Hello,
Im traveling to Scotland soon, and I was wondering if this Swiss Army pocket knife is legal to carry. It can be opend with one hand and locks the blade in place.
I read that it is ok to carry a knife with good reason, but I did not found anything about knifes able to open with one hand.
My good reason is to cut apples, Bread and cheese while hiking.
Thank you for your advise.
by Juzzzo
36 comments
Nal, but I’d say no it wouldn’t be ok
If you’re literally in the wilderness hiking or camping. No problem.
If you’re swaggering around Argyle Street with it for no reason then you’ll run into legal issues if caught with it.
I don’t think it’s legal to carry a knife with a blade that locks in place in a public area.
It locks so is not by default allowed. Your usage examples are a bit weak for justifying it so I’d swap to a non locking version.
As already stated above, if walking about the city with it in your pocket, it could be an issue. But if it’s packed in your bag whilst out on a hike it won’t be a problem.
Try r/LegalAdviceUK
Given it can be opened with one hand and locks, it may not be allowed. Even legal knives might require some justification if you are stopped, your explanation is a little weak, a normal Swiss Army knife would suffice. If you’re hiking then the chances of it being an issue are pretty slim. If you’re waving it around on a street, then regardless of legality, you’ll probably get a shoeing from the polis
One handed opening isn’t generally as restricted in the UK. There are restrictions on switchblades and gravity knives and the like, but this isn’t one of them.
https://www.knivesandtools.co.uk/en/ct/uk-knife-laws.htm
This is a good explanation. You could carry that knife if you had a good reason, IE camping. Otherwise, if you’re in town, leave it in your room.
Look up section 49 Criminal Law (consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995.
Any person who possesses a bladed article in a public place shall be guilty of an offence.
A good reason is up to interpretation.
A defence can be its possession for work, religious or national garb. Even then you can still get stopped and searched and could still be charged.
This just means you could if you have a defence in court.
Put basically no way would you get off with that knife. It’s a folding knife that looks like it exceeds 3 inches (7.62 Cm) and posses a serrated edge. I could be wrong with the knife measurement with picture provided. Still wouldn’t risk it.
If it locks in place like a lock back knife then it does not matter on the length, it’s immediately against the law due to being considered an intended weapon.
Check S49 Criminal Law (Consolidation) Scotland Act.
Unless out camping, fishing, etc. there is no need to carry a knife at any point it’s just a disaster waiting to happen, IMO. Leave the knife at home, save the risk, and don’t become another stat in knife crime
Open and shut case, off to Barlinnie lad
Edit: On second thought, we might give you 3 months suspended if you promise to be good
If it locks then it’s defo illegal, can’t have it locking and needs to be under a certain size
Yours would not be legal as it locks, even with a fully compliant knife you still need a genuine reason for having it in public.
You’re looking for what’s called an EDC knife
https://www.greenmanbushcraft.co.uk/cutting-tools/folding-knives/world-legal-folding-knife.htm
https://www.gov.uk/buying-carrying-knives
You can always phone a station and ask, I think
Good Sir, dO yOU hAev e LicenSe fOuR dAt Kniof?
If you’re Swiss you can say it’s a part of your cultural identity and you’ll be fine. /s
Its a swiss army knife there’s no law against carrying it around now if you’re using it to steal an old grannies purse than yeah it is.
The length of the blade is irrelevant if the knife locks. This does. This is illegal.
Ignoring the legalities, why do you think you need a knife in Scotland over and above reading that there are problems with knife crime.
I’ve lived in Scotland for 40+ years and the only time I ever carry a knife is when I take it from the cutlery drawer to the table.
Are you planning on doing a tour of the roughest estates in Scotland?
If you feel threatened at any point and pull out a knife, the chances are it will go wrong and more than likely by you being lifted by Scotland’s finest.
You can carry a regular sized swiss army knife like a huntsman without any reason, but because of the blade length and the knife locking you would need what the law calls a reasonable excuse like your a chef and you need it for work etc.
It’ll be fine if it’s only used when hiking. Carrying it in your pocket around town could get you in trouble, though. Just keep it with your hiking gear and you’ll be golden.
Depends who stops you, their understanding of the law, interpretation of locking blade where the blade starts..
I think most comments are confusing two different things here.
One is the type of bladed article you can carry without needing a ‘good reason’. That knife cannot be a locking knife, so this doesn’t fit that bill. This is basically so people don’t need a specific reason to carry a small folding pocket knife to use as an everyday utility.
The other, separate scenario, is you can carry any non-banned knife (like zombie knives and whatnot) providing you have a ‘good reason’. Your reason of wanting to cut food on your hikes and camps is a good reason in any rational person’s book. If a family went on a picnic you’d expect them to be able to carry a cheese knife or even just a regular set of knives and forks.
What I would say is if you’re carrying a knife with a ‘good reason’, avoid having it just in your trouser pocket. In the (very) unlikely event you’re questioned about it, it at least helps your case somewhat if you’re carrying it somewhere that isn’t super easily accessible. You don’t have to bury it in 5 layers of clothes or something stupid, but in a dry bag inside your rucksack would be better than having it in your jacket for example. Going back to the picnic example – a cheese knife in a picnic kit, fine. A cheese knife in your pocket because you’re on your hour long walk in to your picnic spot – pushing it let’s be honest.
I do a lot of mountaineering, and am a scout leader. I’m often found with knives. But even on scout campsites I don’t wander around with a fixed blade knife on my belt, unless I’m actively leading a bushcraft session. You do see some leaders doing it mind.
Sub 3 inch blade, and non locking. Anything else is illegal.
Leave it and take a non locking SAK instead tbh not worth the hassle.
Law over this is devolved. You’ll want to refer to this: [https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1995/39/part/VI/crossheading/offensive-weapons](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1995/39/part/VI/crossheading/offensive-weapons). Ignore cunts providing UK law, unless you’re landing in Scotland via perhaps an English airport.
The law says you’re more likely than not to get done for carrying this knife, flick or not. If a cop has reason to search you and finds it, you’re likely in trouble. There is no “reasonable justification” defence or otherwise. You might get lucky and deal with a cop that is nice and understands and sends you on your way, but don’t bet on it.
If you want to chance it, make sure its in your checked luggage and not your carry-on if you’re flying into/out of Scotland, otherwise its getting confiscated and you might get a serious talking to.
>In this section—
>
>“offensive weapon” means any article—
>
>(a) made or adapted for use for causing injury to a person, or
>
>(b) intended, by the person having the article, for use for causing injury to a person by—
>
>(i) the person having it, or
>
>(ii) some other person,
>
>“public place” means any place other than—
>
>(a) domestic premises,
>
>(b) school premises (within the meaning of section 49A(6)),
>
>(c) a prison (within the meaning of section 49C(7)),
>
>“domestic premises” means premises occupied as a private dwelling (including any stair, passage, garden, yard, garage, outhouse or other appurtenance of such premises which is not used in common by the occupants of more than one such dwelling).]
​
>Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (4) above, it shall be a defence for a person charged with an offence under subsection (1) above to show that he had the article with him—
>
>(a)for use at work;
>
>(b)for religious reasons; or
>
>(c)as part of any national costume.
You can carry that knife in public with a good reason however if you want to carry a knife get a non locking folding knife with a blade length of less than 3 inches and you won’t need good reason
If you’re on a camping trip or hike then it’s justifiable. If you’re in streets etc it’s a huge nono. Carrying knives is illegal in Scotland for the most part. You’d even get done if it was accessible in the cab of your car.
Luckily our supermarkets sell sliced bread, cheese slices and prepacked chopped up fruit.
Leave your blade at home.
You can carry like a normal Swiss army knife that doesn’t lock up. Anything that locks is illegal to carry unless you need to use it for work for example.
https://www.gov.uk/buying-carrying-knives
Honestly it’d probably be better to just not bring any knife at all into the country. The police can get weird with any type of knife even ones that are legal to carry
The blade must be less than three inches.
It must not lock and is readily foldable, meaning it should be able to fold away with light pressure applied.
To carry a knife for defence is illegal so if that’s your reason for bringing it, leave it at home before you travel.
There must be a reason to carry the knife, for example you are on your way to go camping and the knife is a bushcrafting tool. As mentioned before, defence is not a legal reason.
I realise this is not a stated reason in your post but I would hardly say a knife like that is typically used for cheese and bread.
As long you bring one and it’s under 3 inches and doesn’t lock it’s perfectly legal.
This model is illegal.
That’s a nice spiderco. Had one similar to that, that the PARAS use. Now I’ve got a shitty Gerber pocket carry.
Uk knife laws are a joke. All the criminals carry swords. All the law abiding people can’t protect themselves.
I carry a leatherman rebar I live in Scotland never had a problem
That’s the 1st ruler I’ve seen that didn’t also have the inches marked on it
If you only carry it while hiking and use it for bushcraft, sure, wandering about with a locking 1 handed opening blade is a no no.