Knives in your toolbox

piratebillybob · Mar 3, 2012

I was thinking of getting a nice 3 inch foldable knife for my tool box.

I am however worried about how legal carrying one is. Surely if im working as an electrician in a works van during works time, i'ld be allowed to carry such a knife in my toolbox?

I know this sounds silly but i dont want to get in trouble when just starting out on my new career.

And from what ive read, the law really does hate lockable, folding knives longer than 3 inches.

What kind of knife do you use?

Knobhead · Mar 5, 2012

Sharp knives and electricians go together. No amount of sharpening of a fixed blade knife will beat a new Stanley blade.
Stripping the inner serving I can tell how deep I am by the sound of the cut. My Tysak knife I can even set the depth of the cut if needs be. Tysak no longer make these knives.

Darkwood · Mar 5, 2012

parker56 said:
Just done a course,not allowed to use stanley blades or electricans knife,Had to use there safe knife
three doing the course three cut fingers,so much for safe.

Did you get a free pair of childrens craft scissors when you left ???

SPARTYKUS · Mar 5, 2012

To be fair parker56, I have had a similar experience a few years back, doing something somewhere and was astonished when I asked for a knife and was told "not allowed". I pushed the bloke / teacher / lecturer / old hand and said something like "well come on, assuming we step out of teaching mode, you and me are down the pub just talking, would you use a knife"

"Yep"

Cobblers.

Andy78 · Mar 5, 2012

I once had to work in the local "secure hospital" where some of the "patients" had done some very bad things indeed. We had to decide what tools we needed each day and have them checked in at reception and listed. We were definately not allowed knives of any sort ! This was done in a maglock door "airlock". We were also frisked, pocket searched, and metal scanned.
One day we were in the middle of this rigmarole when some bloke knocks on the door asking to be let in. "Oh hi Brian" says the door button presser and lets this guy straight through the airlock with no searches. We asked the supervisor who it was thathe could go through with no search, unlike us and the staff that worked there. "He's one of the patients" we were told. "he's just been to the shops for a bit"

The nearest shop that I knew of was a focus DIY. No knives there then !

Darkwood · Mar 5, 2012

Andy78 said:
I once had to work in the local "secure hospital" where some of the "patients" had done some very bad things indeed. We had to decide what tools we needed each day and have them checked in at reception and listed. We were definately not allowed knives of any sort ! This was done in a maglock door "airlock". We were also frisked, pocket searched, and metal scanned.
One day we were in the middle of this rigmarole when some bloke knocks on the door asking to be let in. "Oh hi Brian" says the door button presser and lets this guy straight through the airlock with no searches. We asked the supervisor who it was thathe could go through with no search, unlike us and the staff that worked there. "He's one of the patients" we were told. "he's just been to the shops for a bit"

The nearest shop that I knew of was a focus DIY. No knives there then !

Worked in such places too although your story could throw an air of disbelieve each resident has a catogory of mental illness and this determines the level of security and caution needed, the resident who passed through the security lock was a non violent, low risk thus no need for the checks.... where-as your job will take you through various areas including the high risk residents hence you need to be logged and checked.

Andy78 · Mar 5, 2012

Yeah I found out he was a low risk, well trusted resident. But all categories of resident did share some common areas such as the TV room and games room.

Marvo · Mar 5, 2012

This whole thread doesn't make sense to me, do all these silly laws that treat people like kids actually have any impact on the crime statistics? What do you eat steaks with if you go to a restaurant in the UK? How can you ban knives without banning screwdrivers or even stiletto heels for that matter?

piratebillybob · Mar 5, 2012

i know someone who nearly lost their sight after a woman attacked him with a stilleto

if youre a qualified craftsman in a registered company van, on a job or travelling to a job then you should be able to carry whatever you like.

Some people may only use an electricians knife, while others may opt for a big 3 incher or a stanley. But regardless of what kind of knife, as long as its being professionally used in a job then the law should stay out of it.

if however i was driving along the countryside at 2am, not on company time but with a van full of tools then i wouldnt mind the police cropping up and asking questions. Because if a guy like that was driving round my neighbour hood without a good reason ild want him questioned too.

parker56 · Mar 5, 2012

SPARTYKUS, there blokes had knifes in there tool kits for working outside the traning center.

timo1 · Mar 5, 2012

There is a specific defence built into law that states an article that is used as a tool for work will not be an offensive weapon. As has already been stated walking around at 2 in the morning after a night on the beer with a blade in your pocket could get you arrested in theory for possessing a bladed article in a public place, unless you can convince the copper that it was there from work earlier. Any item can be an offensive weapon if its being used offensively (sounds obvious but true, a cobbler has been prosecuted for possessing an offensive weapon for hitting a complaining customer with a pair of shoes he was repairing!!) its usually down to the conduct of the person in possession of it at the time that matters.

Darkwood · Mar 5, 2012

Half my family are in the police and possesion of an offensive (classed) weapon is used against anyone with it upon their persons and they will turn a blind eye to knifes of the trade like on a dinner break or obviously during work but will have little tolerence for anyone leaving knife on themselves out of work time especially in a pub. People have been killed with their own weapons during pub brawls although they forgot they had it but dropped out of pocket during scuffle and was used against them. This is one reason of many why using an excuse like i forgot it was in my pocket isnt tolerated if in a alcoholic environment. If you finish work and get caught on the walk home within reasonable time scope of finishing work then you will probably just get a verbal caution as long as you hold a clean criminal record sheet. Its mostly common sense as to what is going to end you in the deep doo doo and what isn't.
:6:When a law is created it give the police the right to enforce it but in some cases its their so they can use their descretion depending on the situation, you cant ban carrying knifes nor can you allow it outright so creating this law give the flexibility to use a judgement call and if deemed necessary; be able use the law to its full extent.