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I'm thinking of buying a knife that opens with a switch. Is it legal?

  • 15-11-2018 7:54am
    #1
    EdFar
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1 ✭


    What I mean by that is a knife that opens with a press of a button. The knife would still close manually. So would this be illegal?


Comments

  • #2
    Captain Obvious
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,165 ✭✭✭Captain Obvious


    Have a read of this.

    http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1990/act/12/section/9/enacted/en/html#sec9


  • #3
    Zenify
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 862 ✭✭✭Zenify


    http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1990/act/12/enacted/en/print#sec9

    I couldn't see anything about buying a switch knife but it does make reference to them in this. It pretty much says that this type of knife is designed to inflict damage to a person and if you are caught with it in a public place the onus if truth is on you to prove it is not for this purpose. Aka you have it for sport or recreation. Have a good look at all the laws in this if you are interested in weapons so you are aware of the legalities.


  • #4
    Discodog
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,960 ✭✭✭✭Discodog


    A Flick Knife appears to be illegal & there is a wide definition of a Flick Knife which would include most forms of assisted opening.


  • #5
    ohnonotgmail
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,637 ✭✭✭✭ohnonotgmail


    Illegal to possess in public without a reasonable excuse. "I think they are cool" is not a reasonable excuse.
    (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.
    (9) In this section “flick-knife” means a knife—


    (a) which has a blade which opens when hand pressure is applied to a button, spring, lever or other device in or attached to the handle, or


  • #6
    Homer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,370 ✭✭✭Homer


    Why would you want specifically a "flick" knife? I have a leatherman tool that has multiple tools/blades and a similar length blade as a traditional flick knife.

    In my opinion the only logical reason to want one is to look cool?


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  • #7
    Thoie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,344 ✭✭✭Thoie


    ohnonotgmail wrote: »
    Illegal to possess in public without a reasonable excuse. "I think they are cool" is not a reasonable excuse.

    https://ie.farnell.com/stanley-fat-max/0-10-825/fatmax-retractable-folding-knife/dp/2503855

    Would something like that count as
    (a) which has a blade which opens when hand pressure is applied to a button, spring, lever or other device in or attached to the handle,
    ?

    I always thought the laws were around spring loaded blades. :o


  • #8
    ohnonotgmail
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,637 ✭✭✭✭ohnonotgmail


    Thoie wrote: »
    https://ie.farnell.com/stanley-fat-max/0-10-825/fatmax-retractable-folding-knife/dp/2503855

    Would something like that count as ?

    I always thought the laws were around spring loaded blades. :o


    No that would count as well in my opinion. Of course if you were a tradesman going to or from a place of work you might have a reasonable excuse for carrying one. If it was 2am on a saturday night then you may not have a reasonable excuse.


  • #9
    Thoie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,344 ✭✭✭Thoie


    ohnonotgmail wrote: »
    No that would count as well in my opinion. Of course if you were a tradesman going to or from a place of work you might have a reasonable excuse for carrying one. If it was 2am on a saturday night then you may not have a reasonable excuse.

    I have a few of these which are now safely away in my toolbox, but for about a month I had one permanently in my pocket/handbag as I was moving house, and seemed to constantly need one to hand. Because it was at the bottom of my handbag, it's quite possible I was carrying it at 2am some Saturday night.


  • #10
    ohnonotgmail
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,637 ✭✭✭✭ohnonotgmail


    Thoie wrote: »
    I have a few of these which are now safely away in my toolbox, but for about a month I had one permanently in my pocket/handbag as I was moving house, and seemed to constantly need one to hand. Because it was at the bottom of my handbag, it's quite possible I was carrying it at 2am some Saturday night.


    In which case you might have a reasonable excuse for having it. It is a subjective test.


  • #11
    stinkbomb
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 264 ✭✭stinkbomb


    Why do you want one, OP?


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  • #12
    runawaybishop
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,512 ✭✭✭runawaybishop


    Homer wrote: »
    Why would you want specifically a "flick" knife? I have a leatherman tool that has multiple tools/blades and a similar length blade as a traditional flick knife.

    In my opinion the only logical reason to want one is to look cool?

    Knives that open with one hand are useful in some scenarios. The legislation is daft and reactionary anyway. It doesn't really matter how the knife opens, stabbed is stabbed.


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