The knife has always been an attribute of a man and has always accompanied him in any travels and at home. Simply because it is an amazingly versatile tool that should always be at hand. However, many people firmly believe that any knife found in a pocket during a random search can cause serious problems. Let's see if this is so, and at the same time find out which knife you can carry with you without running into trouble. But first, let's decide why this is needed at all.
Why carry a knife with you
Most people automatically associate a knife with robbery, murder and other criminal acts. In fact, this is not so. Hundreds of thousands of our compatriots go daily with a knife to the store, to work, to school for their children, and you do not even know about it. Why do they do it? Not at all for the attack, as it might seem. And in most cases, not even for self-defense (although in this case it can be a lifesaver).
It's just that the functionality of the knife is truly unlimited. The most commona knife allowed to be carried can be used as a dozen tools. They can cut food and paper, sharpen pencils, open bottles and cans (including canned food). He can also replace a screwdriver, with good sharpening - a razor, and in a critical situation he will cope with the tasks assigned to an emergency hammer in transport (the one that is usually not in place).
Well, and, in extreme cases, this is a tool that allows even a weak person to withstand several opponents who are significantly superior in physical strength.
Does this get in trouble?
Now let's figure out what kind of knife you can carry with you and how to do it right.
To begin with, it is worth saying that there are about 20 signs, each of which makes the knife tourist, hunting, skinning or household. If you are wondering which knife is considered a melee weapon, then only models that lack all two dozen signs can be classified as such. It is forbidden to wear it without registration of special documents. Hunting knives must be registered on a mandatory basis, fit into a hunting ticket and can only be carried if you have the latter.
It is not worth listing all 20 - to identify some of them, you need to conduct an examination using special equipment. The first thing you should pay attention to is the length of the blade, the presence and dimensions of the limiter. We will talk about them a little later.
Well, and having come to the touristor a hunting shop, you can see dozens of models that are completely legal to wear. The main thing when buying is to ask for the original or a copy of the information leaflet (they are often called certificates). It says which category of knives a particular model belongs to, and on what grounds it is not a melee weapon.
During the search, behave calmly, respect the human rights officers and immediately present the sheet with the knife - in 99% of cases there are no problems. And in the remaining 1%, they do not reach the seizure and drawing up a protocol - they just talk a little about the fact that a law-abiding person does not need a knife.
Blade length
Now let's move on to considering which knives can be carried without permission. First of all, these are models with a blade length of less than 90 millimeters. Yes, it is to this number that the federal law "On Weapons" binds all knives, and not at all to the width of the palm, as many believe.
If your knife has a length of at least 89 millimeters, it automatically cannot be considered a melee weapon, even if it fits perfectly in the hand, is suitable for cutting and stabbing, and has a razor sharpening.
This number should be remembered forever if you want to get into the good habit of carrying a knife with you and not get in trouble with the law. Some will be outraged by such a restriction. But to tell the truth, longer knives are almost always not very comfortable to use. Almost any job that can fall out of the daily routine outside the home is most convenientdo it with a short knife.
The presence of guards
Some readers who want to know what kind of knife to carry with them will probably be outraged after reading the previous lines - after all, they have often seen outdoor knives sold without permission, with a much longer blade.
Yes, that's also possible. But here the next parameter comes into force - the presence of a limiter or guard. These are special protrusions on the border of the handle and blade, which prevent the palm from slipping onto the blade during a strong stabbing (aimed specifically at killing) blow.
Most knives don't have them. And this is quite fair - in fact, when performing household work and even inflicting cutting blows (which are usually used in self-defense - bringing wild pain, causing heavy bleeding, but almost always not fatal), the guard will only interfere.
But still it is important to know about it.
The limiter can be one or two. In the first case, its length should not exceed 4 millimeters. In the second, the total length of the two limiters should be less than 5 millimeters. That is, even if you have a reliable knife in your hands with two limiters of 2 mm each, from the point of view of the law and criminal expertise, it is not a weapon.
Folding or Regular?
Another important question is whether to choose folding knives or regular ones. Preference should be given first. On the one hand, they are compact - with a good design they will not open spontaneously, they will not cause injury. On the other hand, they cancarried in a pocket, while fixed on the belt will attract unnecessary attention, and in the pocket will take up too much space. Finally, for some reason, law enforcement officers are much more relaxed about folding knives than simple ones.
At the same time, such a knife perfectly copes with the main functions - you can’t cut a pig with it, but cut sausage, open a can of stew, sharpen a pencil with it.
Choose the handle
This topic has long been debated - every knife lover has his own idea of what kind of knife you can carry and need. Some prefer wooden handles. Others like birch bark or leather. Still others praise plastic. Others believe that the best material is elastron.
Alas, it is impossible to give unambiguous advice - everyone chooses the option that he likes for some reason. It is worth noting only that the tree should be protected from prolonged contact with moisture. Birch bark and skin should not be wetted at all, let alone allowed to come into contact with liquids that have an unpleasant odor - it will be difficult to get rid of it. It is advisable to protect Elastron from too high temperatures and direct sunlight.
Best steel
Another difficult question. Some users vote for mild steel, which quickly dulls and is also easily corrected on any bar and even a plate or brick. Others believe that hard steel is the best choice - it takes a long time to blunt it andactively work with a knife. True, it will be quite difficult to restore a cutting edge damaged during cutting, especially for a beginner. You may have to turn to a more experienced knife maker who has special sharpening tools for this.
Conclusion
This is the end of the article. Now you know which knife is considered a melee weapon, and which one is not. At the same time, we figured out a little about the types of knives, which will allow you to easily choose a reliable tool that will accompany you always and everywhere.
