Arrested or questioned for wearing sgians

**Norbo** · 6th June 14, 12:02 AM

I wear my kilt as a replacement for breaks, so i just pop it on if im going out for what ever reason . I don’t wear it for occasions or anything special. I don’t dress up in all the gear even thou when buying my kilts i often get the jackets and so on with the kilt. I only have 1 sgian that i got with a kilt its a fake one just a piece of plastic really. But as i don’t dress up i never use it and its fake so don’t see the point in putting it in my socks.

However i have just purchased a Proper Sgian from a forum member its an antler looking one and more my kind of thing then the formal black looking ones .
So now you know how and when i use my kilt i was wondering if while out and about bearing in mined its a knife and if the Rozzers se it they can and most likely would arrest you have any of yopu ever been stopped or even arrested for carrying a knife that is after all illegal to have on your person.

**BCAC** · 6th June 14, 12:50 AM

Originally Posted by Norbo

I wear my kilt as a replacement for breaks, so i just pop it on if im going out for what ever reason . I don’t wear it for occasions or anything special. I don’t dress up in all the gear even thou when buying my kilts i often get the jackets and so on with the kilt. I only have 1 sgian that i got with a kilt its a fake one just a piece of plastic really. But as i don’t dress up i never use it and its fake so don’t see the point in putting it in my socks.

However i have just purchased a Proper Sgian from a forum member its an antler looking one and more my kind of thing then the formal black looking ones .
So now you know how and when i use my kilt i was wondering if while out and about bearing in mined its a knife and if the Rozzers se it they can and most likely would arrest you have any of yopu ever been stopped or even arrested for carrying a knife that is after all illegal to have on your person.

Norbo, use the search function, mate. This has been discussed countless times on here. I seem to remember Alex (he was a solicitor, I believe) even posted the relevent laws. The information is here on this site already.

**Arnot** · 6th June 14, 12:59 AM

I was reported to a couple of patrolling police officers by a "member of the public". I was waiting while my wife was having her hair done so I was walking around doing a bit of shopping. The officers, a pair of very polite young women, said that they were told by a member of the public that I was carrying a knife. I said "yes, right here" pointing to my sock. I quoted Criminal Justice Act 1988. They called hack to their bosses to confirm the information and that was it. They apologized for taking up my time to which I said it wasn't a problem as I was just killing time anyway. The whole thing was really quite pleasant. It may well have gone differently with different officers or a poor attitude on my part. That is the only time I have had any issue. I have spoken to the police (greetings, etc) with no issues and I always carry the sgian dubh.

**416 Rigby** · 6th June 14, 01:14 AM

I'm a bit dumbfounded by the whole "carrying a knife" thing. I mean, doesn't every guy carry a knife? Literally every man I know (and many women) carries a pocket knife. My grandfather gave me my first knife when I was 12 years old I've carried one daily ever since. My current knife is a 4" Benchmade and I use it several times a day for all sorts of tasks. It's a tool. Geeze, it's not like you're walking around town with an RPG on your shoulder. it's a little knife. People actually make an issue of it?

**Norbo** · 6th June 14, 01:40 AM

LOl you don't live in the Uk and things over hear are very different. a few years back a friend of mine was pealing an apple with a knife in a park for his child who does not like the peal on. Some one called the police to say there was a bloke in the park with a knife they came and arrested him and took me to the police station for having an offensive weapon. he had to take his 2 year old with him and leave his car in the car park and they hand cuffed him and put him in a police car and social services came to take his child. He was let go within an hour but they kept his pealing knife and make no mistake this was not a proper knife just a pealing knife for like doing apples and potato's.

**Calgacus** · 6th June 14, 01:57 AM

Originally Posted by 416 Rigby

I'm a bit dumbfounded by the whole "carrying a knife" thing. I mean, doesn't every guy carry a knife? Literally every man I know (and many women) carries a pocket knife. My grandfather gave me my first knife when I was 12 years old I've carried one daily ever since. My current knife is a 4" Benchmade and I use it several times a day for all sorts of tasks. It's a tool. Geeze, it's not like you're walking around town with an RPG on your shoulder. it's a little knife. People actually make an issue of it?

The OP lives in the UK and the laws and attitudes are very different here with regards to knives or weapons of any sort. Knife-carrying is basically illegal (with a few exceptions). If you are carrying a knife in the UK you are most likely to be a criminal or a thug.

Here is a link to a summary of English knife law:-

https://www.gov.uk/find-out-if-i-can...-carry-a-knife

...and Scottish knife law:-

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publicati.../07/05130225/4

Knives do have a place as tools, and the law allows for this, you can carry a folding knife with a blade less than 3.5" as long as you can justify carrying it. The concept of carrying a tool around 'just in case' is a strange one to us. We don't regularly carry screwdrivers or spanners (wrenches) or socket sets around 'just in case', so why carry a knife?

So... we do make an issue of it, and if you are still puzzled as to why, here's a link that might help.

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Re...3/SB_11-23.pdf

**Machaggisnz** · 6th June 14, 02:05 AM

Here in New Zealand context is everything. If I'm off pig hunting I can walk into a petrol station with a bolo knife on my hip and no one will care. If I put a sgian in my pocket to go clubbing and I was frisked by the cops I'd probably get busted. Country cops are less likely to push the issue cos lots of farming folk habitually carry a knife for work, I did for years. City cops are going to require you to show a "lawful purpose" for carrying one.

**Chas** · 6th June 14, 02:06 AM

Calgacus - I think you have summed up the UK case very neatly.

**chasem** · 6th June 14, 05:07 AM

Originally Posted by Calgacus

The OP lives in the UK and the laws and attitudes are very different here with regards to knives or weapons of any sort. Knife-carrying is basically illegal (with a few exceptions). If you are carrying a knife in the UK you are most likely to be a criminal or a thug.

It's hard for us to wrap our minds around that on this side of the pond. I carry a pocket knife any time I wear clothes and have use for it at least 2-3 times/day. It gets used for nearly any purpose - from cutting electrical tape, a loose thread on a shirt, to spreading peanut butter when a proper knife isn't clean.

As was said, different laws and attitudes make it a totally different situation

**Norbo** · 6th June 14, 05:19 AM

It seems by readying the links you can in fact be arrested for having 1 in your sock unless you are at a function were it is appropriate to the dress coad as its on a cultural outfit and as such you have a reason for having it but if out and about you can get in to trouble if questioned on it .