Carrying a Multi-Tool?

Hello Folks, I've got a question for you:

I will be visiting London at the end of this month and need to know if I should bring my Gerber M600 or not? I've been carrying it for so long now that I truly feel under-dressed without it. I just measured and both of the blades are under 3" but I don't want to find myself on the wrong side of the law while on holiday--that would kind of put a damper on the whole vibe. I hope this doesn't seem too simple a question, but from my limited googling, carry laws in the UK are far different than here in the US. We used to joke that here in Oklahoma when you are old enough to walk you are issued your first pocket knife.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Providing the blade is under 3" and it is not a lock knife, you should be ok, as long as you don't wave it about all the time??!!!

Although those are definately the rules in Scotland, and I am 99% sure they are the same in England, I will await the post of an English guru!

[SoulKiss]

Originally Posted by wayniac

Hello Folks, I've got a question for you:

I will be visiting London at the end of this month and need to know if I should bring my Gerber M600 or not? I've been carrying it for so long now that I truly feel under-dressed without it. I just measured and both of the blades are under 3" but I don't want to find myself on the wrong side of the law while on holiday--that would kind of put a damper on the whole vibe. I hope this doesn't seem too simple a question, but from my limited googling, carry laws in the UK are far different than here in the US. We used to joke that here in Oklahoma when you are old enough to walk you are issued your first pocket knife.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

I used to carry a Leatherman Wave, a Leatherman Charge, the "bit kits" for both and one of the Leatherman knives for work purposes - working in server rooms, cutting cabletiers, undoing rackmount kit - basically I could carry the standard toolkit in 2 small tools, which I carried on me, so always had.

Then one day I asked at a police station about the legality of such.

I was told that carrying in a pocket, or in their belt cases could probably see me getting a talking to or them taken off me, and that even in the bottom of a rucksack that I was wearing - ie them not being readily available, but still having them, I could still lose them.

I was prompted to ask that question as at a Rail Station I was using to get to work at the time, they were trialling metal detector arches - like at airports.

Given that they now set these up in random parts of London - just yesterday there was a report in the news about them doing it in West Croydon (Suburb in the South of London) and I have seen them near Leicster Square in Central London there IS a chance you could, for no reason than being in the area, lose your multi-tool, as I cannot see the reason you give as being taken as a good reason to carry the tool.

It all comes from a decade of the passing of stupid and unnecessary laws, I mean why do you need to specifically ban the carrying of knives when there already were laws against sticking them into people?

So personally, I would say, "At your own risk", but its (to my paranoid mind ) probably not worth it - I know I rarely carry them, except on the bike when I can oribably get away with, due to cerrying other bits an pieces, successfully claim them to be part of my tool-kit/puncture kit.

[SoulKiss]

Originally Posted by Milky Bar Kid

Providing the blade is under 3" and it is not a lock knife, you should be ok, as long as you don't wave it about all the time??!!!

Although those are definately the rules in Scotland, and I am 99% sure they are the same in England, I will await the post of an English guru!

Most multi-tools (well the decent ones) have locking blades - means if you use them a little harder than normal , the blade doesnt close and slice your fingers off - like Swiss Army Knives tend to (except the few models that have locking blades, but then, they are illegal to carry)

I used to carry a Leatherman Wave & tool adapter like David, as I used to work in a Datacenter and have to use it most days. I even used to wear it in the belt pouch on the train/tube and never had any problems.

Now that the law is what it is, and I'm not working in Datacenters everyday it stays at the back the glove box in my car for when I do go somewhere I need it. I've got a legitimate reason for carrying it with my job, and it's out of reach & out of sight most of the time.

[Biker Biggles]

Id avoid bringing anything with a blade on it to london unless you need it for work.

I've survived 41 years without the need to carry a multi-tool around (he he i said tool) so why not leave it at home? how often do you really need it?

just a thought like

[timwilky]

I grew up at a time when most people would carry a knife as a useful tool. Scouts used to wear a sheath knife etc. Now unfortunately because the law in Britain is designed for lazy cops/CPS to implement, instead of pre existing laws relating to offensive weapons or assaults where a weapon is used. I would not advise anyone to have one on their person irrespective of justification.

Having one in your car etc is still sufficient to get you done. So if a cop wants to do you on your way back from fishing, or even stupidly going to/from hunting where you are carrying a licensed rifle, you can still be done for the knife you were going to gut a deer with etc.

[anna]

Avoid bringing it.

I used to carry my leatherman and Gerber around for with me for work purposes in London, when stopped it is a pain in the ass to have to explain and prove that it is a work requirement, and that you are carrying it responsibly.

I carried mine in a locked metal tool box too and from work, never on my belt. As it is classed as a lock knife it is an offence to carry it on you apparently, but I think it is more to do with who is stopping you and how they interpret this law.

All in all-- the answer in short is no. Leave it at home.

Thanks for the replies, folks. As SoulKiss pointed out, it does indeed have the safety locks so it appears the Gerber will be staying home. Sad, really. I can't recall the actual number of times I've had a genuine need, because there have been many, but there is one in particular that comes to mind: Several years ago a friend and I did about a 2 hour ride from Oklahoma City to a state park recreational area. Just as we were leaving the park, my "open" throttle cable snapped! Fortunately, because we had a multi-tool, the original tool kit was useless because it had blunt-nose pliers, we were able to swap the "close" cable for the snapped "open" cable and I was able to ride home rather than have to ride pillion on his Sportster for 2 hours only to have to get a trailer and go back to get the bike. It seems odd to me, though, that honest, hard-working people should have to justify carrying a pocketknife or multi-tool to the local constabulary when I'm almost certain that none of the hooligans mentioned in other posts on this topic give it a second thought. But that, I suspect, is a post with a different title to be discussed at another time.

Thanks again for all your replies and guidance!