Hi Jape
I to am a semi old fart (40+) and have always carried a knife, especially when I am on the bike. I will always carry a knife for exactly the same reason as you it is a tool that can help you out of a bad situation. As a woman that mostly rides alone and often at night in semi rural areas it is also a safety issue. The new laws are just plane wrong, I have on several occasions told this to police and they accept that for a woman in my situation it is quite acceptable, it is just wrong that it is illegal.