Is it legal to Carry Knives Around in Australia?

Intro. Although this article is intended as a post on the legality if carrying a knife I thought it might be a good idea to include a little bit of data regarding the use of knives and the criminal acts surrounding them.

Knife Crime.

I don’t want to alarm anyone but wherever I look for information on this subject, the crime’s involving knives are on the increase. Australian Bureau Of Statistics: The data from 2021 states that knife crime is up 21% and over 1/3 of the total number of victims attacked with a weapon involved the use of a knife. Data taken from Queensland Police files backs up this data by stating knife crime is up 21% for people between the ages of 10 to 21 years old for carrying knives. A recent article in The Age states that The Alfred Hospitals data shows a 50% rise in people being treated for life threatening stab wounds. This is all rather sobering. All the more reason for creating this article to help bring awareness to it.

Knife Art.

Es you may have seen on this site I am a knife collector, knife maker and knife designer. I see the production of knives, whether it be by a large manufacturer or knife making as a hobby, as engineering with a lot of attention to detail and on occasions it’s one step away from being classed as art. Some of the knives I own and seen in expo shows and the like are incredibly nice to look at, touch and feel. When you hold a beautifully crafted knife made from the finest materials it really makes you appreciate the care that has been put into it. Having said that we do need to consider the fact that they are tools and indeed dangerous weapons if put in the hands of the wrong people. Let’s keep our knives locked away and only carry them around and use them for what they are intended for. Keep safe everyone.

Strong Arm of the Law.

EDC (Every Day Carry) it’s what we like to do, especially if you are a bit of a knife nerd. The nerds will likely know the law wherever they live but it’s unlikely that they will know the laws in other states. Some states list Prohibited Weapons and Controlled Weapons, some just list Prohibited Weapons and Tasmania doesn’t even list them. To make life easier when a type of knife is mentioned they come under one of these listed here with a description of what they are.

Ballistic Knives.

Not heard of this one before but it’s what can be described as a specialised weapon with a detachable blade that can be discharged from the handle. Sounds like some kind of knife gun!

Butterfly/Balisong Knives.

We all know this one. It’s one of the favorites that the street sellers have on offer in Bali. Do not try to smuggle one back into Australia please. It’s characterized by the two handles that rotate to cover the blade.

Disguised Knives or Blades.

These are any bladed weapon that is disguised as something else. Things like a belt knife, known as the ‘Bowmen belt knife’. Or if you made a knife that looked like a stick for example, you would have created a prohibited weapon.

Flick Knives, Switchblades or Sheath Knives.

These are automatic knives like a spring loaded or spring assisted knives, deployed via a button, or what knife people know as OTF knives (OUT The Front) which is one that has a blade hidden inside the handle and shoots out and locks in place when a button is pushed.

Knuckle Knife, Push Daggers or Urban Skinner.

As in a knuckle duster with a blade sticking out the front. I saw one of these concealed in a leather belt. There would be double trouble getting caught with this one.

Dagger (includes Scottish blades like the Dirk).

This is pretty self explanatory. They come in all shapes and sizes but all of them are defined by their double edged blades.

Double end knife or Spike Style Bladed Daggers This is something else I’m not keen on. I think they are a gimmicky looking things. It has fixed blades at both ends. They have exotic names like ‘Sua Ywe Gou’

Machete or Panga.

This is another one which most people will know. We’ve seen Africans using them for harvesting bananas or dare I say going on the rampage in the latest political coop d’etat. They are long fixed blades which are wider at the tip.

Sickle or Scythe.

We know these to be looking like something the grim reaper will be carrying around on his shoulder! Other than that it’s something a farmer used to use to harvest crops with. Then there is the modern take on them that are shaped a bit like them but smaller and mostly produced for the fantasy world. They can be very dangerous though.

Throwing knives.

Again, obvious as to their look and use. Someone experienced at throwing these things could do a lot of damage from a short distance. Typically they are made of a single piece of steel with a double edge (not usually as sharp as a dagger) and usually come in a set of three.

Trench Knife or Fighting Knife.

First used in WW1 in the trenches. They are designed for combat and often have a double edged blade with a guard or knuckle duster built into the handle. Sometimes they also have a hard pommel known as a scull crusher on them, nasty eh..

Non Metal Knives.

These days there are knives made of ceramic that will not be picked up by a metal detector. Normally used in the kitchen but airports have been finding them in bag searches. I guess they are close to being classed a concealed weapon. Either way they are on the controlled or prohibited list of weapons.

Zombie Knife.

Described as a multi edged blade including serrated sections built into it, something the fantasy world would like I imagine.

Star Knife.

Hardly a knife really but they do have three pointed blades that stick out and almost guaranteed to land blade fist. Nasty little things eh!

WASP Knife.

A knife or similar device that has a blade from which a gas can be expelled. Weird or what!

Research.

Australia is made up of states and territories. I should know because I live here but I didn’t realise there are 13 states and territories!

Western Australia

South Australia

Victoria

New South Wales

Queensland

Northern Territory

Tasmania

Australian Capital Territory

Norfolk Island (administered by Queensland)

Indian Ocean Territories (Christmas and Cocos Keeling Islands administered by Western Australia)

Jervis Bay Territory (administered by Northern Territory)

Ashmore and Carter Islands (administered by Northern Territory)

Coral Sea Islands (administered by Western Australia)

As you can see there are many areas to cover, but some of them are very remote and uninhabited. After finding out which state administers the laws governing what goes on in these lesser known territories and Islands I have determined that all of these areas come under the laws of 8 states and territories.

Each state or territory tends to have their own take on how they name and describe certain knives.

Western Australia.

Starting in my own state of WA I discovered an interesting loophole in the knife laws which I’ll get to in a sec. Prohibited weapons. According to section 6 of the weapons act it is unlawful to carry, possess, purchase, sell, supply, manufacture, bring or send a prohibited weapon into Western Australia. They are specifically listed in Schedule 1 of the 1999 Weapons Act. However, this list is only related knives or items with blades on them.

Ballistic Knives

Butterfly or Balisong Knives

Disguised Knives

Flick Knife or Switchblade

Knuckle Knife

Controlled Weapons.

These are weapons that can be possessed, carried and used for legitimate purposes but may be a potential danger to the community. They are specifically listed in Schedule 2 of the 1999 Weapons Act.

Daggers

Double end knife

Machete

Sickle or Scythe

Throwing knife

Back to that loophole here in WA. There is a credit card knife on the market which is a prohibited knife in all other states and territories but, unless the laws have changed, its not prohibited here in WA. There was a case back in 2016 where a glazier went to board a domestic flight and forgot he had this credit card knife on him and it ended up in court. The lawyer argued that it was similar to a utility knife. The court found that it did not meet the criteria of a disguised weapon.

So this means a credit card knife is not illegal to carry around in WA but it will get taken off of you if you try to get on a plane with it. The fines for breaking the prohibited weapons laws in WA are $8k fine and 2 years jail. If you break the controlled weapons law it’s $4k fine and 1 year spent avoiding picking up the soap in the shower.

Try this little folder if you plan to go camping in WA. Bear & Son Slim Flipper , it’s a beautiful little folder with awesome blade steel (CPM S35VN), liner lock, carbon fiber and titanium handles.

Victoria.

Prohibited Weapons.

In Victoria these are described as items that are inappropriate for general possession and use without chief commissioners approval or a governor in council exemption order. Prohibited weapons are specifically listed in the Control of Weapons Act of 1990 and Control of Weapons Regulations of 2021.

Controlled Weapons. Weapons that can be possessed, carried and used for legitimate purposes but may pose a threat to the community. They are specifically listed in the same Act and Regulations mentioned above. Much like the rest of Australia they list the items they commonly see coming through airports and items being posted and what they confiscate from the crims.

Butterfly Knives

Sickle or Scythe

Daggers

Ballistic Knives

Flick Knives

Double End Blades

Concealed knives

Push Knives

Throwing Knives

Trench Knives

Non Metal

In Victoria if you feel like testing the law and you do so successfully it will cost you $46,154 and 2 years jail time, wow!

his folding knife is perfect for camping in Victoria, it’s a steal for under US$100, it’s the strange sounding GiantMouse Vox/Anso Ace Iona V2 , CPM MagnaCut Blade steel, Blck Micarta Handle Scales, liner lock.

South Australia

Prohibited weapons are described as ‘dangerous articles and explosives that pose a risk to public safety’. In relation to edged weapons these are listed as:

Butterfly Knives

Fighting knives

Daggers

Ballistic Knives

Flick Knives

Double Edged Blades

Concealed knives

Star knives

Non Metal Knives

If you have the need, the usual exceptions can be applied for if you are: Emergency workers, Scottish Association, service organisations such as Returned Services League. Testing the laws of SA and getting caught will see you with empty pockets to the tune of $20k, and 2 years detained at his majesty’s pleasure.

Camping or hiking in SA will be much nicer with a nice little folding knife that’s legal to have on you. Try this one for under US$150, WE Knife Co. Black Void Opus , I love the design of this one, stone-wash, chisel ground blade on CPM 20CV (classed as a steel used in high end folders) feature a fine grain with very high wear resistance, liner lock, bronze titanium handles with g-10 inlays, nice little knife.

New South Wales.

As you’ll see below NSW seem to describe some of these weapons a little differently. Prohibited Weapons Act 1998 describes them as: ‘various types of dangerous knives, bombs, spear guns, knuckle dusters & tazers’ More specifically they are listed as follows:

Flick Knives Ballistic Knives Sheath Knives Urban Skinner Trench Knife Butterfly Knife Star Knife Zombie Knife Concealed Knives

If you get caught doing naughty things with these weapons in NSW you can be hit with a $4400 fine and 4 years jail. Actually wielding a knife at someone can attract a fine of $11,000 (assume the same jail time, I couldn’t find the info on this)

*link*

Queensland.

In QLD it seems that certain areas of the Weapons Act are relevant to the 1990 Act on some to the 1997 Act. Either way it’s section 51 of the Weapons Act. More specifically they class them as category M Bladed Weapons.

Rather than just listing the prohibited items the QLD police website lists a series of questions that often come up:

Can I take my pocket knife to school? The short answer is No. They cite the Weapons of 1990 in this scenario. It states “A person must not possess a knife in a public place at school, unless the person has a reasonable excuse”. I wonder what excuse someone could come up with which would let a kid go to school with… an OTF blade for example? I can see it now. Teacher: “hey Billy, why are you carrying that knife in school?” Billy: my dad said “Billy, make sure you carry that Boker Kalashnikov Automatic blade to school to protect yourself from kids stealing your lollies”! In my view there never be a reason for a kid to carry a knife to school.

Then they ask. “Can I carry a knife to work/sport/other purposes?” This also comes under the 1990 version of the Weapons Act. It’s a bit more of a reasonable question. If it’s a lawful activity then of course. A chef would need to transport his knife set with him if he’s going from job to job. I work in an environment where I need to regularly break down boxes for disposal, I’ve always got one on me at work. Genuine religious purposes are also mentioned as being ok to carry.

“Can I import swords, Daggers or knives into Queensland? It states that before purchasing inquiries should be made as ‘some restrictions apply. They sure do. Basically if they fall under category M weapons and you don’t have a reasonable excuse, then you can’t. I’d say this question most relates to collectors or perhaps a sword for religious purposes.

I collect WW2 Daggers and Bayonets so I’d need to apply for an ‘importation of Weapons permits’ to get it in. Here is the list of category M Weapons:

Flick Knives
Ballistic Knives
Sheath Knives
Push Knife
Trench Knife
Butterfly Knife & Star Knives
Riding Crop Knife
Disguised blades
Knives with single handed release.

If you break these laws you’ll see yourself slapped with a fine of over $6k and a year in clink.

*Link*

Northern Territory.

In the NT it’s all controlled by the Weapons Control Act 2001. In a sec you’ll see how serious they are about these laws. Just don’t mess with the Weapons laws in the NT! Under the prohibited weapons section these are listed:

Flick Knives

Ballistic Knives

WASP Knife

Sheath Knives

Knuckle and Push Knives

Trench Knife

Butterfly Knife

Star Knife

Concealed Knife

Knives with single handed release.

Double End Knife

Throwing Blade

Non Metallic Knife

The NT government is pretty damn serious about people breaking these laws. Get this, if you break the Prohibited Weapons laws you can be fined up to $70,400 and 2 years jail time. What? Hole Moley! Breaking the Controlled Weapons part of the law you can get slapped with a $35,200 fine and 1 year jail. Damn that’s harsh! It outstrips the fines and jail time in any other state or territory by a long way. If you visit Australia and planning to go the NT or Aussie residents intend on visiting the NT be aware of the laws, seriously.

*link*

Tasmania.

This state abides by the Police offences act 1935. In reference knives it was amended in 2016. Tassie seems to be getting pretty serious about it. They amended it on 26th April 2016 and prohibits people carrying knives in public when they do not have a lawful excuse to do so. It seems to be any knife of any sort. You can have a pocket knife if you are going to work where you will use it there. Or going fishing or hunting and many other lawful scenarios. You just can’t run around with one in your pocket for no real reason. Of course like any state or territory the more dangerous the knife is the more it’s restricted. There does not appear to be a list of prohibited or controlled weapons like every other state. This makes it difficult to define how they interpret each and every weapon and what category it might fall under. If you do get caught breaking the Police Offences Act of Tasmania, there is a possible $9750 fine and 2 years jail.

Australian Capital Territory.

The ACT abides by the Prohibited Weapons Act 1996. They are pretty straigh forward and in their approach to Prohibited Weapons and Prohibited Articles. They list the following articles as Prohibited Weapons.

Flick Knives

Sheath Knives

Daggers

Urban Skinners/Push Daggers

Butterfly Knives

Star knives

Trench Knives

Ballistic Knives

Throwing knives

Concealed knives

They then list these two as Prohibited Articles. Both of these are already classed as Concealed Weapons so not sure why they mention them again under this category.

Riding Crop Knives Bowen Belts

Holey Moley, these guys are the most serious about beaking their Prohibited Weapons laws. Are you sitting down? If you breaknthe Prohibited Weapons law it would see you slapped with a $156,500 fine and 5 years behind bars. If you break the Prohibited Articles law you could get a $62,600 fine and 2 years in clink. Wowser, be careful out there people For easy reference I’ve created this little matrix with type of knife, prohibited or controlled and the associated fines.

*link*

Conclusion. It’s been an interesting little project to write about these laws. Firstly, I hadn’t heard about some of these weapons before. A WASP Knife for instance and a Ballistic Knife! Although these are not what your average knife nerd, collector or camper is interested in they do have a blade and are part of the knife laws of Australia.

What interested me mostly is the myth that knives beyond a certain length are prohibited. For folding knives specifically, there is no mention of a folding knife or the maximum length a blade should be restricted to. I guess there has to be some common sense applied. For example, a maintenance person who needs to carry pocket knife is fine but it’s not reasonable for them to be carrying a giant folder with a blade of 200mm long! But still, there is no mention of it anywhere! I did see a reference to a dagger of no more than 8 inches long but nothing for folding knives!

Where did the idea that we cannot carry a folder with a blade of more than 100mm long? What does this mean for your average knife nerd, camper, hiker when it comes to folding knives? Exactly which part of the laws do folding knives come under? It’s pretty obvious what it’s not, but could it come under a Flick knife? Well according to our description above no it doesn’t. Could it be a concealed knife. Again looking at the description above, no it’s not that either.

A folding knife is just a blade that is folded down into the handle, it’s not Concealed or disguised in any way. The only category I could find that some folders can be connected to is ‘knives with a single handed release. These can be flippers (for the unaware these are knives with a tab at the pivot point that can be pressed for the blade to be ‘flipped open). Likewise a knife with a thumb stud (a stud that is fitted to the spine of the knife which gives the user enough leverage to be able to deploy the blade single handed). Also a blade with a hole in the spine will also provide enough leverage to deploy it one handed. There are a few different variations available that will achieve the single handed opening method. This category is only mentioned in QLD and the NT.

So does this mean that in any state or territory other than QLD and NT we can carry a folding knife with a blade of almost any length? Well, at the time of publishing I cannot find a definitive answer to that question, watch this space.

As always, happy camping :0)

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