30-05-12, 07:28 PM
There are some knives which are always classified as weapons (like butterfly knives or knives which are spring loaded), but the leatherman or swiss army type knives would depend on who is carrying them and why.
It is generally very obvious who should and who shouldn't be carrying a knife - one of the local gang members carrying a folding swiss army knife with a blade less than 3 inches long which is perfectly legal under the knife laws would be dealt with (under offensive weapon laws) - whereas a workman with a toolbox full of tools walking to a job with a locking knife generally would not (Again depending on the circumstances - if the said workmen was in a pub on a friday night this may change).
Put simply - the offensive weapons law falls into 2 categories - something which is made or adapted to be a weapon (Made would be a kosh, adapted would be a baseball bat with nails sticking out of it), or what might be a completely innocent object which is intended to be used as a weapon (Such as a swiss army knife).
It is generally very obvious who should and who shouldn't be carrying a knife - one of the local gang members carrying a folding swiss army knife with a blade less than 3 inches long which is perfectly legal under the knife laws would be dealt with (under offensive weapon laws) - whereas a workman with a toolbox full of tools walking to a job with a locking knife generally would not (Again depending on the circumstances - if the said workmen was in a pub on a friday night this may change).
Put simply - the offensive weapons law falls into 2 categories - something which is made or adapted to be a weapon (Made would be a kosh, adapted would be a baseball bat with nails sticking out of it), or what might be a completely innocent object which is intended to be used as a weapon (Such as a swiss army knife).
