There are many more such hidden weapons, in the blank weapon, e.g. bladed weapon, category, and there are also other hidden weapons about up to and including firearms and IEDs. Often hidden again in such away that they are nigh on impossible to spot. That, we know, is the idea. While it may not be thus, theoretically, with those little knives used here, they nevertheless, fall under the category of “hidden weapons”.
Now let's look at those two little pen knives in question, part of my little collection.
The pictures above show a “key ring knife” that was given away at a trade fair. While, obviously, there is nothing wrong with that per se, that is to say the knife and the fact that it was given away at a trade fair as a business gift, this is one that even this author, who was the recipient, did not immediately recognize as being a small folding knife (the picture below shows the same knife in the open position).I wondered why it said “Key Ring Knife” on the box. Yes, even professionals can be thick at times and even those that write journals such as this, and such as this writer. I must say I looked at it then twice before I twigged it. As said, happens to all of us at times.
When attached together with a bunch of keys it is even harder to spot than when on its own.
I have shown this particular item to a number of professional security officers, doormen and police officers and – even without being attached to a bunch of keys – asked them, “what do you see”. Obviously my question and the phrasing of it put them immediately on guard. As one of them said, “it is a keyring fob but, as you ask me in the way that you did, there is something special about it”, and all were rather surprised that they did not, immediately, check it out as a knife, however small, and, therefore, a potential threat. Have someone with something like that in your cruiser to ask him questions or to take him in and there could be rather a nasty scenario.
While the person carrying one of those may not, necessarily, be carrying it with a criminal intent and may not be a terrorist what I would like to point out is how easy they can be overlooked.
While even someone barding or wishing to board a plane with this keyring on his or her person should not be seen immediately as a threat and as a potential terrorist but we must be aware that those little items exist.
The other one is a small pen knife/paper knife – again a business gift – that is made to look like a key.
While the Key Knife, as I have called it, is a lot easier to spot on its own (this one, in fact, came with its own little vinyl pouch), as the folded blade is quite visible and should get one's attention, together with a bunch of keys, on a key ring, it becomes virtually invisible to anyone, even the trained professional, unless the same is aware of such items that could be hidden there. This, however, does mean that one would have to, physically, pick up, say, a bunch of keys and actually check through them as to whether something like that may be hidden amongst the keys. That, however, takes time and, therefore, slows down check ins and such like, and thus is not done routinely, methinks.
© M V Smith, 2007
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