Admittedly NOT specifically related to the topic but maybe of some interest due to the law related to carrying knives, blades,multi-tools etc.
For anyone who might be interested I enclose some thoughts and information which formed my thinking before buying my Leatherman Juice.
What was important for me was the legal aspect of carrying a multi-tool in public.
Try to stay awake and not lose the will to live..............
I've not had a "proper" Multitool before. Just the cheapies, which are OK and probably better value if only used occasionally or carried as an emergency device. Never had anything by 'Leatherman' before but this thing really is beautiful. It has a real solidly engineered feel. All the tools are accurately machined and installed and the blades are sharp. The accessories (of which there are many) are all finely honed, tactile and well thought out. It feels good in your hand, it isn't over bulky and genuinely would sit on a belt unobtrusively. I'm no urban warrior and I feel as though it would accompany me without making me feel macho or like a terrorist.
I've spent several hours trawling the net on the subject and it basically comes down to four makes of multitool (abbreviated to MT)...Leatherman (or LM as they say) plus Victorinox (also called Swisstool) plus Gerber plus SOG. SOG stuff is well regarded and is unique in that you can strip them down and modify them with different accessories to suit yourself. Gerber is also well regarded but is generally reckoned not to be as well made and their warranty isn't as well backed as LM and stuff takes weeks to get back from the repairer (I was looking at the Gerber Balance as it had removable screwdriver and Torx bits but it transpires that they are an odd, unique, size and you can't, easily, replace them - either independently OR from Gerber themselves).
Given that you can, generally, get them cheaper I might have gone for a SOG or a Victorinox, or a Gerber **BUT** there is the question of whether the tool on your belt is, in fact, legal to carry. It turns out that to stick to the letter of the law there are very few "carry legal" multi tools. The nitty gritty revolves around whether or not it is a "folding knife" and whether the blade exceeds 3" or not. AND...confusion can arise depending whether the blade is accessed from the inside edge of the arm - or the outside. If the blade is on the OUTSIDE and doesn't exceed 3" and has no locking device on it (ie it folds without having to release it it any way) then it's OK. If the blade is on the INSIDE of the arm then strictly speaking it's a locking blade BECAUSE you would ordinarily use the blade with the arms closed and therefore you can't fold the blade shut without opening the arms and the fact that you have to physically open the arms in order to close the blade defines the tool as non folding or a "locking blade" in the eyes of the law - as I say it's primarily because it doesn't fold shut unimpeded...you have to perform an actual, physical act (ie opening the arms)in order to close the blade. Sounds incredible but it is absolutely true. Ring the blade specialist 'Heinnie Haynes' in Barry, Wales if you don't believe me or check some of the better informed specialist blade or multitool forums (yes they exist!). There's a vast coverage of whether or not a particular MT is or isn't legal to carry in a public place on the net.
This is contained within the Criminal Justice Act of 1988, Section 139, and has been challenged in the High Court by a certain Mr Harris and upheld on appeal (ie, what the act says is upheld and the challenger was defeated). However, you CAN carry a *locking* blade PROVIDED you have 'Legal Authority' or a 'Reasonable Excuse'. These latter two would be decided upon in court. You could have a genuine reason for having a locking blade in the same way as you may have a genuine reason for carrying a butchers knife or a cooks knife or a Stanley Knife....ie. tradesman, gamekeeper, chef etc. In these circumstances it's up to the Police to decide whether to report you and if it went to court the judge would decide. **BUT, REMEMBER** if your knife or MT is "carry legal" (ie genuinely folding with no lock or other impediment - and the blade is less than 3")...then you DO NOT have to have a Reasonable Excuse or Lawful Authority to carry it....PROVIDED, of course, you're not using it to threaten or provoke or use it defensively or you're in,say, an airport check in area or a courtroom.
I rang the official importers (Whitbys) and was told "All Leatherman tools are legal"!! Yes they are legal to buy and own and use in your own home...but it is the question of whether or not they are legal to put upon your person - or in your car - and carry them in a public place is it not? The lady there did at one point say "it's a grey area" when I pressed her but certainly didn't explain the stuff that I have since found out about and which I have outlined here. But then, they would say that wouldn't they?....it's their job to sell them!....And the actual owning and/or using of one is not illegal.
SO, it would seem that most MT's are either locking or have the blade on the inside and, as I say, there aren't many TRULY street legal MT's. The ones which I know of which are fully compliant are the Leatherman Juice series (XE, C2, S2, CS4) and the Gerber Balance.
