Carrying pocket knife in India

[InJungle]

Hello

I am traveling to India in December for 2 months; the primary purpose of my visit is camping at Himalayas (Himachal Pradesh and Nepal). In my camping gear I am planning to keep a pocket knife also for camping purposes, blade of the knife is approx. 3 inches long. Can somebody suggest me is it legal to carry a pocket knife or not and if yes then what is the permitted length of the blade. I do not want to fall in any legal issues or dialogue with cops.

Thanks in advance

 

[Admin]

The last I heard about legality of carrying a knife in person was that you cannot carry anything larger then 6 inches long and 2inches wide. That is what the 1959 act says but if there is an amendment then I am not sure.

Whatever you do keep it in the check in luggage. Gurkha's carry their traditional knives all the time and I don't see any one troubling them. As long as you don't create a scene with your knife I would imagine you are safe.

 

[Aadi]

As you are a foreigner I would not suggest you to carry a knife in your pocket, if you really want one then keep it in your baggage and declare it as soon as security asks, plus remember to say that its for camping purpose only. Gorkhas carry a khukhri (knife) with religious purpose only and they are allowed to do so as they never harmed anyone and its something which religion tells you to do for self defense. Legally you are allowed to carry knife which is less than 6 inch long and 1.9 inch wide.

If you do not want to fall in any legal interrogation then its better not to carry it in pocket and just keep it in your bag and no one will question you.

 

[ChaiNashta]

You also cannot keep a button operated knife even if the blade is smaller then 6 inches. Just thought I must add this.

 

[DhongiBaba]

If I was you I would buy the knife at the destination instead of carrying all along. Not that anyone would hassle me but just in case. I have seen people ask this question many times : is it allowed to keep knives in pocket in India and my answer is yes but within the legal limits as described in some of the other replies. Rules and regulations change all the time so it would would be a good idea to find out what the current limit is at the time of travel.

 

[Chahal]

blade of the knife is approx. 3 inches long

As long as the width is less then 1.9inches you are well within the legal limits. Have some other camping related stuff in your bag too when you carry that knife. When you go camping take an axe or something with you too.

 

[travelguide]

If I was you I would buy the knife at the destination instead of carrying all along. Not that anyone would hassle me but just in case. I have seen people ask this question many times : is it allowed to keep knives in pocket in India and my answer is yes but within the legal limits as described in some of the other replies. Rules and regulations change all the time so it would would be a good idea to find out what the current limit is at the time of travel.

I think this is a good practical suggestion. There is no need to carry it all the way through. You can easily buy one at the venue and I am sure there can be many shops selling knives as people who visit there may require knife for camping purpose. So, I would suggest you to buy it at the venue and travel with peace of mind.

 

[Alexandoy]

For all intents and purposes, I would advise you not to bring any deadly weapon when you travel. I never go without my camera bag which has a flashlight and a swiss knife aside from my credit cards and the camera, of course. That's the extension of my body when I leave the house. But when I travel abroad, I leave the flashlight and the knife at home. You know that saying, deadly weapon is not carried by decent people. So there.

 

[btalivny]

In a separate thread it was stated that one can carry pepper spray as well for protection. This may sound silly but it is very useful when it is needed.

 

[pwarbi]

Just because something might be legal, doesn't make it a good idea. I think if anybody got stopped by the police or by customs at the airport and they empty their pockets and pull out a knife, your going to have some explaining to do.

While it may very well just be for camping purposes, and within any legal limits that are set, is it really worth all the questions you'll be asked?

 

[Steve Dawson]

I would advise against carrying any sort of knife on an international flight, no matter how big it is. You will be more than able to get one in India and you could well save yourself a lot of hassle at the Airport. Unfortunately any kind of weapon now-a-days is cause for concern for Airport security staff and they are likely to confiscate your knife if they have the slightest concerns, which they probably will.

 

[BayouBilly]

I would advise against carrying any sort of knife on an international flight, no matter how big it is. You will be more than able to get one in India and you could well save yourself a lot of hassle at the Airport. Unfortunately any kind of weapon now-a-days is cause for concern for Airport security staff and they are likely to confiscate your knife if they have the slightest concerns, which they probably will.

Couldn't have been said any better. Last time I went to Espana, I had to forfeit my close-shave kit. I didn't feel too bad about it, since it wasn't sentimental, but it cost at least $40!

You can't really trust airport security sticking to the rules - if they don't want it on the plane, it's not going on the plane.

 

[pwarbi]

At the end of the day the rules are there for everybody's safety and so if I knew there was a person sat at the side of me carrying a knife, no matter how legitimate the reason was, I'd feel a little uncomfortable.

 

[comlink]

If you are going to use the knife for cutting very hard objects like wood and things, then just keep it in your bag and you most likely wont get any hassle, if you want to use it as a blade for cutting food, try to go for a hard plastic knife and you won't get much hassle for it.

 

[amelia88]

For me I would just be wondering if it was really 100% necessary. I guess if it meets the size regulations then from a legal standpoint you'd be okay - but like others have said, it's questionable whether you'll even be able to get on a flight with it. I've known a person who was told by airport security they couldn't take a sewing kit through with them because of the needles -- so I don't know how a knife would get on board. For me I would just be thinking the juice wasn't worth the squeeze!

 

[pwarbi]

I think common sense also needs to play a part and just because you are taking that knife for a specific reason, you feel that it's your right to carry it as its securely packed away and maybe doesn't break any specific laws, is it really worth all the hassle?

If you really HAVE to use a knife, then buy one when you enter that country, and safely dispose if it before you leave.

 

[amelia88]

I think common sense also needs to play a part and just because you are taking that knife for a specific reason, you feel that it's your right to carry it as its securely packed away and maybe doesn't break any specific laws, is it really worth all the hassle?

If you really HAVE to use a knife, then buy one when you enter that country, and safely dispose if it before you leave.

That's what I would be doing if it was an absolute must that I needed one. It's just better than dealing with any questions that arise when you've got one in your luggage. I like to try and make things as stress free for myself as possible when I travel, and I just wouldn't want any additional scrutiny or anything!

 

[pwarbi]

Well I ALWAYS get stopped by customs anyway, I must have one of them faces that look like I'm doing something wrong, haha...so if I tried to take a knife through, even if it was for a genuine reason I'd get it taken off me anyway.

 

[Delirium]

Some of you make very interesting points about this. Generally speaking, I always carry a small pocket knife that I use for self-defense, and then another one for general use like cutting fruits or something. I don't really use it all that much but I thought it was necessary since I don't want to ruin my self-defense pocket knife. I've never had to put it to use so it's still in perfect condition, but when the time calls for it I'll at least be ready. Going down without a fight isn't my style.

 

[pwarbi]

Being sent down for manslaughter or murder isn't my style either so while I'm not sure where you live, I'd be tempted to not carry a knife for self defence to be honest.