When I travel by train, I often carry non-folding a knife with a 7" blade (also made by Victorinox).

And a cutting board, dried sausage, and a bottle of wine.

Tom

If you cut it beforehand...

Frilly apron, too?

It's better if freshly cut.

Same for cheeses.

Tom

Surely the cheese needs time to breathe! Won't someone think about the Chiltern? ( http://www.chilternbrewery.co.uk/buy/chiltern-beer-cheese )

On this note, some people at work (the management who used a certain agency) got gifted a 'charcuterie box' with cheese and chorizo type stuff which also contained a 5 inch foldable knife for cutting it, incredible.

Next year I hope they get me a selection of nuts with a sledgehammer.

There's nothing worse than someone cutting the cheese in a railway carriage...

I was once seated in front of a guy (in a train) who packed out what must have been at least 200g of Gruyere - and munched through it. No bread. No need for a knife...

No argument there (in principle and without splitting hairs i.e. getting side tracked over the agricultural use of flamethrowers. I think we agree on allowing hay forks barns).

I agree here on principle too, as long as you don't go calling anyone that makes you feel vaguely uncomfortable a Rambo i.e. as long as we are talking real dangers. "Unjust rambo-isation of others" is one thing I'm arguing against here. I wouldn't use my 9 inch camp knife in the Stadtpark to cut bread & cheese because people might be unduly alarmed. But I'm glad I can do so with my utility folder without raising any eyebrows i.e. the tool is perceived as no more unusual than my laptop and I'm seen as a normal guy having lunch.

It does appears we differ, in what we perceive as a dangerous. I'm glad you are talking "large knives" here and not just "knives". There's probably little point in discussing in more detail which particular type and length of knife is acceptable. I've read up on the knife laws of several european countries because I visit these places. They differ greatly and even if one agrees with the premise they found upon, the logic behind what is and isn't seen as dangerous is highly debatable. Anyway, we'd probably end up pitching the kid with boy scout knife spending time whittling away out of doors and learning to use knives responsibly against the disorientated and troubled youth who wants slice up the guy who looked at his girlfriend.

This may well be the case and perhaps causes issues to be mixed. Some people are condoning banning carrying any kind of knife. Others would like to take their assault rifle to the local restaurant. Unless one clearly assigns each statement to each user (which I admittedly don't take the time to do) the more extreme positions can blur over the grays in-between. I cringe inwardly when I hear a redneck talking of his god-given right to carry guns, but I'm aware my position on knives can be perceived as of that category. Having said that this issue is not merely academic to me.

Ok, Rambo was for comic effect, but he is about the only person who really needs to carry a bowie knife, I'll let Crocodile Dundee off as well.

There is obviously no harm in a Scout when properly supervised (as I was when I was in it) learning how to use a knife for whittling etc, and obviously he has to get it there and home in his parents' car, so I think that should obvioiusly be permissable.

But from my personal viewpoint, we have to draw a line somewhere. Transporting a knife in a car between A and B (and the same with a gun to be fair) is fine, however, there has to be a distinction between that and tooling up for your trip to the local supermarket/bar/club.

The problem is, that when there is the potential for people to get overexcited (i.e. when they've had a drink), a lot of people make stupid decisions in the heat of the moment, and end up using that knife they have brought and that is ALWAYS going to lead to serious injury to themselves or someone else.

In the 'good old' days, people got a bit drunk, got chucked out of the club, and had a scrap, which got separated by bouncers / public when someone was hurt - the price you had to pay for shooting your mouth to the wrong person. Everything got settled in about 30 seconds to a minute and someone got a black eye and lost a bit of pride, not great, but not fatal.

Two relatively evenly matched (and somewhat drink impaired) adults can certainly hurt each other quite badly with their fists, but what %age of drunken fist fights end up in a death/serious injury? What %age of knife/gun fights end up in a death/serious injury?
The issue is two fellas fighting each other with their hands is likely to last a few minutes, during which time there is a high liklihood that someone breaks it up before things get too serious. With a gun/knife, a fight is over as soon as someone uses the weapon and the consequences are nearly always fatal.

Essentially, if you take a gun or knife with you anywhere in public, you are increasing both your own and other people's chance of being killed. I think that should be discouraged.

maybe we could formalise and legalise 30 second brawling to settle disputes. could be good for society!

As we say in Scotland:

'a square go's a fair go'

Thank you StirB. You have managed to put into words what i could not.

I realise i was like speaking to a wall.

I do understand the point for carrying a swiss army knife but its the word knife that puts me off.

For me when i hear knife i think weapon not letter opener. Ignorance on my side I know.

I remember an incident that happened last year. Involving a friends 10yr old son..
He was being badly bullied in school (swiss school). The parents spoke to the school and parents of the other children, the parents and school were of the opinion the children needed to sort it out amongst themselves as its all part of growing up.
So the father walked the boy to and from school & lunch every day. Anyways, one evening at a concert by the school the boy was outside and the group of bullies decided to throw rocks at him.... he took a knife out of his pocket and threw it. Thankfully he just missed one of the other kids. . .
So, that ended up in a brawl witht the parents and police called .. statements.. pressing charges.. etc-
I asked him why he brought the knife to school, he told me it was for protection plus he always brings it!!

I wonder if that's entirely fair? I believe I tried to understand viewpoints that contradicted my own. Seems I didn't do a good job of communicating that though

One of the things that I find admirable about Switzerland is (what I see as) their approach to guns and knives. Thanks to compulsory military service, young men (frequently the instigators/victims of violence) are taught weaponcraft and thus view guns as deadly tools to be used (for killing foe or doe) with respect and all appropriate due caution (and not as some sort of penis substitute/extension/macho enhancer).

Likewise with knives, the Swiss regard them as tools and to be used appropriately. But in the UK (for one) knives have indeed become demonised.
Knife crime is a serious problem in the UK, but I doubt that Victorinox's finest Swiss Army knives make a significant contribution to knife crime in the Gorbals. This is undoubtably what fuels the violence (regardless of weapon used). Something, fortunately, that Switzerland - so far - has managed to avoid. The reason such a stabbing makes the news in CH is because of its relative rarity.

Ultimately it is down to being responsible for your own actions, whether you have a 12" Sabatier in your hand, a sharpened pencil or an electric drill and unfortunately there are too many that aren't (nor, I would argue, are they being made to be responsible for their own actions).

In Terry Pratchett's latest book "Snuff", the character Commander Vimes (a copper) muses on how anything can be turned into a lethal weapon given a little knowledge and a lot of determination. A very valid point, indeed (and the book is well worth a read).

Nope, what i meant is to talk to me was like talking to a wall. Not that when i tried to speak to the group i talked to a wall.