The law says you can't carry, possess or use a weapon, including guns, knives, and other weapons and 'dangerous articles', to hurt people or to defend yourself.
In most states – including New South Wales, Victoria, Northern Territory, and South Australia – it is illegal to carry a weapon, even for self-defense. This includes knives, which states consider dangerous articles or prohibited weapons.
Other than body armour vests, weapons are illegal to carry or use for self-defence purposes in Australia generally.
It is illegal to carry any type of knife in a public place in Australia, except for utility knives, such as a Swiss Army knife or a pocket knife with a blade no longer than 10 cm.
If you're considering carrying a knife for self-protection, you MUST begin by learning the applicable laws in your area. Otherwise, you could be starting off a self-defense situation by violating the law yourself. Generally, a short-bladed (2 or 3 inches) pocketknife is legal virtually everywhere.
If you do choose to use a weapon on the intruder, you can find yourself on the wrong side of the law. You could even face criminal charges, including assault with a weapon and causing serious injury.
A: In California, you can legally purchase, own, transport, and carry any knife that is not restricted under the law. California's open carry law states that the hilt or handle of a knife can't be hidden or concealed. This includes if the hilt is hidden underneath clothing or in the blade's sheath.
You can't carry knives, including kitchen knives, Swiss army knives or box-cutters, batons, cattle prods or bayonets without a lawful excuse. A 'lawful excuse' could include having the weapon for work, sport, recreation or a weapons collection, display or exhibition. Lawful excuse does not include self-defence.
a person may carry a pen knife or swiss army knife for use for its normal utility purpose.
In a general sense, a reasonable excuse means that you have a knife with you to carry out a lawful activity. To test whether this is the case in your situation, you could think about how you intend to use the knife that you're carrying.
The Code allows an individual in peaceable possession of any property to use force only when reasonably necessary to defend the possession of their property. However, they must ensure that they don't cause any grievous harm to another person that could result in a serious injury on death.
In NSW, the law recognises that a person can protect themselves when they are being physically attacked or are faced with a threat of physical violence. However, the extent to which violence can be used in 'self-defence' depends on the circumstances and the extent of the threat faced.
Self-defence tools available from Divas in Defence, include set keychains but unlike international versions that include tasers, pepper spray and/or knives, in Australia these weapons are illegal to carry and self-defence tools are prohibited from including them.
participation in a lawful entertainment, recreation or sport, the exhibition of knives for retail or other trade purposes, an organised exhibition by knife collectors, the wearing of an official uniform, or. genuine religious purposes.
you cannot have possession of an offensive implement in a public place or school without reasonable cause and this would include swords.
Pepper spray is illegal in most of Australia, including NSW. Schedule 1 of the Weapons Prohibition Act 1998 lists all items classified as prohibited weapons. This includes “any device designed or intended as a defence or anti-personnel spray and that is capable of discharging any irritant matter”.
Swiss army knives are not considered prohibited weapons, however, be mindful of carrying such items in public if you do not have a lawful excuse, such as needing it for work.
In NSW, under the Summary of Offences Act 1988, Section 11C: "A person must not, without reasonable excuse (proof of which lies on the person), have in his or her custody a knife in a public place or a school." A 'knife' includes a knife blade, a razor blade and any other blade.
This means pocket knives and multi-tools cannot be carried in public simply for the convenience of having access to them. However, if they are being used as part of a lawful activity (e.g. fishing, camping, employment) no offence is committed.
In general, it is legal to carry a knife in most states. However, there are often limits on knives or bladed weapons that may be carried.
Security Advice
All knives, sharp objects or cutting and stabbing implements need to be packed in checked baggage and not placed in carry-on baggage or on your person. Security measures may involve a frisk search in order to clear you.
For protection, self defence, in case they were ever attacked and needed to protect themselves. Because they are cheap and easy to get hold of. Being brought up in a household where carrying a knife is acceptable.
The knife should be in the right hand and the fork in the left. However, if a knife is not needed – such as when eating pasta – the fork can be held in the right hand. Bread is always served and can be placed on the table cloth itself. It is considered unacceptable to use one's fingers to taste the food.
Knife blades cannot be longer than 5.5 inches. Certain types of knives, such as switchblades, spring-loaded knives, swords, spears, and daggers are also outlawed.