Timeline for Knife laws in multiple European countries on train
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
28 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| Feb 1 at 15:55 | comment | added | Jon Custer | In some 50 years of camping I've never needed a blade such as you propose. Something to think about. | |
| S Jan 31 at 17:05 | history | suggested | CommunityBot | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
removed fluff
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| Jan 31 at 16:40 | review | Suggested edits | |||
| S Jan 31 at 17:05 | |||||
| Jan 31 at 16:39 | comment | added | Tristan | @BWFC even in UK law a knife is not always a knife. Knives with a cutting edge less than 3" that are not "lock knives" are classed as folding pocketknives and are generally legal to carry | |
| Jan 31 at 16:34 | comment | added | ComputerUser121212 | Spains rail operator bans knives greater than 6 cm in blade length. See the relevant policy in Spanish Relevant section is "Objetos no permitidos" | |
| Jan 31 at 11:00 | comment | added | Jan Blumschein | Note that in addition to state legislations and train operators there are some train stations that explicitly ban knives. It will be hard to give an exhaustive list of these local regulations, but should be clearly signed if so. If you do not want to have trouble with local security, pack your knife reasonably away as already suggested here, and do not peel your apple while waiting for a train. | |
| Jan 31 at 9:43 | comment | added | BWFC | @Johnnyjanko, I understand the question isn't about the UK but I was trying to make the point (no pun intended) about a knife being a knife. I expect in many other places, there's no distinction between a combat knife and camping knife. And you're correct in that if you're heading to a National Park with your Mora knife it probably won't be a problem. However, if it's strapped to your belt on a crowded train, the police will almost certainly take a dimmer view of it than if it's tucked neatly in your bag on a luggage rack. | |
| Jan 31 at 9:32 | comment | added | Johnnyjanko | @BWFC This question is not about the UK; I know UK laws are very fussy about knives. However, if I'm heading to a national park with my outdoor gear that includes a Mora knife or a Swiss Army knife, I don't see how that can be a problem in the UK. | |
| Jan 31 at 8:39 | comment | added | BWFC | @Johnnyjanko, in the UK at least, broadly speaking, a knife is a knife*. If you're carrying any form of blade without good reason, you can expect a penalty. The fact that it is "beyond obvious[ly]...intended for camping" is unlikely to cut any ice with the police if you're just carrying it around. Of course, "I'm on a camping trip through Europe", is probably going to be a valid explanation if they found it while looking through your bag. *Certain classes of knives are illegal to possess in any circumstances. They aren't the kind of thing you carry on a camping trip though. | |
| Jan 31 at 7:12 | comment | added | gerrit | Don't hide it in your sleeping bag. This just makes it look you are hiding it for some reason. Pack it with the rest of your kitchen, properly protected if you are worried about damaging other gear in your backpack. | |
| S Jan 31 at 4:54 | history | suggested | Martin Ba | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
typo in title
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| Jan 31 at 2:19 | comment | added | Aaron F | "there are no such things as luggage scanners on trains except Eurostar" - in Spain there are luggage scanners for the high-speed trains | |
| Jan 30 at 22:00 | review | Suggested edits | |||
| S Jan 31 at 4:54 | |||||
| Jan 30 at 20:13 | vote | accept | Hagenbeck | ||
| Jan 30 at 17:47 | history | became hot network question | |||
| Jan 30 at 17:35 | answer | added | jcaron | timeline score: 15 | |
| Jan 30 at 16:46 | comment | added | manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact | Many, many years ago, I remember going on a trip around the US on train and plane - never a problem with a steak knife (with food in the same bag) on a train (nobody checked anything) or a plane (in carry-on, clearly visible). Times have changed. But the concerns on a train are far, far, less than on a plane. | |
| Jan 30 at 16:41 | comment | added | Willeke♦ | In some countries it also differs by city. I did not see the Netherlands in your list but if you do come check at city level, Amsterdam for instance forbids all knives in most of the city and there are more cities like that. | |
| Jan 30 at 16:21 | answer | added | o.m. | timeline score: 21 | |
| Jan 30 at 9:35 | comment | added | Johnnyjanko | IMO, it's beyond obvious that the Mora knives are intended for camping and outdoor use. They are not combat knives by any means. I seriously doubt it could lead to any problems even if the authorities find out you're carrying one. | |
| Jan 30 at 9:29 | comment | added | Berend | The exact rules differ by country, and seem to be more related to the type of knife than it's size, e.g. no double-edged knives etc. Between Spain, France and Italy, France looks the most strict, with a blade limit of 3". Also, in all three, you need to have a proper reason to carry a knife, in Spain, you can't display it in public places, etc etc. In short, there isn't a single answer. It's probably best to Google "knife law (country)" for all countries you'll be visiting | |
| Jan 30 at 8:58 | comment | added | Krist van Besien | They will not search luggage of normal passengers though. They do not have the time and manpower for that. They will do it if they got a tip you have a cut up corpse in there or something... | |
| Jan 29 at 19:38 | comment | added | Hagenbeck | @KristvanBesien I am aware that there are no such things as luggage scanners on trains except Eurostar. But border police officers, at least in Germany, have permission to search your luggage if you are crossing the border into Germany. That is what I am afraid of. In addition, there are sometimes border controls, where certain travelers are picked for investigation. For example, if you take the IC from Hamburg to Copenhagen, the Danish border police will go through the train and check the ID Card of every traveler. | |
| Jan 29 at 19:18 | comment | added | Krist van Besien | I'm a bit puzzled. You are a EU resident, so I would expect you know there are no border checks within the Schengen area, and trains (apart from a few exception) do not have luggage scanners. | |
| Jan 29 at 19:17 | answer | added | Krist van Besien | timeline score: 10 | |
| Jan 29 at 17:46 | comment | added | jcaron | See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knife_legislation | |
| S Jan 29 at 17:18 | review | First questions | |||
| Jan 30 at 0:03 | |||||
| S Jan 29 at 17:18 | history | asked | Hagenbeck | CC BY-SA 4.0 |