A bladed weapon is any device or object made of metal, or of a material of equivalent strength, with a handle and a point or a blade with one or more cutting edges (the length of the blade is measured only in relation to its cutting part).
Prohibited bladed weapons:
- Blades that are in a form that conceals their true nature;
- Butterfly knives, throwing knives, brass knuckles, nunchakus, throwing stars;
- Knives with a lock and a springing blade;
- Any bladed weapon with a blade less than or equal to 15 centimetres in length and fixed in the middle of the handle and in a perpendicular position to the handle or at an angle of less than 135 degrees or more than 225 degrees to the handle;
- Any bladed weapon designed to be held by the insertion of one or more fingers into the handle, including knives known as "karambit", but excluding scissors;
- Objects and substances which were not designed as weapons, but which have been transformed, mixed or modified to be used for that purpose and which it is clear from the concrete circumstances that the person who possesses, carries or transports them clearly intends to use them for the purpose of threatening or physically injuring persons.
Bladed weapons are illegal weapons for which no authorisation to carry can be issued by the Ministry of Justice.
Carrying a knife is strictly prohibited and is punishable by a fine and/or imprisonment.
Bladed weapons subject to authorisation:
Swords, glaives, sabers, bayonets, halberds, daggers, dagger-knives, darts, stylets, head-breakers, clubs, sword or sabre sticks, and other bladed weapons with similar characteristics.
Pocket knives :
The provisions and restrictions do not apply to pocket knives.
A pocket knife is defined as any bladed weapon without a guard, the blade of which :
- extends laterally from the handle ;
- can only be pulled out of the handle by two hands;
- has only one cutting edge;
- is less than or equal to nine centimetres in length, and
- has a width in the middle of at least 20% of its length;
- This definition includes multipurpose tools with a blade as defined above, as well as knives without a lock that meet the dimensions and specifications even if the knife can be opened with one hand, as well as knives with a fixed blade that do not exceed the dimensions listed.
Bladed and blunt weapons used for the practice of a martial art or other sporting discipline by persons who are members of a sports club affiliated to a sports federation approved by the Minister for Sport may be imported, exported, acquired and transferred by such persons for private, non-commercial purposes, and held at their home or usual residence without authorisation from the Minister.
Such weapons may be carried in public without the Minister's authorisation by the persons concerned on the most direct route between their home or usual residence and a place of training or competition in the martial art or other sporting discipline in question, or the premises of a gunsmith or the home or usual residence of another person by reason of taking possession, divesting themselves of or repairing or maintaining the weapons.