Introduction: Victorinox Swisstool UK Legal - Disable Lock

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Background:

Planning a mobile home tour to UK, I learned that in UK you are not legally allowed to carry any folding knife with blades longer than 3 inches (7.62cm) or any fixed blade knifes (except if you have a good, genuine reason - but I do not want to discuss with Police why I have that EDC knife/tool in my pocket). So I had to accept that I can not carry my big Victorinox Workchamp, that I carry every day in my pocket, because its blade is >8cm.

Unfortunately, all folding knifes with locking mechanism are treated as non-folding knifes by UK law and therefore banned, too. That would kick out both my Leatherman Charge and my Victorinox Swisstool. As I do neither want to buy a new, good non-locking multitool, nor carrying a poor-quality non-locking multitool (that I have lots of) nor going with only a simple, small folding Swiss Army knife I thought about how to disable the locking mechanism of my multitools.

Challenge:

There are some Solutions on the web about bending the linerlock of the Leatherman or grinding away the lock of the Swisstool. But as it will be only for vacation, I want to disable the lock only temporarily, so I can undo the whole Thing once back home.

Step 1: Solution

When the lock-button is moved down to release the lock, there is a hole / space going through all the Swisstools handle. I first thought about blocking it by inserting a tiny nail or something similar, but that interferes with the blade and the other Tools. So I bent a simple paper Clip as shown above (of course I did this with the pliers of the tool itself) to enter only 1-2mm into the handle. It is a bit tough to put in place, as you have to move down the lock release button while inserting it. But once it is in place and hammered / pressed a bit together, it stays where it is and can not be removed by hand nor fall of. So without another tool (I think a screwdriver will do it), you could not remove the clamp and enable the lock mechanism. As Long as the clamp is in place, it disables the lock and but does not interfere with the Tools. And, different to the linerlock of the Leatherman, the lock of the Swisstool serves only as lock and does not at the same time prevent the blade (or the other Tools) from unintentionally opening in your pocket (thats what theses "spings" at the other side of the handle are for).

So (I hope that) at least my Swisstool is legal to carry as EDC in UK.

I would, however, prefer to carry the Leatherman Charge, but I have not yet found a way to (temporarily!) disable the liner-lock. Any ideas from your side???

As I just saw that the to washers at the blade are of different outer diameter, perhaps I could Change them and block the liner lock that way. But I would have to take apart the tool for that - something I would better do with proper Tools at home ...