Laws & prohibited knives.

Sirc Knives promotes the use of legal knives that are fit for their purpose. We understand that knives can be used for illegal activities, and we condemn their use in this manner. Here you will find Australian laws and a list of prohibited knives that are not allowed to be sold or used anywhere in Australia, and for good reason.

The law says you can’t carry, possess or use a weapon to hurt people or to defend yourself.

If the police believe you are illegally carrying a weapon, they can search you and your car without a warrant. If they find a weapon, they can take it from you.

Weapon offences can be very serious. Get legal advice.

Other Weapons.

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.

You can only possess or carry some weapons if you do so safely.

You also can’t carry weapons like flick knives, daggers, butterfly knives or knuckle knives, swords, nunchakus, knuckle-dusters, shanghais, blow guns, imitation firearms, capsicum spray, slingshots, weighted or studded gloves, throwing stars or catapults without a special exemption or permission from police.

Dangerous articles.

You can’t carry or possess an article or object that has been adapted for use as a weapon, unless you have a lawful excuse. It is also an offence to carry an article with the intention of using it as a weapon.

Dangerous articles can include:

• an axe

• a cricket bat

• a hammer.

In the case of dangerous articles ‘lawful excuse’ can include having the weapon for work, for sport, for a weapons collection, display or exhibition, but not self-defence.

Police powers to search for weapons.

Police can search you, your bag or your car for weapons without a warrant if they reasonably suspect you are carrying a weapon illegally.

Just being in an area where there is a lot of violent crime can be enough reason for police to search you without a warrant.

Police can also search you if you are in a place they declare to be a special ‘designated area’ for weapons searches. Police usually tell people that the public area has become a designated area by publishing it in the local newspaper.

If you are in a ‘designated area’, police do not need a reason to suspect you are carrying weapons to search you. However, they must show you a search notice before they search you.

If police have the power to search you without a warrant and you resist, you may be charged with a criminal offence.

See Getting searched for more information.

Flick knife:(or other similar device)

A blade which opens automatically by gravity or centrifugal force or by any pressure applied to a button, spring or device in or attached to the handle of the knife.

*Ballistic knife:

A knife that propels a knife-like blade of any material by any means other than an explosive.

Sheath knife:

A knife which has a sheath which withdraws into its handle by gravity or centrifugal force or if pressure is applied to a button, spring or device attached to or forming part of the sheath, handle or blade of the knife.

Urban Skinner push dagger:

Or any other device that consists of a single-edged or multi-edged blade or spike that has a handle fitted transversely to the blade or spike and allows the blade or spike to be supported by the palm of the hand so that stabbing blows or slashes can be inflicted by a punching or pushing action.

Trench knife:

Or any other device that consists of a single-edged or multi-edged blade or spike that is fitted with a handle made of any hard substance that can be fitted over the knuckles of the hand of the user to protect the knuckles and increase the effect of a punch or blow, or that is adapted for such use.

Butterfly knife or ‘balisong’:

Or any other device that consists of a single-edged or multi-edged blade or spike that fits within two handles attached to the blade or spike by transverse pivot pins and is capable of being opened by gravity or centrifugal force.

Star knife:

Or any other device that consists of a number of angular points, blades or spikes disposed outwardly about a central axis point and that are designed to spin around the central axis point in flight when thrown at a target.

Source taken from Victoria Legal Aid