I don‘t mind sharing that I am not particularly a "knife guy" and under normal circumstances couldn‘t care less for them, but "on duty" I carry more than one.
I carry a 3" folding Cold Steel, attached to paracord, in my right pocket. This is my main work knife, and I‘ve used to from everything from clearing a field of fire in front of a trench to opening things, cutting paracord and tape, etc.
It‘s easily accessible, and I‘ll never lose it, it‘s always there.
I carry a Leatherman (since I was never issued a Gerber), which of course has a knife in it. But because it‘s not 1-hand operation like the Gerber, and it‘s in the back pouch under the cbt shirt, I only use it when I really need it, or one of the other tools.
Then there‘s the bayonet, when issued, which of course is for killing. Since I haven‘t done any of that in the reserves, and hope I never have to, it doesn‘t get much use at all.
I suppose if I went on a tour, I would want a solid fighting knife, "just in case", and would consider one of the good K-Bar‘s or whatever.
I‘ve read books supposedly by SAS members who always claim to use some sort of Kurki or Gurka knife of some description, again tied to them with paracord. Apparently this is the best thing ever for the jungle, you can chop wood, peel fruit, skin animals, etc., and I imagine it would do in self-defence in a pinch. But I can‘t see carrying one in the CF.
Even if you said your knife WAS a weapon, I am pretty sure you are covered so long as you had authorization from a superior (which would be the case if it was issued anyway). As a member of the CF, while carrying out your duties, you can legally possess any weapon you were required to or had a lawful excuse to.
This is similar to a peace officer, such as myself. Just last week, my duties required me to seize a switchblade off a traveller who had declared it. I had it with me for most of my shift until I handed it over to my superintendent to go into the vault. And I was legally in possession of it the whole time.
