# Legality of knives in Australia **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 15, 2018, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-knives-in-australia/808883 "2018-02-15T17:07:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2018, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-knives-in-australia/808883/1 "2018-02-15T17:07:55Z")
A friend and his band are going to be touring Australia and New Zealand soon. He usually carries a Leatherman multi-tool. What is the story on them? Is he going to lose the tool at Customs or face jail time? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2018, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-knives-in-australia/808883/2 "2018-02-15T17:11:55Z")
“That’s not a knife”. Sorry, had to say it. It would appear local laws might make carrying such an item dicey. “…section 51 of the QLD Weapons Act 1990. To paraphrase, a person may not possess a knife in a public place without a reasonable excuse. One of the listed excuses states “a person may possess a swiss army knife [includes multi-tools for purpose of legislation] for its normal utility purpose”.” > **[An Australian take on Multitools and legality](https://www.edcforums.com/threads/an-australian-take-on-multitools-and-legality.111140/)** > > So I've been wanting to write this for a while; something of an explanation of my EDC choices in relation to knives/multitools. This could go in either... ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2018, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-knives-in-australia/808883/3 "2018-02-15T17:22:56Z")
Cool, that forum looks useful. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2018, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-knives-in-australia/808883/4 "2018-02-15T17:31:03Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > “That’s not a knife”. > > Sorry, had to say it. Aaaaaah! I immediately thought of this: **[http://www.knifeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/fao7q.jpg](http://www.knifeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/fao7q.jpg)** ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2018, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-knives-in-australia/808883/5 "2018-02-15T19:43:41Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > Aaaaaah! I immediately thought of this: > > **[http://www.knifeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/fao7q.jpg](http://www.knifeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/fao7q.jpg)** That’s de joke! ---
**Author:** ![Weedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/weedy/32/301_2.png) [@Weedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weedy)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2018, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-knives-in-australia/808883/6 "2018-02-15T22:14:20Z")
Customs will confiscate a knife if it can be opened with one hand. In NSW and Vic, you are basically not allowed to carry a knife, unless you have an occupational or recreational use for it, or it is used for preparing food. A lot of people do carry multi-tools, but I am not sure if it strictly legal, if they don’t have a specific use. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2018, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-knives-in-australia/808883/7 "2018-02-15T22:25:37Z")
> [@Weedy](#): > > Customs will confiscate a knife if it can be opened with one hand. > > In NSW and Vic, you are basically not allowed to carry a knife, unless you have an occupational or recreational use for it, or it is used for preparing food. A lot of people do carry multi-tools, but I am not sure if it strictly legal, if they don’t have a specific use. He’s a guitarist, and the band has four dates in Victoria (Geelong, Port Fairy, Mordialloc & Newport) and two in New South Wales (Mt. Penang Gardens & Wollongong) . He uses the multi-tool for stringing his guitar and is an avid fisherman. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2018, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-knives-in-australia/808883/8 "2018-02-15T22:26:54Z")
> [@Weedy](#): > > multi-tools… don’t have a specific use. That’s kind of the point! 😉 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Weedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/weedy/32/301_2.png) [@Weedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weedy)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2018, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-knives-in-australia/808883/9 "2018-02-16T00:41:40Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > He’s a guitarist, and the band has four dates in Victoria (Geelong, Port Fairy, Mordialloc & Newport) and two in New South Wales (Mt. Penang Gardens & Wollongong) . He uses the multi-tool for stringing his guitar and is an avid fisherman. Cool, so if he’s fishing, or playing the guitar (or travelling to and from), then he has a reason to have the knife, and it’s all good. But if he is out buying shoes, then he can’t give ‘fishing’ as a reason for carrying it. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2018, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-knives-in-australia/808883/10 "2018-02-16T00:49:30Z")
In practise - this may be my experience as a boring middle class female talking, but I would think it’s unlikely that he’d ever get stopped and searched by the police while out and about on the streets normally. In fact, the most likely place where that might happen is probably “when he’s at a gig” (they’d be looking for drugs) - the very time when he has a good reason. Just don’t for god’s sake try to take it on the plane as carry-on! ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2018, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-knives-in-australia/808883/11 "2018-02-16T01:09:29Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > In practise - this may be my experience as a boring middle class female talking, but I would think it’s unlikely that he’d ever get stopped and searched by the police while out and about on the streets normally. In fact, the most likely place where that might happen is probably “when he’s at a gig” (they’d be looking for drugs) - the very time when he has a good reason. > > Just don’t for god’s sake try to take it on the plane as carry-on! There are multi-tool built without knife blades specifically so they can go in carry-ons or on the person. [Example](https://www.gerbergear.com/Multi-Tools/One-Hand-Opening/MP600-Bladeless_30-000952) ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2018, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-knives-in-australia/808883/12 "2018-02-16T01:57:01Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > In practise - this may be my experience as a boring middle class female talking, but I would think it’s unlikely that he’d ever get stopped and searched by the police while out and about on the streets normally. In fact, the most likely place where that might happen is probably “when he’s at a gig” (they’d be looking for drugs) - the very time when he has a good reason. > > Just don’t for god’s sake try to take it on the plane as carry-on! He and the band have been to 34 different countries, so he’s a very experienced flyer. He had just gotten some conflicting information about the legality of knives in Australia. I got some excellent information on another board: > **[Prohibited and restricted items - New Zealand Customs Service](https://www.customs.govt.nz/personal/prohibited-and-restricted-items/)** > > Advice on items that are prohibited and cannot be imported into New Zealand, those that require approval to import due to potential risk to our environment and economy …which says not to bring: [ul] [li]flick knives[/li][li] butterfly knives[/li][li] swordsticks[/li][li] knuckle-dusters[/li][li] any weapon disguised as something else.[/li][/ul] In short “don’t be an asshole.” ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2018, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-knives-in-australia/808883/13 "2018-02-16T11:38:33Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > A friend and his band are going to be touring Australia and New Zealand soon. He usually carries a Leatherman multi-tool. Put it in checked baggage. ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2018, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-knives-in-australia/808883/14 "2018-02-16T11:55:02Z")
If he carries it with his band gear or in his fishing tackle box I doubt there will be any concern. If he’s walking around with a multitool on his belt because he may feel like fishing on the spur of the moment there is some chance he will be stopped. Sydney police acquaintance have said that they have considerably hardened their attitude across that type of thing, and are far less willing to give anyone the benefit of the doubt than they used to. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2018, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-knives-in-australia/808883/15 "2018-02-16T11:57:36Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Put it in checked baggage. Yep. I carried a 3 inch Opinel knife while in New Zealand and had 0 issues. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2018, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-knives-in-australia/808883/16 "2018-02-17T07:54:58Z")
I wonder if he’ll have any problem [with the axe that he turned into a guitar](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVARoafOYHc)?