French knife laws.

[BladeScout]

In Spain is even worse. You cannot carry any edged tools, period. Own them, yes. Carry them, nope! Unless it is justified to the yes of the law enforcement. Say you are going camping, or fishing, or hunting, or you need it for work, or whatever. But sometimes it does not work well.


I concurr with prety much everything you say, HOWEVER, sometimes you get a pinch of bad luck... and pay for it.

I was coming home with my gf in her car (not my van), we got stopped at a road check. They were looking for drugs and weapons. I had a Spyderco Delica Wave in my pocket, along with a Leatherman PST. They confiscated the Delica. 8 months and 300€ later, I got my Delica back. Legal to own (under 100mm blade, non automatic) but not to carry. The police thought it didn't make much sense for me to carry that under those circumstances...

So the non acting like an A-hole works... most of the times. But now always. Now when I drive my van, I make sure to empty all my pockets in the back of the van (drawers with kitchenware) so if I ever get asked to get out and empty my pockets again (has happened a few times already) I don't have anything on them.

Mikel

QED

 

[mnblade]

In Spain is even worse.

Oops. ;-) Carried all over Barcelona too. On two visits.

 

[Dr Heelhook]

It just strikes me as slightly odd, that Im allowed to freely carry my Spyderco Street Beat or even the bigger GEK EDC pictured but not allowed yo carry the puny DF.

When In Germany, I usually bring either my UKPK or a SAK.

Pic:
Top knife legal to EDC in Germany.
Bottom knife not legal to EDC there.

The only reason for that would be that the Dragonfly is easier to conceal.
edit: or -perhaps more accurately- easier to carry concealed.

 

[BladeScout]

The only reason for that would be that the Dragonfly is easier to conceal.
edit: or -perhaps more accurately- easier to carry concealed.

Possibly so.

 

[lambertiana]

Honestly I can’t believe the state of the world. Everything is focused on fear mongering non issues. Nobody focuses on dealing with real issues. We are no better than the superstitious Babylonians. 9 out of 10 people don’t look at the world objectively.

Very well put.

 

[bemymonkey]

Sorry to pull this thread back up, but I've been walking around France this weekend and the funny thing is you can't walk a single city block without stumbling over one of the many "tabac" kiosks that sell drinks, smokes and, you guessed it, an assortment of Victorinox, Opinel and sometimes even cheap locking folders. There is no way French people don't carry these things all the freaking time - it's not like they're going to stock something on every street corner that nobody buys.

I've been walking around with a tiny Vic Huntsman as a precautionary measure (tiny blade, two hand opener, no lock) and nearly harakiri'd myself out of frustration while slicing an apple (blade's too short for French apples and the juice flows directly into the hard to clean pivot area) - after using larger folders for so long, going back to a Huntsman is like losing an arm.

 

[Dr Heelhook]

Sorry to pull this thread back up, but I've been walking around France this weekend and the funny thing is you can't walk a single city block without stumbling over one of the many "tabac" kiosks that sell drinks, smokes and, you guessed it, an assortment of Victorinox, Opinel and sometimes even cheap locking folders. There is no way French people don't carry these things all the freaking time - it's not like they're going to stock something on every street corner that nobody buys.

I've been walking around with a tiny Vic Huntsman as a precautionary measure (tiny blade, two hand opener, no lock) and nearly harakiri'd myself out of frustration while slicing an apple (blade's too short for French apples and the juice flows directly into the hard to clean pivot area) - after using larger folders for so long, going back to a Huntsman is like losing an arm.

Yeah, that’s the impression I’ve always gotten while being in France. Pocket knives are all over the place. That’s why I was surprised when I read about that law.

 

[campandtravel]

What about a non-locking SAK in general in Europe? At least in a backpack? I mean you might get it confiscated but does anyone think you'd have trouble?

 

[BladeScout]

What about a non-locking SAK in general in Europe? At least in a backpack? I mean you might get it confiscated but does anyone think you'd have trouble?

You are of course free to express your opinion but in some countries in Europe, you most certainly wont 'be fine' if police sees/finds a knife on you.

Just a word of caution.

Sadly knife hysteria has reached hitherto unseen levels. Looks like, its only getting worse.

In some countries, you are up the creek no matter what, if a knife is found on your person.

In some other countries, police will look at each person on a case by case basis but as others have mentioned, get the wrong cop having a bad day and you could potentially land in a heap of trouble.

 

[campandtravel]

> In some countries, you are up the creek no matter what, if a knife is found on your person.

Really? Is this a recent thing? I know I carried a one-handed lockback when I traveled around years ago. Are you really telling me that the average working man in France/Italy/Spain/Slovakia doesn't have a knife, like a Swiss Army Knife?

 

[BladeScout]

To be exact; there are places, where you cant EDC a knife.

 

[campandtravel]

o be exact; there are places, where you cant EDC a knife.

Even in a backpack? Why aren't the French rioting about this?

 

[Yonose]

There are all sorts of laws in the US, state, local, etc. that are never enforced—they may have been legislated a hundred years ago —due to common law or common sense. If you believe in your right do carry, do it if it’s sensible. If enough people demand justice and freedom, eventually politicial will,(an oxymoron, I know, since politicians are governed by hysteria rather than sense) will enact change. I’m not saying to carry a loaded glock 19 in your carry on through TSA. But a spyderco cricket or delica can’t do much more harm to another than a large, well-trained fighter.

 

[campandtravel]

If you believe in your right do carry, do it if it’s sensible.

Good advice. Are you going to come to the French jail to bail him out?

 

[Seb le Breton]

Je suis français, toujours une lame sur moi. Pas de casier judiciaire, je travaille et paye mes impôts. J'estime être adulte et responsable, et avoir le droit de me défendre si besoin. Pour moi, la police agit au cas par cas, a moins de tomber sur un flic zélé.
Liberté...

 

[Mikel_24]

Bonjour Seb!

We all agree that usually, 99% of the time, if you are not doing unreasonable things, police will leave you alone and you will not get in trouble. However, if something is not 100% right and the law is against you, chances are you will, at the very least, get fined for carrying a knife.

Mikel

 

[marchone]

We went to Tuscany last spring. Most weekly street markets had a large table display of fixed and folding, locking knives for sale. Including well known brands. On the other hand, I read in an Italian paper that an Italian citizen was detained, jailed, and later fined more than €30K for having an SAK in a baby carrier in his car. Under what circumstances the search was made was not clear.

In Spain is even worse. You cannot carry any edged tools, period. Own them, yes. Carry them, nope! Unless it is justified to the yes of the law enforcement. Say you are going camping, or fishing, or hunting, or you need it for work, or whatever. But sometimes it does not work well.

I concurr with prety much everything you say, HOWEVER, sometimes you get a pinch of bad luck... and pay for it.

I was coming home with my gf in her car (not my van), we got stopped at a road check. They were looking for drugs and weapons. I had a Spyderco Delica Wave in my pocket, along with a Leatherman PST. They confiscated the Delica. 8 months and 300€ later, I got my Delica back. Legal to own (under 100mm blade, non automatic) but not to carry. The police thought it didn't make much sense for me to carry that under those circumstances...

So the non acting like an A-hole works... most of the times. But now always. Now when I drive my van, I make sure to empty all my pockets in the back of the van (drawers with kitchenware) so if I ever get asked to get out and empty my pockets again (has happened a few times already) I don't have anything on them.

Mikel

 

[Seb le Breton]

[QUOTE = "Mikel_24, post: 18960565, member: 211228"] Bonjour Seb!

Nous convenons tous que, généralement, dans 99% des cas, si vous ne faites pas des choses déraisonnables, la police vous laissera tranquille et vous n'aurez pas de problèmes. Cependant, si quelque chose ne va pas à 100% et que la loi est contre vous, il y a de fortes chances que vous soyez, à tout le moins, condamné à une amende pour avoir porté un couteau.

Mikel [/ DEVIS]

 

[Seb le Breton]

Mikel, vous avez raison.

Cela dépendra aussi du genre de couteau que l'on porte sur soi. Il y aura plus facilement d'indulgence pour un couteau dit socialement correct que pour une lame tactique, par exemple.

 

[Mikel_24]

.... Il y aura plus facilement d'indulgence pour un couteau dit socialement correct que pour une lame tactique...

I concur. Victorinox SAK (unless one hand opening, green/black colored), Opinel and Lagiole will probably be fine. With the last two you are even supporting your countries economy! Now ZT, Cold Steel or Spyderco on the other hand....