Pound store (Dollar Store). I guess I need to reconsider that plan when in the UK.

I am certainly a pacifist, so never consider these as weapons - simply convenient tools - but I can see how it would be frowned on around expensive art.

A former police officer friend of mine here in the UK said that while carrying knives was technically illegal, officers used their common sense to judge intent. So if you were backpacking and had a knife with you, especially if it was tucked away in your backpack, that would be viewed as OK. Carrying a large knife in an urban setting about your person, or worse waving it around, would be more likely to get you locked up.

However in view of the increased incidence of reported knife crime, especially in London, I wonder now if the letter of the law is now being applied more strictly, if only to err on the side of caution.

I would buy, if the situation needed one, a very cheap small folding penknife to travel with, one that if it was confiscated, wouldn’t see me distraught or massively out of pocket. And I wouldn’t dream of trying to get it on a plane in my hand luggage. Although I once left my complex ‘Leatherman’ multi tool in my bag by mistake - I’d forgotten it was in the here - and had to check the bag, intended as carry on, into the hold so I didn’t lose it.

Ian

The 3 inch limit for non-locking knives can also caused problems (it's an old pre-metric law, 3 inches = 76 mm).
The largest size of Swiss Army knives, including the actual "Soldatenmesse" they issue to the Swiss Army is over the limit, and cannot be sold in the UK.
There is an exclusion for "legitimate use", so you can by a kitchen knife and bring it home.

BTW "Portrait Gallery by Buckingham" is a confusing statement. Buckingham is a small town (population 12,000) about 100 Km North-East of London, the original county town of Buckinghamshire. Not on the usual tourist list.

but why would you carry a knife, however small? It’s potentially a weapon

Anything is potentially a weapon. I can take your toiletry kit and create in about 10 seconds a very deadly weapon from a toothbrush, disposable razor, and a piece of floss.

Many people I know carry, and have always carried ever since they were in elementary school, a pocket knife similar to this. It was used for many different tasks from cutting off dangling shoe strings to trimming fingernails. No one ever looked at it as a weapon. But then when I was in high school most of the students had a gun rack in the back window of their pickup truck with at least a shotgun and a small caliber rifle and no one though anything of it either.

I don't carry a knife these days. I have worked in too many buildings where you have to go through a metal detector (not for my job, just an unfortunate cohabitation with others who needed this check). Having anything metal on you caused issues, so I quit the knife and carrying coins.

"but why would you carry a knife, however small? It’s potentially a weapon"

Back in the last half of the previous century, at family functions where the ladies were all back in the kitchen or the dining room and the men were all in the front room with the game on in the background, I would ask how many of the men had a pocketknife on them, and how many a handkerchief/bandana -- the result was always 100%. Men should have both of these items on their person, period. Bonus points if the handkerchief had been doused with cologne or aftershave before pocketed.

I took it upon myself to help with gender equity by giving Swiss Army knives as gifts not just to tween boys but to tween girls as well -- these pocketknives were considered a legit alternative to Cross pen & pencil sets for turning 13 (Bar/Bat Mitzvah).

The USA has all kinds of knife laws. It's decided by state law. NYC has its own laws - basically, you better be using it for work only. No folders (manual slip joints may be okay), no automatics, etc.. So in NYC - I guess it's okay to carry a butcher cleaver if you work in culinary arts. I think multi-tools pass as well.
California has a 2" blade limit on pocket knives. Then, there's the question of open carry vs. concealed carry and whether or not a pocket clip exposed counts as open carry.
I wish keychain SAK or Leatherman squirts were allowed everywhere. They make great travel tools.

Years ago a friend of mine who worked overnights in a youth shelter confiscated a few knives from kids, which she dropped into a pocket in her over night bag
Yes that same mild mannered social worker showed up at the airport with the same bag, and got put into Time Out while her other stuff was examined

For apples, peanut butter, or opening some packages I can make do w a high quality plastic picnic knife, I usually start with about 3 and usually off load them before trip home

Well a little research updated me on Canadian and Ontario law for carrying knives. Learned way too much about ugly weapons. My 1.5 inch blade on my SAK is allowed, but I'll be testing the strength of the plastic knives in my drawer for peeling apples and taking those instead in the future.

Knife Rules for flying
1). Don't carry any knife.
2). If you must bring a knife - put it in checked luggage.
3). Plastic picnic knife is a security safe alternative.
4). If you don't want to spend extra time chatting with security anywhere - pack (in checked bag) a small knife like a keychain knife, small SAK, Leatherman squirt, etc. and discreetly carry it or leave it in hotel room. Only use it publicly for tasks like a picnic or removing tags, etc..
Do not bring any knife with a blade longer than 2" that can be easily flicked open (rapid deployment). Two-handed openers like slip joints are less scary.
(A knife like an Opinel #8 is longer than 3" but definitely not threatening.)
5). Lastly, if you eat at Outback Steakhouse near the airport flight gates - do not order any food like a steak that requires a knife for cutting. You will be given a useless plastic knife and have to eat like Fred Flintstone.

Again, Sun, the depths and breadth of yr experience amaze me. *still giggling over flintstone reference *

Doric8,
Thanks for the shout-out. My husband gets the credit for the Outback steak experience contribution. I benefited from the entertainment of observing him.