Hi all. While wandering through the market recently I noticed that the diy stall is selling machetes for a fiver. I'm not sure how long it was but it must have been at least 8 inches blade. Seeing the usefulness to clear green lanes I went to buy it, but the SWMBO said it would be illegal to carry it on board. I already have secateurs, saws, chainsaws and a huge axe on board for the same purpose (clearing back shrubbery) amongst a full toolkit including normal knifes, hammers, etc. All of these are fairly lethal, so can I add the machete to the collection without fear of hassle from the authorities should I be searched for any reason?
I suspect that the "simple" answer would be that it would be illegal, but, in the context of all the other stuff you carry, it would perhaps not be viewed as suspect - after all, every farmer I know carries, out of necessity, a knife that would certainly be illegal if you were carrying it down Oxford Street, if you see what I mean. Shooting from the hip legislation.......again!
I was browsing this the other day as my brush clearer was questioned by a friend:
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One of the guys I dive with is a policeman and, jokingly, he once remarked as we were kitting up that if he saw somebody with a knife like the one he was strapping to his leg he'd nick them and leave them to prove it wasn't illegal...
...but if we get trapped in netting underwater, a big problem in wrecks, we need something pretty unsubtle as we have limited time to solve the problem.
My recollection of the basic law on this is that there is a general getout for "lawful purpose", and that goes back a long way: it isn't some recent legislative cockup. There's a lot of legal precedent to establish just what that means. As a farmer, I could get away with have a lot of potentially lethal weapons in my Land Rover, because I had a lawful purpose. Hedges are dangerous beasts.
It should be fairly obvious how that covers a diving knife.
So a machete, as part of a consistent set of tools, should be OK, unless you act stupid. There are similar lumps of sharp steel still used in agriculture, though mostly replaced by big machines. "beet knife" comes to mind. Keep is secure in the vehicle when you're not working with it. Having the sharp stuff in a locked toolbox is very different from having it ready to hand as you drive.
The law is too often an ass. If you can find a genuinely good lawyer, as opposed to one who merely seems good from the perspective of one who knows nothing at all, you probably cant afford him/her. After over 30 years of being a 100% successful Mackenziman (Non professional attorney with some 36 consecutive court victories, including a case of offensive weapons), I've learned that policeman, even the ones who do have integrity, rank somewhere close to the very bottom of legal expertise amongst legal professionals . They rely on the instantly capitulating ignorance of their 'victims' for success, whistle having a low rate of success against cognisant defence.
A silly case recently was a besuited city type being stopped, harassed and then officially cautioned for carrying a cricket ball. Never accept a caution, unless of course you're guilty. There are a number of items that are offensive weapons per se, such as hand guns and knives with blades over three inches, lock blades and any item specifically proscribed by law. Other items which could conceivably be used as a weapon are not offensive per se. The main issue with being accused/charged with having an offensive weapon, whether it be a tool such as a machete, which is always an offensive weapon unless it's demonstrably carried as a tool, is the legal anomaly, as with libel and slander, of the accused having to prove his innocence, rather than the usual format of being innocent until proved guilty. This puts an unfair burden on a great many people, who being wilfully ignorant in the most part due to adopting peer group sub-cultural presumptions, as often observed amongst the faux and trite wholesomeness of the 'good ole boys', don't have the knowledge or coherence to defend themselves properly.
In a nut shell, always be sure when carrying anything that might be described as offensive, that you have a reasonable reason for having it. Although the burden of proof is on the accused, it's actually not that onerous, since an unassailable defence is simply providing evidence of reasonable purpose. Oh, and always have your defence heard by a judge and jury. They don't call magistrates a police court for nothing.
I don't think it is illegal if you have a good reason for carrying it, frankly unless you are in the middle of London I can't see why anyone would object to a Machete in the context of a well stocked toolkit. I carry a crowbar, a pruning saw and a small hatchet as well as the usual tools, any of which could get me done for going equipped for burglary if someone wanted to throw the book at me.
Many years ago I walked onto a bus with an axe and a machete strapped to a pack frame, I was going out to chop some firewood. The bus driver did not bat an eyelid.
On the other hand if you really want to make an ass of the law, how do you carry a kitchen knife home from the shops legally after you have bought it?
Anyone who pulls a knife out as a weapon in a public place deserves what they get, but tools are meant as tools. All manner of which are potentially lethal from a shovel to staple gun.
Having watched several of the recent spate of Police Camera Action type documentaries I looked up - what I thought to be the legislation regarding knives. I can only assume I totally misread regarding locking blade knives - I invariably have a sub3 inch blade Sandvik knife with locking blade in my pocket. Does this mean that because I carry this - which I use for gardening, stripping wire digging debris from the soles of my shoes/boots etc etc - that I am breaking the law? It was also used quite recently to dig out and release a small terrier - not mine - that had trapped itself in a rabbit warren whilst out walking the dogs.
If it states that locking blades are specifically banned then yes, which of course means almost all leatherman or similar multitools are illegal to carry on the street. I've always carried one at all times, too damned useful to do otherwise.
About a week after religious nutters flew planes into skyscrapers in the U.S. I flew to Northern Ireland, at checkin the metal detector kept going off so I was searched but they couldn't find what it was so just waved me through. Once on the plane I found the cause, a very unsubtle "leatherman wave" (the big one) in a sheath attached to my belt in full view..
It might be an idea to switch to a traditional swiss army knife without locking blades, or to file the blade locking mechanism off. It makes it more likely to fold up on your finger but you won't get fingered by a dibble who needs his stats boosted.
Its insane. I carried a knife all my life; an opinel nr7. Used it for all sorts of things, cutting string, opening awkward plastic packages, cleaning me nails, opening screws, gutting rabbits, trimming small things, changing fishing flies, opening dog food bags, lancing blisters, removing splinters, peeling apples, eating steak cooked on camp fires, loads of stuff, cheap easy to re sharpen, here to be used roughly knife type tool. I'm not allowed anymore. Law that people who walk on pavements think is good because they can't work out why anyone would ever need a knife unless its for hurting someone, makes you wonder what sort of minds they have to only think up one thing to do with a sharp tool. I actually have a drawer full of them as I used to pick one up every time I saw them for sale. Of course this will stop all the nutters...
How much better it would be if it was simply the action of "using an object to threaten someone with violence". Not even the dibbles could nick you for carrying a leatherman that way.
I did the same last week, except the security guys noticed the problem. After a brief discussion amongst themselves about the ethics of making me chuck my knife in the bin, and a check that the blade was non-locking, they allowed me on the plane with it (and cautioned me to never mention the fact they had broken the rules for me).
I thought that as I was flying to a known terrorist-harbouring country just after some major terrorist attacks and the government had been waffling on about increased security, they might at least make an effort to check!
My leatherman Wave has two locking blades, I have a similar Gerber that has one locking blade, both could be modified quite easily to remove the locks though.
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