Penknife

[Edwin]

Under three inches and no legal hassle, is the penknife a reasonable bushcraft constant companion? I have had many different penknives and still not found THE one. I do like a multi-tool job but although handy for many tasks, to open the main blade is fiddly.

To carry two penknives might be questioned by the Plod as only one can presumably be a "normal " carry. Perhaps a single blade 3 inch for the knife carry along with an innocent Leatherman type for other work. Or not bother with the leatherman because for the woods I would always have a folding saw and hachet etc anyway.

I see that Spiderco single is nice but at £50+!

[Ben Casey]

I just got one it is a mil type clasp knife with a can opener on it and a (I'm not sure what it is called) but I have always called it a pig stabber:)
The only problem is I have only seen it online at Silvermans and they disappointed me on my last order:(
I can post the link if you like?

[dave budd]

good old swiss army knives for me :) or opinals. I like the saks coz they have the useful tools I mostly need when in the woods (6 days a week, it'where I work!). To be hionest the blade doesn;t get used that much on account of me having a fixed blade with me too,but I do still use it on occasion.

[Edwin]

I think the pig-stabber is a marlin spike if you want to splice ropes. I had a couple of the military pocket knives but they seem to have evaporated along with much else over the years.

[Matt]

I think I may have found the ONE for me (in a penknife styly) http://www.heinnie.com/Knives/Svord-Knives/Svord-Peasant-Knife-Wood/p-92-695-4444/ It does need a bit of work with a wee bit of sandpaper and oil but to me that just personalises it.

Regards, Matt

[comanighttrain]

I have a wenger evo...find it to do a very good job for most tasks (the knife really only gets used for paracord). The thinness of the blade puts me off other uses... so that one matt posted looks like a good go between

[Ben Casey]

I think the pig-stabber is a marlin spike if you want to splice ropes. I had a couple of the military pocket knives but they seem to have evaporated along with much else over the years.

Here is the link for you I always found them robost if nothing else
http://www.silvermans.co.uk/ProductDetails/tabid/89/Department/Military/Category/KNIVES+AND+TOOLS/Description/BRITISH+ARMY+POCKET+KNIFE/ItemId/3714/CurrentPage/0/Default.aspx

[jbrown14]

In addition to my sheath knife, which lately has been my Camillus Cutlery skinning knife (http://www.jw-custom.com/bm66.html) (mine doesn't have the "Buckmasters" logo on the blade...) I usually have some smaller pocketknife for little miscellaneous chores like cutting sausages, skinning mosquitoes, and trimming nosehairs. More often than not, it's my Gerber LST (http://www.backcountry.com/gerber-l.s.t.-knife). I've had it for nearly 10 years, and love the size and weight, but especially love the fact that it will take a super-sharp edge and keep it for a while.

I'm guessing it would be illegal in the UK, though, due to the locking mechanism. Is that right?

[Fletching]

I'm guessing it would be illegal in the UK, though, due to the locking mechanism. Is that right?

You can own one by all means (or any knife/sword), you just need a 'good reason' for having it on your person in public.

Steve

[Fletching]

I've ordered a Svord as recommended by Matt, but Opinel's a good 'pen knife'. For chopping small furry animals up for dinner, I use the Boker as it's very small, fits perfectly in my hand and holds a good edge (though not a scandi-grind.):

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5006/5289969786_d9e49e304a_b.jpg

Steve

[jbrown14]

You can own one by all means (or any knife/sword), you just need a 'good reason' for having it on your person in public.

Steve

Wow, "good reason" huh? How bout, "Well officer, I thought I might have mail to open later, or a fingernail to trim, or something else that any normal person might do with a pocketknife..."

"Reason" seems to be something in short supply these days.

(Nice Boker, by the way. I like the style of sheath better than my homemade one.)

Josh

[Allthegear-noidea]

If I'm going to use a non locking edc that can do 'shrafting' duty, then my Spyderco G10 UKPK is almost always first in hand (as I literally carry it every day:cool:)

I've always found one handed opening very convenient :)

Alternatively I highly regard the Victorinox Farmer:

http://www.powertoolsdirect.com/victorinox-farmer-red-swiss-army-knife-0824126np

It's better suited to 'shrafting' due to the saw, awl and tin opener/pot lid holder and being much more ruggedly built than plastic handled Swiss army knives.

Being less then half the price of a FRN UKPK it's a heck of a lot of knife for the money imho :wink:

If you want a sub £50 single bladed edc and don't fancy a UKPK, Boker do a selection of one handed openers:

http://heinnie.com/Knives/-UK-Legal-Carry-Knives/Boker-Plus-Knives/c-1-92-641-765/

[Raven]

812813

as penknives go i think the peasant knife is a good option, think it needs a little work to make it special, but it does have a lot going for it compaired to some of the others!

paul

[Matt]

Nice job Paul, lovin' those scales and the sheath :)

Matt.

[Adam Savage]

You can own one by all means (or any knife/sword), you just need a 'good reason' for having it on your person in public.

Steve

Very true, the law in England is basically, anything with a blade length of less than three inches, can be carried WITHOUT a reason of any kind, blades of a longer length can be carried if you have a reason, such as bushcraft, work related needs, returning from the shop you just bought it from, etc.. the only truly illegal knives in this country, are flick knives and butterfly knives, which are of little use other than rapid blade deployment to cause injury to a person in a fight. The plod tend to see fixed blade knives as more of a tool than a weapon, as they are not as easy to conceal.

Adam

[Raven]

thanks matt

[MikeWilkinson]

Interesting comments.

But going back to Edwins original question :- what do you consider a 'normal' carry? - If you are referring to a knife that you can carry in you backpocket everyday all the time, no matter where you are then a folding knife ('non locking') < 3" long is all you can carry legally (leatherman wave is therefore not legal without good reason).

If by 'normal' carry you mean a small pocket knife when you are out walking for whittling, survival, general bushcraft then you can pretty much take any locking or fixed blade with you - it won't stop mr policeman from taking you to court if he wants to, but in court as long as you can provide a 'good reason' for having it then the court is likley to side with you.

Interestingly enough locking knives are not actually defined in the 1988 criminal act and it is only due to the appeal of a mr Harris in 1992 and its subsequent citation in a further case that makes a locking mechanism illegal - The actual act states folding knives and it is only the fact that the locking is mechanical that caused the appeal to fail, that is when the blade is opened it is locked in place and becomes a fixed blade requiring mechanical intervention to close it. Both appeals resulted in the decision that a 'folding' blade should be able to fold at all times (despite the argument that this is unsafe).

So basically if you are going to carry a pocket knife everywhere you go make sure it is non-locking. However the question arises why do you need a knife everywhere you go? If uou answer 'yes' to when mr Policeman says 'just in case...' or 'for protection?' then even a folding knife less than 3" is illegal as you intend to use it to do harm!!!

My advice carry what you need, be wise to where you carry it, do not 'have it on display' and always have a purpose. Won't stop the caution/arrest but will save you in court.

[Adam Savage]

very well put Mike

[Aaron Rushton]

im a bit confused about this. when is a penknife a penknife? os a penknife a 3" or under nonlocking knife or just an under 3" knife? and are all locking/fixed blades illegal for everyday carry regardless of size|?

[Adam Savage]

im a bit confused about this. when is a penknife a penknife? os a penknife a 3" or under nonlocking knife or just an under 3" knife? and are all locking/fixed blades illegal for everyday carry regardless of size|?

The definition of a penknife, is a small folding pocket knife. and the law states..

"It is an offence for any person, without lawful authority or good reason, to have with him in a public place, any article which has a blade or is sharply pointed except for a folding pocket-knife which has a cutting edge to its blade not exceeding 3 inches."

so any fixed blade would technically be illegal, without good reason. hope that helps. and as Mike pointed out, locking knives are not strictly mentioned as such.

[beechnut mick]

ive got the opinel6 which although is a locking blade,to the unknowing looks just like a normal penknife.Great piece of kit and just one of those handy things to have.

[Urban Ninja]

My recent edc is an stainless Opinel No.6 with the virobloc popped off that I've ground down to just under 3" (I'm in process of adding a thumbstud, but it would seem I need better drill bits) thats a nice carry.
Light as air in comprison to my previous carry, which was a Boker+ XS

2795

Awesome, awesome knife for the thirty odd quid you'll pay for it. Nice grinds, sturdy tip, finger choil in line with the pivot to keep from snapping shut on you, nice grippy g10 scales, actually effective jimping for a folder, nice thick blade stock, and unlike a lot of people I've got no issues with 440.
Only possible issues are minor at best. The clip rides a bit high and it looks a bit scary to NKPs (non knife people - sheeple).
Seriously, this thing is a friggin' tank. Rock solid backspring; you could probably baton with one of these bad boys if it came to it. Hell, you could probably throw 'em at your target board.

My previous carry was the good old Svord Peasant in black.

2796

Superb value for money friction folder, and with just a little adjustment makes a hefty, useable edc. The blade comes a little over 3" sometimes as all are individually hand ground so that'll need grinding back.
The way I prefer to check length is to take a piece of paper and place the butt end of the edge of the knife (ie. the end nearest the pivot) against the edge of the paper, then roll the blade along the paper and poke a little hole with the tip. Measure with a ruler and Robert's your mother's brother. Fastidious though it may seem to some, in my opinion it's the only reasonable way to measure the cutting edge exactly, but as always, ideas are open for interpretation (or misinterpretation).
Other than shortening the blade, I reprofiled the tip from a spear point to what you might call a modified clip point, added a pocket clip and inserted some oxygen tubing cutoffs over the handle pins just in case there was any contact with the edge. Unfortunately I lost this one, but even so I probably wouldn't use it for city carry as my opinion has changed regarding friction folders insofar as I feel that a contentious bobby may feel that it infringes somewhat on the ability to close it at any time, although maybe that's me being overly cautious in light of our ever increasingly Orwellian status quo; although if that were true, maybe it could even be stretched so far as to encompass finger choils (although this does seem a tad far-fetched). All you Spydie freaks out there, iumagine no more clipping that UKPK in your pocket as you roll out to work in the morn.

That drew out longer than expected. Other than that, Hi! Cool forum.

JJ

[Adam Savage]

Nice write up of those knives JJ. Great to hear why people like the items they use.

Adam

[markal17]

this is my edc knifehttp://www.naturalbushcraft.co.uk/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=2699&d=1319288233 tucks under my shirt

[Adam Savage]

LOL, I will get onto making a friction folding version, so it would be a LEGAL EDC :)

[markal17]

iv got a folding knife here for yer to work on lol

[Adam Savage]

I'm gunna be busy then lol.

[nicklasodh]

In Sweden we have similar laws but no restrictions on locks or sizes. I always carry a Fällkniven U2 in my keyring. It is small enough that it "blends in" with the keys but sturdy and SHARP enough to work as a good backup knife. I used to bring a Victorinox but that was before I discovered locking folders.
I have also carried different Leatherman tools and in the beginning a simple EKA folder.
There has never been any issues with the "plod". I even sat in their mobile police station/ camper today and discussed the knife issue. And the Police said what I thought was right in the beginning. As long as you behave you can bring any "decent" knife you want. We too have the "justifiable need", however, multis and Victorinox like folders are "justified" by default. If it is hunting season or you are dressed for the occasion, even bigger fixed are ok by default. You do not need to leave the sami knife in the car when you go shopping.