In reply to muppetfilter:
> (In reply to Jim Fraser) The actual law would seem to say otherwise, from what I can see its in the criminal justice act of 1988. A badly stowed axe on a pack has the potential to cause some serious injuries and I would suspect in that situation you could face the full brunt of the law.
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http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/26/section/1
First off, you have quoted a law that does not define what an offensive weapon is.
Secondly, Jim was talking about Scotland. Here in the People's Republic of Scotland the relevant law is the Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995. This defines an offensive weapon thus:
“offensive weapon” means any article—
(a)made or adapted for use for causing injury to a person, or
(b)intended, by the person having the article, for use for causing injury to a person
However, In Scotland there is a separate offence of having an article with a blade or point in a public place. An ice axe is an article with a point (and so is a knitting needle or a tent peg). Here the law says "It shall be a defence for a person ... to show that the person had a reasonable excuse or lawful authority for having the article with him in the public place.
Going mountaineering in the winter is a reasonable excuse for having pointy things.
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1995/39/part/VI/crossheading/offensive-...
Finally, of course, any number of items can cause damage or harm through neglect: a lit candle, a broken bottle that was not cleared away, a tack on the floor round a swimming pool... If you caused harm or injury through neglect you would face the law, but the law you would face would not by default be the law pertaining to offensive weapons.