Recomend me a knife?

vtsnowedin · Post by **vtsnowedin** » 01 Dec 2011, 18:15

MrG wrote:
vtsnowedin wrote: Do you realize how defenceless you are if your government fails?
VT that is completly illogical. If the government fails then they won't be illegal.

Owning a knife isn't illegal (or for that matter a fecking sword, crossbow or even a gun if you have a license) it's merely illegal to carry it around the street with you. If the government fails this consideraton will go out the window.

Still that said I think it is ridiculous that you can't carry a useful tool. And it actually annoys me greatly that I have to consider whether or not to put it in my pocket. Being an absent minded fellow I'd sooner have knife, torch and lighter on me at all times since this obviates to possibility of me forgetting one of these things when I inevitably end up building a fire on a mountainside in the pitch black darkness.

But hey plenty of things are illegal and if you don't advertise the fact of your doing them to the guys in the clearly marked flourescent jackets that doesn't neccacarily need to be a problem. What's in your pocket stays in your pocket unless you give them a reason to look in your pocket (like being black in south London or something).

I certainly agree with that part I highlighted in bold.

MrG · Post by **MrG** » 02 Dec 2011, 11:51

Ha ha! I'll tell you what else is ridiculous.

Apparantly it IS perfectly legal for me to buy a machete in a tool shop and then walk home with it - carrying it in my hand walking down the street - because the guy in the shop wrapped a couple of paper bags round the blade with sellotape!!

Ah your fine mate.. I've made that machete safe now!

It was also apparantly fine for me to go home from the same shop with an pickaxe... on the f*king bus! The bus driver said

"make sure you chuck that in the luggage rack mate"

And then didn't bat an eyelid thereafter.

Something to do with having the reciept in your pocket and being taking it home from the shop? Or maybe the guy was talking crap and both of those things are entirely illegal

RenewableCandy · Post by **RenewableCandy** » 03 Dec 2011, 18:46

I once got on a bus carrying an old spade and thought that'd cause questions, but no.

Catweazle · Post by **Catweazle** » 03 Dec 2011, 20:06

The Mora carbon is a great knife for the money. Give it a fine edge and finish with a leather belt strop and you get an edge like a razor that actually stays sharp too. It does corrode very easily though, be prepared to keep it clean and dry.

Baldybloke · Post by **Baldybloke** » 05 Dec 2011, 22:06

Check out www.militarymart.co.uk for a selection of survival knives.

vtsnowedin · Post by **vtsnowedin** » 05 Dec 2011, 23:05

Baldybloke wrote:Check out www.militarymart.co.uk for a selection of survival knives.

What a bunch of useless crap.
Why not just get a plain knife with a handle that fits your hand and a plain straight blade that is wicked sharp and actually is useful.

Catweazle · Post by **Catweazle** » 06 Dec 2011, 00:19

vtsnowedin wrote:
Baldybloke wrote:Check out www.militarymart.co.uk for a selection of survival knives.
What a bunch of useless crap.
Why not just get a plain knife with a handle that fits your hand and a plain straight blade that is wicked sharp and actually is useful.

Yep, Mora.

vtsnowedin · Post by **vtsnowedin** » 06 Dec 2011, 00:35

Catweazle wrote:
vtsnowedin wrote:
Baldybloke wrote:Check out www.militarymart.co.uk for a selection of survival knives.
What a bunch of useless crap.
Why not just get a plain knife with a handle that fits your hand and a plain straight blade that is wicked sharp and actually is useful.
Yep, Mora.

That would do if it sharpened up nice.

Potemkin Villager · Post by **Potemkin Villager** » 11 Dec 2011, 20:19

Wenger, most famous for the Swiss Army Knife, make a insanely
huge range of high quality knives. One of my more prized useful possessions is a paring knife with a yellow handle and an 8cm serrated blade from their SWIBO range.

I found it washed up on our local beach probably off a fishing boat where it presumably had gutted lots of fish.

jonny2mad · Post by **jonny2mad** » 11 Dec 2011, 22:58

its not that hard to make a knife I have some pdf files on the subject and you can download films .

You really just need some time, make your own charcoal, a charcoal forge find some suitable metal, all the tools for hobby blacksmithing you most likely already have or can easy make .

vtsnowedin · Post by **vtsnowedin** » 11 Dec 2011, 23:32

jonny2mad wrote: its not that hard to make a knife I have some pdf files on the subject and you can download films .

You really just need some time, make your own charcoal, a charcoal forge find some suitable metal, all the tools for hobby blacksmithing you most likely already have or can easy make .

You can make a good knife from an old worn out hand file. First heat it up to past cherry red to draw the temper out of it then cool it as slow as possible in a hot oven or a pile of coals to get it a soft as possible. Then cut, grind, and shape it to your desired plan then reheat it to cherry red and quench it quickly in hot oil to give it the temper you want. (caution putting a red hot piece of iron into a container of oil ALWAYS sets the oil on fire) do it outside with a small amount of oil and a way to snuff out the fire by covering the container.
If you think ahead you will drill a couple of holes through the tang of the file while it is still soft to make attaching a handle easier.

featherstick · Post by **featherstick** » 12 Dec 2011, 08:22

jonny2mad wrote: its not that hard to make a knife I have some pdf files on the subject and you can download films .

You really just need some time, make your own charcoal, a charcoal forge find some suitable metal, all the tools for hobby blacksmithing you most likely already have or can easy make .

Have you made one?

mobbsey · Post by **mobbsey** » 16 Dec 2011, 11:12

Here's the blurb from the brief I wrote in Free Range Sheet F1:

As noted earlier, when harvesting foods it's far better to cut the plant because it causes less damage, and you might also want to cut/peel and eat it on the spot. This of course necessitates carrying a knife which, in the current media panics about knife crime, is not a popular activity. Contrary to the view portrayed by the media it is not against the law to carry a knife provided that it conforms to certain restrictions. Section 139 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 makes it legal to carry a folding pen knife with a cutting blade no longer than three inches. Generally the following restrictions apply: no knife can be carried on any school premises (Offensive Weapons Act 1996); it must not be an 'automatic' or 'gravity' opened flick or butterfly knife (Offensive Weapons Act 1959); and it must not be disguised as something innocent (Criminal Justice Act 1988). Note that any knife which is not banned (as outlined in the list above) or has a blade longer than three inches (e.g., a hunting knife) can still be carried in public but you must have a good lawful reason for doing so (section 139, Criminal Justice Act 1988).

I carry a knife, folding pliers, screwdriver, etc. Like the note earlier, I forgot and went to an APPGOPO meeting and was stopped at the barrier (when I emptied my "metal objects" into the tray for them to store it looked laughably like that scene at the entrance to Bartertown in Mad Max III

). I've also been stopped at various museums and even council buildings, and asked the question "are you carrying any sharp metal objects" I'm quite open about it. In all that time I've never had any hassle because (a) I'm quite open about it and (b) I never threaten anyone.

The law says that it's entirely lawful to have a folding knife of 3" or less in all circumstances. In other circumstances, providing it's not a banned knife, and you've a "lawful excuse", that's OK too. E.g. when I go walking locally, especially in Spring/early Summer I carry a 3ft "beater" (basically a home made sharpened steel blade with a handle) for clearing local footpaths. I've been stopped a few times, but never detained or had it taken away.

What the police/prosecution must prove to make a charge of "offensive weapons" stick is a legal principle called "mens rea" (basically, that you have a "guilty mind"). Therefore if you've a baseball bat in your car and you say it's for "personal defence", you can be done because you've the intent to use it as an offensive weapon. I've had the police try and catch me out by asking leading questions about carrying both my knife and my "beater" bar, but in all cases I tell them precisely what these articles are for -- bushcraft, peeling apples, splicing electrical wire, etc. Likewise the pliers and screwdriver. If you're stupid enough to own up to something, like the Express article earlier, then it's entirely your fault. If you've never had any intention of harming or threatening anyone then you've a strong case in court because they'll have a hell of a job proving "mens rea".

Returning to the original question of this thread -- go to the army surplus shop. Ray Mears-type knives are £100-£200. I got a very nice ex-army field knife for my bushcraft activities for £15.

jonny2mad · Post by **jonny2mad** » 22 Jan 2012, 17:22

featherstick wrote:
jonny2mad wrote: its not that hard to make a knife I have some pdf files on the subject and you can download films .

You really just need some time, make your own charcoal, a charcoal forge find some suitable metal, all the tools for hobby blacksmithing you most likely already have or can easy make .
Have you made one?

yes not with a charcoal forge but with a normal forge using blacksmiths coal I used to help the local farrier as a teenager and the forge is in the next street, blacksmithing is a bit in my family and I do have most of the tools to set up a forge here .

Standuble · Post by **Standuble** » 23 Jan 2012, 22:36

I suggest you buy a couple but also learn how to make your own (though they would be of relatively poor quality and relatively difficult to create.) At the very least you're not relying on the continuous availabilty of a particular commodity.