Montreal police ticket veteran bagpiper for carrying traditional knife

[OldSolduer]

Our legal system at work again, waste of time and money

It’s an industry not a system

 

[LittleBlackDevil]

I'm cool with it as long as it's not used as a weapon.

It already is a weapon, decorative surely, but still a weapon.

Depends on what definition of weapon you are using. For the purposes of the Criminal Code, an item is only a weapon if it was "used, designed to be used or intended for use" in causing death or injury or threatening a person. I think the Criminal Code definition is a reasonable one.

The Montreal bylaw doesn't refer to weapons of course, but I think jollyjacktar was thinking of something similar since s/he specifically said "as long as it's not USED as a weapon".

Something like the knife in question is purely ceremonial and therefore not a weapon in my view.

The knife is in view as the handle protrudes above sock; there is no mention of the police officer having x-ray vision.

The rifles do have a bolt in them on parade; it keeps the cocking handle from falling out.

I too am perfectly OK with pilots being restricted to carrying fake swords on parade.

I actually thought parade swords were fake swords. They certainly aren't sharp, at least not the ones I ever handled.

 

[Old Sweat]

When I was a Phase One officer cadet, part of the introduction to our new world, was a series of lectures on customs of the service, dress, and the like. Not surprisingly then, must of it was based on British practice, especially as many veterans had yet to turn 40 back in 1960.

The literature was heavy on authenticity and we were "advised" to purchase Wilkinson swords from the UK that conformed to the military pattern and specifications for the appropriate design, eg cavalry, infantry, artillery. Our troop officer was a ROTP civilian university graduate in zoology from behind the tweed curtain; he had a different attitude, based, I guess, on the low probability of having to stab somebody in defence of our guns. In short, his informal advice was buy the cheapest, lightest model one could find, as long as it would get by on parade. As for the weight, we were going to have to stand at the carry for long periods of time, and the lighter, the better. Blade length was critical, 34 inches were expected, but 36 was okay, if tall. So, I bought a 32-inch hyper- light with some almost invisible scruff marks on the blade after graduation. It got me through all sorts of parades, a few guards-of-honour, and even the battery commander's appointment for the 1 RCHA saluting battery for the 100-gun salute on 1 July 1967 in Fort York, Germany, without provoking officialdom. A number of years back, I gave it to a newly-commissioned officer to save him a few bucks, and I saw something about him I liked.

 

[quadrapiper]

I actually thought parade swords were fake swords. They certainly aren't sharp, at least not the ones I ever handled.

There's varying degrees of metal quality in the blades: the older the sword, the more likely that it's a flexible, resilient item designed to combat specs. Newer blades will generally be stiffer, and may have chrome or other finishes not found on the older ones.

 

[Eaglelord17]

Many swords were never sharpened, often it was at the discretion of the person using it. For example cavalry swords were often not sharpened as you didn't necessarily want to cut into the person as it could then be snagged on the bone when travelling at speed, the momentum of the blade and horse did more than enough damage as it was. Much like how bayonets aren't supposed to be sharpened, it all depends on who is using it and how.

 

[SeaKingTacco]

Depends on what definition of weapon you are using. For the purposes of the Criminal Code, an item is only a weapon if it was "used, designed to be used or intended for use" in causing death or injury or threatening a person. I think the Criminal Code definition is a reasonable one.

The Montreal bylaw doesn't refer to weapons of course, but I think jollyjacktar was thinking of something similar since s/he specifically said "as long as it's not USED as a weapon".

Something like the knife in question is purely ceremonial and therefore not a weapon in my view.



I actually thought parade swords were fake swords. They certainly aren't sharp, at least not the ones I ever handled.

CF swords are the real deal- they will kill, if used correctly.

I have never seen one with an edge (you need a grindstone for that) but everyone of them has a point.

 

[daftandbarmy]

When I was a Phase One officer cadet, part of the introduction to our new world, was a series of lectures on customs of the service, dress, and the like. Not surprisingly then, must of it was based on British practice, especially as many veterans had yet to turn 40 back in 1960.

The literature was heavy on authenticity and we were "advised" to purchase Wilkinson swords from the UK that conformed to the military pattern and specifications for the appropriate design, eg cavalry, infantry, artillery. Our troop officer was a ROTP civilian university graduate in zoology from behind the tweed curtain; he had a different attitude, based, I guess, on the low probability of having to stab somebody in defence of our guns. In short, his informal advice was buy the cheapest, lightest model one could find, as long as it would get by on parade. As for the weight, we were going to have to stand at the carry for long periods of time, and the lighter, the better. Blade length was critical, 34 inches were expected, but 36 was okay, if tall. So, I bought a 32-inch hyper- light with some almost invisible scruff marks on the blade after graduation. It got me through all sorts of parades, a few guards-of-honour, and even the battery commander's appointment for the 1 RCHA saluting battery for the 100-gun salute on 1 July 1967 in Fort York, Germany, without provoking officialdom. A number of years back, I gave it to a newly-commissioned officer to save him a few bucks, and I saw something about him I liked.

 

[FJAG]

When I was a Phase One officer cadet, part of the introduction to our new world, was a series of lectures on customs of the service, dress, and the like. Not surprisingly then, must of it was based on British practice, especially as many veterans had yet to turn 40 back in 1960.

The literature was heavy on authenticity and we were "advised" to purchase Wilkinson swords from the UK that conformed to the military pattern and specifications for the appropriate design, eg cavalry, infantry, artillery. Our troop officer was a ROTP civilian university graduate in zoology from behind the tweed curtain; he had a different attitude, based, I guess, on the low probability of having to stab somebody in defence of our guns. In short, his informal advice was buy the cheapest, lightest model one could find, as long as it would get by on parade. As for the weight, we were going to have to stand at the carry for long periods of time, and the lighter, the better. Blade length was critical, 34 inches were expected, but 36 was okay, if tall. So, I bought a 32-inch hyper- light with some almost invisible scruff marks on the blade after graduation. It got me through all sorts of parades, a few guards-of-honour, and even the battery commander's appointment for the 1 RCHA saluting battery for the 100-gun salute on 1 July 1967 in Fort York, Germany, without provoking officialdom. A number of years back, I gave it to a newly-commissioned officer to save him a few bucks, and I saw something about him I liked.

By the time I was a cadet in 1969, our role model that graced all the officer recruiting ads at the time was the dapper officer in greens deboarding from one of the CAF's 707s with a cool attaché case.

.... So I got a real nice attaché case on graduation and never did get a sword. There were enough regimental swords to go around for the very few parades where we needed one.

I still think that that ad reflected the moment that the "old army" died.