knives in Ireland

maciek

Hi,

I am spending a summer in Ireland and am looking for a good online knive's shop. I would like to purchase TriAngle Sharpener and a Emersone LaGriffe. Can you suggest me any websites please?

Thank you!

Repli

As far as I know m8 they are illegal in Ireland.. Tbh Ireland's not THAT bad that you have to carry knives around to protect yourself.. and unless you know you're gonna use I wouldn't recommend carrying 1 because your potential attacker(s) could take it from you and kill you.
I'll leave this open for the time being because I'm unsure about the laws regarding carrying knives in public.

po0k

maciek - could you explain what you want the knives for?

My knowledge of martial-arts equipment is slim, but you seem to mention brand/model names, and a sharpener, which would lead me to think you're going to uses these for cutting something

For displays, practice or what?

Please don't take Repli's caution as over-bearing, he's just acting in the best interest of the site

Musashi

For a Tri Angle sharpener try [edited]
UK based knife company
I got my La Griffe as A gift from my most excellent brother.
At a guess he bought at [edited]
The La Griffe is short enuff to be legal here, but an educated mans choice of blade.!!
Vae Victus!

Unjaku

For those who are not familliar with it, the LaGriffe is a small 'talon' design knife that is often worn in a neck sheath. It's design is such that it is almost impossible to grab from someone, because the main body of the knife is secured by the way in which the users' index finger runs through a large hole in it.

This kind of knife is certainly legal to own in your home, but not legal to carry.

The law regarding the carrying of knives is as follows: if you have a knife in a public place, regardless of size or length, and cannot adequately argue that it is for work purposes (i.e you are a carpenter on your way to work and you have a stanley knife) or recreational purposes (i.e you are a fisherman and you're filleting fish on a pier etc.) then you are guilty of an offence.

The fact that the LaGriffe has a shorter blade than the average pen knife is irrelevant, it is still a purpose built weapon and not really mistakable for anything else... not exactly a letter-opener or filleting knife. As such, if you carry it be aware that you are not leaving yourself much legal room to manoever with if you get into trouble.

It's also possible that the talon/claw concept and the way that the grip works means that it might actually fall under the category of being a "hand claw" in which case it is specifically prohibited under law. About a decade ago a whole raft of obscure japanese weapons were banned, among them the shuko or japanese climbing claws. Someone could argue quite easily that the definition they used for shuko would fit the laGriffe.

The bottom line is that unless you're a knife afficionado who collects for pleasure (nothing wrong with this, IMO), you won't get much use out of your LaGriffe unless you feel you need to carry it badly enough that you are ready to go to the 'joy over it.

maciek

Hi

Thank you all for your answers.

Repli

As far as I know m8 they are illegal in Ireland.. Tbh Ireland's not
THAT bad that you have to carry knives around to protect yourself.. and unless
you know you're gonna use I wouldn't recommend carrying 1 because your
potential attacker(s) could take it from you and kill you.

I am sad to hear this. Aspecially because I am used to carrying a knife on a daily basis. As I study both grappling and knife fighting I am not afraid of having my knife taken away.

For self defence and everyday tasks I carry CRKT Point Guard, which I will in 2 months replace with emerson karambit or HideAwayhttp://www.hideawayknife.com

SyxPak

SyxPak maciek - could you explain what you want the knives for?

LaGriffe will be used during 5 weeks long surival camps.

Please don't take Repli's caution as over-bearing, he's just acting in the best interest of the site

ok

Musashi - thank you very much for the links. You really helped me. If anybody has some more - feel free to post, please.

Unjaku - you really opened my eyes. Can I carry a knife in my backpack? How about a vitrox or multitool? It will be very hard fot me to get rid of the habit because I am addicted to the feelling of having a blade close to my skin :ninja: but if I decide to stay here and get my visa - I have to obey the rules.

Feel free to post any comments, I am open for a discussion.
Cheers,
Maciek

po0k

Originally posted by maciek
SyxPak
LaGriffe will be used during 5 weeks long surival camps.

Interesting, survival camp with whom may I ask?

Wulf

I got a throwing star for protecting myself, it's three pronged so it doubles as a knuckle duster, and it's completely liscensed, so I can carry and use it if needs be.

The handy thing about it is that it's blunt enough not to hurt you, so you can apply a good bit of pressure to someone's neck without fear of killing them, but they don't know that

Seion

Oh sweet Jesus.

Firstly, presuming you live in Ireland, you do not have a completely licensed throwing star - you can't - as the shuriken/shaken/teppan/deathstar/whatever you want to call it is completely banned under the firearms and offensive weapons act of 1990 and the offensive weapons order of 1991.

Secondly, what makes you think you are going to be able to defend yourself with such an implement. Have you any idea how to use it? I highly doubt it, as in order to, you would have to have a teacher and I doubt anyone who could teach you would do so. Even if they did, they would be highly displeased at the thought that you actually carry something like that.

Carrying such a weapon might make you feel safer, but you are suffering from delusions if you think it makes you safer.

leonotron

Originally posted by Unjaku
The bottom line is that unless you're a knife afficionado who collects for pleasure (nothing wrong with this, IMO), you won't get much use out of your LaGriffe unless you feel you need to carry it badly enough that you are ready to go to the 'joy over it. [/B]

Dont make me laugh, theres plenty of people out there who kill people with knives they have been carrying and they still dont go to prison after pleading guilty to man slaughter so you are not going to go to prison for simply carrying a knife.

Carrying knifes is a mugs game though

Unjaku

Originally posted by leonotron
Dont make me laugh, theres plenty of people out there who kill people with knives they have been carrying and they still dont go to prison after pleading guilty to man slaughter

Funnily enough, I don't want to go to prison at all. Whether it is on a manslaughter charge or an aggravated assault charge or a murder charge is irrelevant, I don't want to go for eleven months (the average term a minor offender will serve in an irish prison) or ten years...

Actually, to put it in perspective, you can get a hefty sentence even on manslaughter charge. In Feb of this year a guy called Stephen Kelly from Artane was sentenced to 14 years for stabbing someone once in the chest at a house party (interestingly, he actually argued that it was in self defence, and that he was hit first).

As far as 'plenty of people' getting off goes.... Firstly, just because your sister's cousin's uncle's wife's lesbian lover's nephew gets off does not mean you will. Is it worth the risk? Secondly, trust the letter of the law that you can read rather than bullsh!t anecdotes, people.

vasch_ro

the law of the land Firearms and offensive wapons Act 1990 section 9

9.—(1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), where a person has with him in any
public place any knife or any other article which has a blade or which is
sharply pointed, he shall be guilty of an offence.

(2) It shall be a defence for a person charged with an offence under
subsection (1) to prove that he had good reason or lawful authority for having
the article with him in a public place. ( this covers as was mentioned gutting a fish , Eircom guy cutting cable on the road side etc)

4) Where a person, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse (the onus of
proving which shall lie on him), has with him in any public place—

( a ) any flick-knife, or

( b ) any other article whatsoever made or adapted for use for causing injury
to or incapacitating a person,

he shall be guilty of an offence.

(5) Where a person has with him in any public place any article intended by
him unlawfully to cause injury to, incapacitate or intimidate any person
either in a particular eventuality or otherwise, he shall be guilty of an
offence.

Alos I know friends of mine who had to go to court because they had a knife with them in their car and not even on their person !!
Becareful my friends !!

Repli

Thanks for that vasch_ro
Musashi I edited your post - it is illegal to carry any sort of knife in Ireland no matter how big/small it is
Wulf they are also illegal to carry in Ireland

I'm locking this before it gets out of hand, if you have any objections read vasch_ro's post