Legal carry ??

[rapidboy]

I had been out shooting at the weekend and when i returned home and put the gun away my girlfriend asked me to run her to the shop.
So I was walking around Morrisons and noticed a rather stern security guard following me and eventually he approached me and asked "is everything ok Sir ?".
"I'm ok but whats your problem" i replied (rather cheeky i know but the guy had been following me around for ages and it was starting to really bug me).
He turned red and said "well it's my manager actually he wants to know if that's a large knife on your belt".
S**T!
"Oh sorry ,yeah ,been out hunting and forgot etc etc . :o"
"No problem sir ,he asked me to ask if you could remove it in future before you come in the shop as even our butchers are not permitted to wear their knives on the shop floor".

Fair enough ,stupid mistake and i was lucky that was as far as it went but it made me wonder.....is it less of an offence to have a locking knife on your belt than a fixed blade?
I usually carry a fb everywhere at work and usually the rest of the time I'm out shooting ,fishing etc and feel i can justify carrying one.
I have been into the local police station twice recently re firearms certificate and no one has said a word about it.
I really don't want to get into rouble if i can help it but i hate folders as tools and i grew up carrying a knife i don't want to stop now.
I constantly use my knives and feel quite useless without one.
I always believed that common sense would prevail and provided i wasn't drunk and waving a knife around in the street carrying a fb in a responsible fashion would be ignored by the law.
What is a justification to carry a fb or at least a lock knife and what are the consequences of being caught in possession of one.
I am a tradesman and i spend most of my free time ,shooting ,fishing and camping/bushcraft.
Cheers
rb

[Danzo]

Fixed blades and locking folders are the same in law. Quite simply if you can show you require it for work or that you have any other good reason then you have a defence under Section 139.

Hunting and fishing have always been good reasons but it helps your defence if you are actually hunting and fishing at the time!



Danzo

[Ross]

rb, sounds like you were lucky! the guard could have been a jobsworth & called the cops on the spot!
Your other comments about sensible knife carry are spot on.

[stonehard]

Does anyone think that if you live in the country the police are more tolerant about knives. I cant imagine any reason for carrying an FB in Manchester but what about in leafy Cheshire?

[stonehard]

just thinking back, folders are really stupid tools for say working on a farm. every one I grew up with had a lambsfoot except me I carried my IXL Bowie and I seem to remeber it was far easier to cut bails and open sacks with aN Fb as you dont have to mess with two hands and grope about in your pockets.