Government consultation on banning large knives and machetes

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Crac

Member
Apr 5, 2023
33
21
North
2 weeks at the hospital.... tick-tock, tick-tock...

Got my 2 cents in.

Thanks everyone for everything hopefully Whitehall will find enough consultants to fill in all blanks.
 

slowworm

Full Member
May 8, 2008
2,018
974
Devon
The Government has now published it’s response to the consultation:

Thanks for the update. A quick look through seems they are going to ignore many of the responses and go ahead regardless. The number people who responded seems a bit low and it's frustrating that they claim people didn't understand their questions when they didn't get the answers they wanted.
 

Pattree

Full Member
Jul 19, 2023
1,364
768
77
UK
Thank you for publishing this.
We don’t know how it will end up once it’s been through the parliamentary mill but there is clearly a lot of political emotion (=votes) behind it.
 

ONE

Full Member
Nov 21, 2019
251
116
54
N. Ireland
Thanks for the update. A quick look through seems they are going to ignore many of the responses and go ahead regardless. The number people who responded seems a bit low and it's frustrating that they claim people didn't understand their questions when they didn't get the answers they wanted.
As with many/most "consultations" of this nature the questions were designed to lead.
 

HillBill

Bushcrafter through and through
Oct 1, 2008
8,141
88
W. Yorkshire
The Government has now published it’s response to the consultation:

Most of that seems sensible to be fair. I'm glad it clarified which types of large knives and machetes it seeks to ban, and which it deems suitable for legitimate use.
 
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ONE

Full Member
Nov 21, 2019
251
116
54
N. Ireland
You may feel differently if sitting on several thousand pounds worth of world tribal and military blades, many if not most of of which were specifically designed as weapons but which you've managed not to cause harm to any human being with for fifty and some years.
 

HillBill

Bushcrafter through and through
Oct 1, 2008
8,141
88
W. Yorkshire
You may feel differently if sitting on several thousand pounds worth of world tribal and military blades, many if not most of of which were specifically designed as weapons but which you've managed not to cause harm to any human being with for fifty and some years.
I make knives for a living mate, so it's pretty relevant to myself also. Understandable to be worried about some things, but i do generally find our government pretty sensible when it comes to knife law.
 

Broch

Life Member
Jan 18, 2009
8,101
7,878
Mid Wales
www.mont-hmg.co.uk
You may feel differently if sitting on several thousand pounds worth of world tribal and military blades, many if not most of of which were specifically designed as weapons but which you've managed not to cause harm to any human being with for fifty and some years.

I take it you have read the proposal? There is plenty of room for collectors of historic blades.

But I agree with HillBill; I just have one or two objects that I will need to 're-purpose' :)
 
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grainweevil

Forager
Feb 18, 2023
185
226
Cornwall
Trouble is it's not what the government intends that's the potential problem - it's when the first case get to court and the lawyers get involved. What might have been meant can be misplaced all too easily in legal argument over fine points of wording and wotnot. The more you write down, the more loopholes you make.
 
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slowworm

Full Member
May 8, 2008
2,018
974
Devon
The thing is it's still just proposals, the draft and final law could be very different; perhaps less restrictive, perhaps more.

One thing that puzzles me a bit, most knife crime uses kitchen knives but there doesn't seem anything in the proposals to tackle this - have I missed something or will criminals just switch to buying/steeling something else to stab someone with?
 

HillBill

Bushcrafter through and through
Oct 1, 2008
8,141
88
W. Yorkshire
The thing is it's still just proposals, the draft and final law could be very different; perhaps less restrictive, perhaps more.

One thing that puzzles me a bit, most knife crime uses kitchen knives but there doesn't seem anything in the proposals to tackle this - have I missed something or will criminals just switch to buying/steeling something else to stab someone with?
Criminals will carry anything they can get their hands on. Part of the proposed legislation regards a proposal to introduce a charge with a heavier sentence. Carrying a knife with intent to cause harm or fear of violence. Currently, we just have carrying an offensive weapon in a public place.
 
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ONE

Full Member
Nov 21, 2019
251
116
54
N. Ireland
There is plenty of room for collectors of historic blades.
There is no conclusion drawn on historic blades. In any case, is a Kris or Khukuri manufactured today "historic"?

Edit - for all that, a couple of my FS are modern, and we'll perhaps not get into some of the Ernest Emerson designed pieces. :(
 

HillBill

Bushcrafter through and through
Oct 1, 2008
8,141
88
W. Yorkshire
There is no conclusion drawn on historic blades. In any case, is a Kris or Khukuri manufactured today "historic"?
There was similar concern with the ban on long curved blades, samurai swords etc, a few years ago. Basically worked out as modern blades were ok, so long as they were made in a traditional way or something like that.
 

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