Multi tool in boot?
Discussion
It depends on whether or not the police want to prosecute you or not. I would think that in most cases they might tell you you shouldn't have it and leave it at that.
A friend of mine must have failed the attitude test as he got prosecuted for a little locking knife he had carried in his toolbox for decades. It was about 3-4 inches long and he ended up with a criminal record for an offensive weapon.
A friend of mine must have failed the attitude test as he got prosecuted for a little locking knife he had carried in his toolbox for decades. It was about 3-4 inches long and he ended up with a criminal record for an offensive weapon.
The law is (snipped from https://www.gov.uk/buying-carrying-knives for the relevant bits)
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
Lock knives
Lock knives are not classed as folding knives and are illegal to carry in public without good reason. Lock knives:
-have blades that can be locked and refolded only by pressing a button
-can include multi-tool knives - tools that also contain other devices such as a screwdriver or can opener
And the good reason bit not so helpfully says:
A court will decide if you’ve got a good reason to carry a knife or a weapon if you’re charged with carrying it illegally.
So it seems if your multitool has a blade it's illegal, but you can have a multitool without a blade and a folding knife with a <3" blade next to it and you're OK? Unless the blade bit doesn't have a button when your multitool with a blade is OK?
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
Lock knives
Lock knives are not classed as folding knives and are illegal to carry in public without good reason. Lock knives:
-have blades that can be locked and refolded only by pressing a button
-can include multi-tool knives - tools that also contain other devices such as a screwdriver or can opener
And the good reason bit not so helpfully says:
A court will decide if you’ve got a good reason to carry a knife or a weapon if you’re charged with carrying it illegally.
So it seems if your multitool has a blade it's illegal, but you can have a multitool without a blade and a folding knife with a <3" blade next to it and you're OK? Unless the blade bit doesn't have a button when your multitool with a blade is OK?
M12MTR said:
Hi. Reading about Danny Kent with a knife on him / in his vehicle; would you be in trouble carrying a multi tool (with various tools and a 4" blade) in the boot of your car?
I wouldn't equate what that utter f
kwit did with you having a perfectly reasonable tool in your car.He had a kitchen knife on him whilst 'collecting a debt' with his brother and was dim enough to think a court would believe it was for 'opening boxes at work'.
Shuvi McTupya said:
It depends on whether or not the police want to prosecute you or not. I would think that in most cases they might tell you you shouldn't have it and leave it at that.
A friend of mine must have failed the attitude test as he got prosecuted for a little locking knife he had carried in his toolbox for decades. It was about 3-4 inches long and he ended up with a criminal record for an offensive weapon.
I think lock knives have always been a no-no withh the authorities.This was the case even at a time when many schoolboys carried a (usually blunt) penknife as a matter of course.A friend of mine must have failed the attitude test as he got prosecuted for a little locking knife he had carried in his toolbox for decades. It was about 3-4 inches long and he ended up with a criminal record for an offensive weapon.
FunkyNige said:
The law is (snipped from https://www.gov.uk/buying-carrying-knives for the relevant bits)
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
Lock knives
Lock knives are not classed as folding knives and are illegal to carry in public without good reason. Lock knives:
-have blades that can be locked and refolded only by pressing a button
-can include multi-tool knives - tools that also contain other devices such as a screwdriver or can opener
And the good reason bit not so helpfully says:
A court will decide if you’ve got a good reason to carry a knife or a weapon if you’re charged with carrying it illegally.
So it seems if your multitool has a blade it's illegal, but you can have a multitool without a blade and a folding knife with a <3" blade next to it and you're OK? Unless the blade bit doesn't have a button when your multitool with a blade is OK?
If it is a folding blade in your multi tool that is under 3" and does not lock it is fine. 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
Lock knives
Lock knives are not classed as folding knives and are illegal to carry in public without good reason. Lock knives:
-have blades that can be locked and refolded only by pressing a button
-can include multi-tool knives - tools that also contain other devices such as a screwdriver or can opener
And the good reason bit not so helpfully says:
A court will decide if you’ve got a good reason to carry a knife or a weapon if you’re charged with carrying it illegally.
So it seems if your multitool has a blade it's illegal, but you can have a multitool without a blade and a folding knife with a <3" blade next to it and you're OK? Unless the blade bit doesn't have a button when your multitool with a blade is OK?
If it is a locking blade that is over 3" you shouldn't carry it.
Dogwatch said:
I think lock knives have always been a no-no withh the authorities.This was the case even at a time when many schoolboys carried a (usually blunt) penknife as a matter of course.
I am sure you are right but as kids we all carried knives of various types and never gave it a second thought as in our minds they weren't weapons, they were toys/tools.I used to carry a Bowie knife just about every where when I was 12-13!
If it's along with other tools, then I doubt there would be any issue, especially if you're going to do a certain job.
I wouldn't want a locking Stanley knife in an accessible location though in the car, but would be happy to carry one in a tool box in the boot, along with my other items.
If I was carrying a knife in public for a good reason, I'd still rather have a non-locking <3cm blade. That way there's no need to have a "good reason" to carry it.
I wouldn't want a locking Stanley knife in an accessible location though in the car, but would be happy to carry one in a tool box in the boot, along with my other items.
If I was carrying a knife in public for a good reason, I'd still rather have a non-locking <3cm blade. That way there's no need to have a "good reason" to carry it.
FunkyNige said:
The law is (snipped from https://www.gov.uk/buying-carrying-knives for the relevant bits)
Lock knives
Lock knives are not classed as folding knives and are illegal to carry in public without good reason. Lock knives:
-have blades that can be locked and refolded only by pressing a button
I'm surprised that even the government site has this wrong. Lock knives
Lock knives are not classed as folding knives and are illegal to carry in public without good reason. Lock knives:
-have blades that can be locked and refolded only by pressing a button
Though they give the correct definition of a lock knife, the actual law defines it as a knife that is not readily foldable, so even a non locking blade on a multitool can fall foul if you need to unfold the handle to fold the blade.
I carry a knifeless multitool in my car, so if I need a knife, a have several 2" - 3" knives, from Swiss Army to scary pointy ones, all Legal, I can take.
Edited by SlimJim16v on Friday 16th August 18:30
FunkyNige said:
The law is (snipped from https://www.gov.uk/buying-carrying-knives for the relevant bits)
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
Lock knives
Lock knives are not classed as folding knives and are illegal to carry in public without good reason. Lock knives:
-have blades that can be locked and refolded only by pressing a button
-can include multi-tool knives - tools that also contain other devices such as a screwdriver or can opener
And the good reason bit not so helpfully says:
A court will decide if you’ve got a good reason to carry a knife or a weapon if you’re charged with carrying it illegally.
So it seems if your multitool has a blade it's illegal, but you can have a multitool without a blade and a folding knife with a <3" blade next to it and you're OK? Unless the blade bit doesn't have a button when your multitool with a blade is OK?
The OPs question was about carrying the knife in the boot of the car, not sure what you've posted is relevant?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
Lock knives
Lock knives are not classed as folding knives and are illegal to carry in public without good reason. Lock knives:
-have blades that can be locked and refolded only by pressing a button
-can include multi-tool knives - tools that also contain other devices such as a screwdriver or can opener
And the good reason bit not so helpfully says:
A court will decide if you’ve got a good reason to carry a knife or a weapon if you’re charged with carrying it illegally.
So it seems if your multitool has a blade it's illegal, but you can have a multitool without a blade and a folding knife with a <3" blade next to it and you're OK? Unless the blade bit doesn't have a button when your multitool with a blade is OK?
Electro1980 said:
Funkstar De Luxe said:
Only if the plod catch you. fking ridiculous state of affairs this country is in.
Yes. What a ridiculous state of affairs when two 20 somethings can’t carry a kitchen knife to collect a debt from a 69 year old!king ridiculous state of affairs this country is in. Forums | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff