Leatherman Bond - illegal EDC in the UK?

The Leatherman Bond is marketed in the UK as a legal Every Day Carry (EDC) multitool.

Leatherman state, allegedly, that it is UK legal due to the knife blade being a slipjoint, and that technically it can fold unimpeded whilst the tool is open. However, the tool is not used in an open state and therefore the blade is obstructed from closing by the handle being used in the way it is intended.

I believe as such that this makes it an illegal EDC item in the UK.

Please note I use a Leatherman Fuse to demonstrate this, but this does not make a difference to the point being made.

Leatherman: Please just release a UK targeted tool where the blade folds and closes on the outside of the handle rather than the inside.

[redpillnibbler]

Thanks for this, I’ve been carrying one daily and this never occurred to me.Another petit beaurocratic law removing our freedom.
As an honest and decent hard working person I really am beginning to truly hate this country.

[andyjones]

I live in the uk. The uk knife laws will have little or no effect on stabbings or knife crime. The government/police will argue that if you can't carry a fixed blade with a length of more than 3 inches, then you can't kill someone with meanwhile, back in the real world, those wishing to use knives as weapons are people who have no regard for the law anyway, so will continue to carry whatever they want.

Those who want to use knives/tools for their intended purpose are those who miss out.

As usual in the UK, it is the law abiding, tax paying, everyday people who will be stopped by police and will be given a record when they have no ill intentions whatsoever. Unfortunately i feel that common sense is no longer common and this won't change. I now carry a victorinox explorer daily but I'm still careful about where i take it

[chrisk]

What you said is a fact and a sad one at that. I've lived in the UK for 6 years now and while it is mostly a good place to be at, them knife laws are in fact RIDICULOUS

[GLEN-ysqt]

UK is completely lost! Leatherman doesn't care mate!

[marko]

I'll give an example of how I'd use my illegal Leatherman Charge with its locking blade.
If I was carrying it on my belt and walking around town with no reason for having it and was pulled by a policeman, I'd have no reason to complain about having it confiscated and being arrested. I know the law and that's just how it is.
If I was using it on a job in a working environment, and a policeman pulled me up on it, I'd be quite confident of explaining this to a judge if the policeman was a jobsworth not willing to use his common sense or discretion.
I have a Victorinox Explorer, which is UK legal, but if I'm found with it in my pocket in a pub, as far as I understand I could still end up in trouble for taking it there.
Another factor they take into account, is where you have the knife. So if my bag was searched while walking about town and the Leatherman was found inside, I'd be more likely to be let off than having it on me. The fact that it's not readily available has some bearing, I believe.
A policeman can tell the difference between a sensible person using it as a tool and a wanna be gangster snot nosed kid having one with no reasonable explanation.

I have a small blade on me always, and am quite safe even in a pub since it's the Leatherman Micra, on my house key keyring.

[travisp]

Glad I’m in America. That sure seems nit picky over there. I can pack a chain saw around if I want to.

[GlobTech]

My thoughts exactly. I had to modify my skeletool, I removed the main blade and added scissors. But because it kinda half locks, I had to cut the liner lock as well to remove any doubt.

[Buckydhu]

I think you are correct that's why I carry a Leatherman EDC Rebar Multi-Tool which doesn't have a blade at all.

[complaintsofanenglishman]

I’ve seen people go back and forth on this for ages so I simply messaged 101 non emergency police number and they replied that it’s perfectly legal to carry, feel free to do the same

[Ian-]

The law dosent say it has to close. Just that it can’t lock into place. The point being is that you can’t stab someone with it. If you tried with the bond, you couldn’t stab someone as it would fold. Not fully close, but it would fold

[donaldcarr]

With the handle open, the ergonomic design allows your fingers to fit snuggly with one under the finger choile and the rest wrapped around the handle fitting into the cut out for more comfort.

[donaldcarr]

You use with the handles open, and the blade can then fold in on itself. With the handles closed up you are actually impeding its cutting function.

[SusanBell-dlgr]

Where I work in the UK we have plastic knives and forks in the canteen, for health and safety reasons.

[allosaurusfragilis]

It might not be, i dont know. However, ive never been stopped and searched in my life, apart from airports. I also live in a rural area. I think its folk in cities that need to worry about it. I suppose thats most people, but whenever im in a city, i dont really need my tools.

[paulotoole]

Have you seen the other thing about the 3" being blade length and not edge length? It worth checking as a few UK legal are now not legal due to this recent changes.

[CousnJack]

Nothing to say you close it up to use it. You could cut fully open like plier mode or open in ruler mode.

[jondr.]

Unfortunately the spirit of the law has been dropped for the letter of the law. This helps the police reduce the unsolved crimes in the statistics, because you will be arrested and convicted in most instance. It's not about removing weapons from the streets. The data from assault with a blade has shown its predominantly a kitchen knife. Cheap and readily available

[lewis]

I’m with you, Bond is probably UK illegal

[lawrencemartin]

Totally agree and you would not be able to defend this as a true folding UK legal blade if stopped for any reason and found to be in possession in a public place without good reason to carry. Going to and from your place of recreation (if on private property and not stopping anywhere en route) or your place of work, where you have a defence in law to use such a tool, might be ok, but for EDC in this sad and tragic country where so many total idiots think knives are for stabbing other people, you would probably be on the wrong side of the law. I have an original leatherman from many years ago, with non locking tools which I used to wear on my belt every day. Working in theatres on the crew and other similar work, it got used every single day and was so I never risk it. I now carry several small tools that do similar tasks and have either a SAK or very small non locking pocket knife instead. Annoying as hell, but it's so difficult to justify carrying anything else without risking breaking the law.
What a tragic mess we are in as a country when we have reached this stage due to out of control knife crime on our streets.
Also, everyone must be aware that leaving such an item in your car while out and about, still constitutes a public place in the eyes of the law. So, if carrying a bushcraft fixed blade knife or any bladed items that do not comply with the legal definition of UK legal carry, could end up in a prosecution should you then be involved in any situation where the police need to attend and they discover what you have on board. Imagine just being in a carpark and having a bump with another car. The other owner or you are in dispute and the police attend. They decide to ask you if you have any bladed items in the car and carry out a search, to discover your knives and axes....it gets to be a long slow day very quickly!

[jamesa]

Your analysis of the Letherman Bond's folding knife is commendable, and as you say, having the blade opening outwards, as with many other Leatherman's would avoid any issue. However, the blade clearly comes within the definition detailed at s.139 CJA 1988, and it is highly unlikely that you would be prosecuted for carrying this in the UK, unless you were committing some other offence such as threatening someone with it. In that case you'd be arrested for sure. The prosecution have to apply a 2-stage test before deciding to prosecute. Firstly, they'd need to assess whether there was a realistic prospect of conviction, and secondly they'd decide whether it was in the public interest to prosecute. Whilst knives are public enemy number 1 in the UK, I'm not convinced that either stage of that test would be met, particulary when factoring in the cost to bring the matter to court. Nevertheless, as you say, positioning the blade so it opens outwards would be the best thing that Leatherman could do to remove any possibility of an issue arising.