Spyderco Forums

Thanks all for your comments. :)

Some very good points came up here.

The original idea I had was to bring along a knife I can use in self-defense if necessary, but after the comments here, and giving it some thought, I think I'll bring along my telescopic camera mono-pod: nine inches of solid aluminium (extendable to nearly two feet) with a rubber padded grip at one end. It'll probably made more of an impact, I can probably carry it into more places, and the police can't possibly have an issue with that!

For the knife, I'll just bring along my SAK.

Oh, I think I'll buy the Terzuola anyway. It is just a really good looking knife, although I too prefer the hyper-grippy surface of the G10.

Good luck, enjoy yourself on the trip. :)

Don't worry too much about the grip on the Terzuola. The carbon fiber they use on it has a great texture that, while not rough like G-10, still offers a decent amount of grip. Have a nice trip!

Yea I thought SD was hinted at. I would bring a flashlight and practice your hammer strikes.

phils301@gmail.com wrote:The original idea I had was to bring along a knife I can use in self-defense if necessary, but after the comments here, and giving it some thought, I think I'll bring along my telescopic camera mono-pod: ...

Not a bad idea at all and very useful for some cool photo shoots

On a side note, I'm surprised anyone would feel the need to bring a weapon for self defense when going to the UK as a tourist :eek: I've been there numerous times and I never felt threatened or in danger in any way. We've taken care not to run around strange neighborhoods at night of course but in London central or other cities we felt quite safe. Yes, I've seen the news reports of the recent riots and I know some of the crime statistics. Still no worse than what we've seen from Paris' suburbs in the past and mostly a national issue that usually doesn't involve tourists, as long as you don't go out on limb and get yourself in danger on purpose. At least that's the impression I got.
This whole train of thought does put the numerous questions I get from American friends about how safe a city Berlin (or any other German city) is into a somewhat different light though. Different mindset and experience, I guess.

I'm also thinking of packing an entrenching tool - and explain that I'm going to the sea shore for a spot of clam collecting! :D [OK, I'm joking. No British bobby will find a folded shovel in my haversack mildly amusing should I be stopped.]

Yes, it is the recent riots that bothered me.

I've been to London previously, and I never felt endangered. I certainly never thought of the need to carry a weapon of any sort.

However, I understand that there were some trouble at Hammersmith during the recent riots, and that's rather too close to where I would be putting up.

And, no, because I'm travelling at the agency's expense, changing hotels is not an option.

Finally, not to leave the wrong impression - I love London! Great museums, parks, and shopping!

phils301@gmail.com wrote:I'm also thinking of packing an entrenching tool - and explain that I'm going to the sea shore for a spot of clam collecting! :D [OK, I'm joking. No British bobby will find a folded shovel in my haversack mildly amusing should I be stopped.]

THAT I would love to see :D If you don't already have one maybe this trip is a good excuse to buy a stylish, sleek slippie I love my Vic Alox Pioneer. Inexpensive but totally worth having. Very classy. Enjoy your stay in London!

phils301@gmail.com wrote:Yes, it is the recent riots that bothered me.

Really, I wouldn't be worried about that at all. Most of the problems were in very deprived areas and the hooligans were more interested in keeping the police occupied while they stole sports clothes and games consoles. Some trouble did occur in other areas but it all seems to have blown over and I think the police have learned some tough lessons.

As for SD, you are allowed to use whatever comes to hand to defend yourself or people around you with reasonable force. If you take a weapon with you for SD then you are going pre-armed and that is an offense. You really wouldn't be able to carry a knife suitable for SD anyway because, as a tourist, you just wouldn't have a good enough reason to have a locking or fixed blade knife in public. I think your idea of having a good, sturdy monopod is a great idea ... it isn't a weapon and it will be very useful for all those photos you'll be taking

But seriously, London is pretty safe ... just don't be too loud or flash valuable things around ... try to blend in with the locals and stay away from the really deprived areas or places like pubs and nightclubs late at night where some of the locals might have had a bit too much to drink

As Chris says the majorıty of London is pretty safe. Just follow the usual rules for most cities - do not be flash do not wear $10,000 Rolex's or show a lot of money in your wallet/billfold. I worked there for 30+ years and had no problems. Only problem I had was in Barcelona when some conmen stole a credit card but I realised what was going on and walked around the corner and phoned my CC company and cancelled the card. Discretion is the better optıon when there are 3 of them and you are alone in a quiet area of a foreign city.

IF you are going to carry the monopod just make sure you have your camera with you as well then should you feel the need to use it (I would think well less than 1% chance) then you have no problem justifying why you had it with you.

The rules in UK tend to be on the side of the criminals but the police are quite reasonable. A friend there who is a taxi driver had a tire iron in the front of his cab - just in case - and a friendly policeman warned him that if he ever used it he could never justify why ıt was not kept in the trunk. He then said - but of course if you have a 4D cell Maglite he would always need a torch in case he broke down at nıght.

I am sure you will enjoy your trip which you will find uneventful and when you get home you will wonder why you started this thread.

ChrisR wrote:But seriously, London is pretty safe ... just don't be too loud or flash valuable things around ... try to blend in with the locals and stay away from the really deprived areas or places like pubs and nightclubs late at night where some of the locals might have had a bit too much to drink

The exact same thing could be said about NYC, Chris. However, in both cases, the perception of danger by outsiders may not match that of a resident.

the perception of danger by outsiders may not match that of a resident

And may not be the same either as some make a 'living' targeting tourists and others that are clearly non-residents. At least that used to be the case when I was still living in Amsterdam and I doubt it is any different in other larger cities around the globe.

Gerard Breuker wrote:And may not be the same either as some make a 'living' targeting tourists and others that are clearly non-residents. At least that used to be the case when I was still living in Amsterdam and I doubt it is any different in other larger cities around the globe.

That's probably true. But in most larger European cities the biggest threat to tourists usually are pick pockets, credit and debit card scams and overpriced food and beverages. Not really something where a self-defense weapon would get you anywhere

It's always the 'what-if' scenario.

I'm pretty confident of being able to protect myself in a typical crime situation, after having a little bit of training in Krav Maga, Aikido and TKD.

The real concern is in a worst-case scenario like Mumbai 2008 or the recent riots.

But I guess to be realistic, if I'm confronted by that situation, a knife - even a Spyderco knife! - will probably not be enough to get me out of trouble. Best then to evacuate, evade and escape! :)