Defective Knife Sheath Kills man at Rendezvous

[Jordan]

Apparently all that is needed is a holster that loses it's weapon when you hitch up yer drawers after mother natures call.

[UKRay]

Whoooeee - you wouldn't want that happening in the next cubicle!

[LazyDave]

Looks like theres more to it than meets the eye here! Oh Please!!!

Some guy dies with his own knife in his chest after wrestling with a friend while wearing a homemade knife in a shoulder holster, which a police officer says was defective, does not make a case for everyone who sells or makes a knife sheath immediately being responsible under law for this or any other idiots demise.

I don't take anything from this article except the fact someone died foolishly. I don't think this will cause anyone anymore headaches about their responsibility in making knife sheaths than they already have.

Just my AU1.44/100 cents

Lazy Dave

[UKRay]

Looks like theres more to it than meets the eye here! Oh Please!!!

Some guy dies with his own knife in his chest after wrestling with a friend while wearing a homemade knife in a shoulder holster, which a police officer says was defective, does not make a case for everyone who sells or makes a knife sheath immediately being responsible under law for this or any other idiots demise.

I don't take anything from this article except the fact someone died foolishly. I don't think this will cause anyone anymore headaches about their responsibility in making knife sheaths than they already have.

Just my AU1.44/100 cents

Lazy Dave

Interesting contribution, Dave. I'm glad common sense prevails 'down under' because it certainly doesn't in other parts of the world. We had a couple of crazy people kill folk with handguns and the next thing we knew it became virtually impossible to own a handgun in the UK. Gangland knife attacks were in the news for a few weeks and suddenly we are banned from carrying knives. Sorry mate - you are welcome to your opinion but in this instance you can only speak for your neck of the woods. I'm just pleased for you that Australia is such a liberal country. We don't share that luxury here in the UK.

I agree entirely that the common sense view of this story says the guy should have had more sense and it was entirely his own fault. The trigger words for me were 'defective sheath'. WE live in a litigious society where blame always has to be apportioned if something goes wrong. If the sheath was defective and is proved to be so it sets a legal precedent for future cases of this kind. Every time some fool falls on a knife and cuts himself the efficacy of the sheath will be called into question. I find this something of a worry as it could be me facing a jury charged with manslaughter.

You obviously live in a place where people are fair and reasonable at all times and nobody is ever accused of anything as silly as this. Hopefully the lawyers are kind, gentle folk who would never try to pass the stupidity buck onto a hapless maker of leathergoods.

Perhaps Australia should be renamed Utopia? Where do I buy my ticket?

[tonyc1]

Lets hope that we stay that way here in Australia instead of becoming as litigious as some other parts of the world.

Tony.

[MickWoolnough]

You obviously live in a place where people are fair and reasonable at all times and nobody is ever accused of anything as silly as this. Hopefully the lawyers are kind, gentle folk who would never try to pass the stupidity buck onto a hapless maker of leathergoods.

Perhaps Australia should be renamed Utopia? Where do I buy my ticket?

I think your reply is a wee bit over the top UK

I think what Ray was saying is you cant be libel for someones gross stupidity..it would have to be death by accidental actions

Mick

[UKRay]

I think your reply is a wee bit over the top UK

I think what Ray was saying is you cant be libel for someones gross stupidity..it would have to be death by accidental actions

Mick

Mick, I wish you were right. Sadly you can be held liable for someone else's stupidity and lots of folk find themselves in court every year for just that reason.

Let me give you an example or two:

A couple of years back a guy took a canoe without permission from an outdoor centre whilst drunk. he paddled it down the river and was found drowned the following morning. The centre was found to be guilty of negligence - essentially leaving their doors open so the fool could steal the canoe... they were eventually forced to shut down because they couldn't afford to fight the legal battle instigated by the dead guy's relatives.

Two lads 'borrowed' a friend's motorcycle without permission, rode it down the road into a tree. One died and the other was badly injured. The dead kid's parents sued the 19 year old owner of the motorcycle for lending them the bike. He was so upset by the legal wrangles that he became depressed and committed suicide.

Finally, and hopefully amusingly, check this out: http://madmouser.wordpress.com/2007/01/21/...-herd/#comments Okay - it may be an urban legend, but there are far too many stories just like this to take into account when you run a business making anything.

Yes, I accept I was slightly over the top in my response to Dave's post and apologise if I have caused any offense to anyone but the fact remains that we live in a society that likes to blame someone else for it's stupidity - and that someone could be me or you!

I rest my case m'lud.

Ray

[Jordan]

or the one about the burglar that sued a homeowner for shooting him in the foot. It seems that since the thief fell out of the window after being shot the jury felt the shooting was not justified as the creep was surely trying to run away and was not a threat. Moral of the story... if the bum falls out the window pull him back in and shoot him again so he can't sue you!

[Art]

They're open season around here, as long as you don't bait 'em.

Art

I didn't know toilets were in season! Do you need a special permit?

[grumpyguy]

Unfortunate accident for sure. But I, for one, will refrain from saying anything derogitory about the poor victim. True it's not wise to wrestle around with a knife strapped to you. I once had a knife come out the side of a commercially produce sheath. I had finished skinning a bear that a friend had harvested and tagged. I simply placed the knife back in it's sheath and pushed it down. The friend pointed out the mishap as I stoodup prepareing to help haul the animal out of the woods. The blade which was very sharp had gone through the outside of the sheath and was exposed, sticking out ready to slice what ever got too close. The leather was about 10oz. latigo and was sold with the knife when I bought it. Constructed with a nice heavy welt by the way. Only thing I could figure was that some how it caught on the leather and I did not look but just pushed it in as I had done many times before. This time it apparantly came out the side of the sheath exposing about three inches of bare and very sharp blade.

I used to carry that knife while on horseback. No more, I only carry folding knives when engaged in more physical activities where there is a risk of falling or having something fall on me. Truth is we cut leather all the time (so we should know how easy a knife can cut though leather) and really if enough force is applied to a knife handle it can cut though our best heavy leather sheath. A fall could easily provide enough force, so this should make us all think twice when wearing/handling cutlery. Incidently I had a butcher friend who sliced his arm when his 10" steak knife pierced out the front of his metal scabbard and he did not see it.

Unfortunately our world has changed, reason often doesn't win out in the beginning or the end.