knife amnesty

[bazil]

i was wondering what ppl thought about the knife amnesty, personally i think its a bit of a waste as the hardened criminal who carries a blade is not gonna say "oh gosh a knife amnesty.....i must hand in my blade"....it more likely that normal types will be nagged by those close to them to hand in knives etc

and this

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/5180954.stm

100,000 knives crushed......surely there could have been something better done with them, it seems rather wasteful to me

 

[BorderReiver]

The amnesty was not designed "to make our streets safer".

It was more of a public awareness campaign aimed at the youfs who carry as a macho or fashion thing.They are not bad people,just a bit young and misguided.The amnesty was part of the overall publicity strategy.

Any good quality or historically interesting stuff was mostly auctioned off or offered to museums.The scrapped knives were mainly dross anyway.

 

[Bisamratte]

I agree, I wonder how many antiques have been lost for ever The bayonet from 1880 should be in a museum.....not the scrapyard!!
I also wonder how many bushcraft style knives have been crushed, maybe even original woodlore ones

I thought kitchen knives or combat style(sorry I ment survival) knives are mostly used in stabbings. I wonder how many people emptied the kitchen draw and then wondered how to carve the sunday roast!

 

[Woods Wanderer]

i thought it was a waste of time first but then there are less knives i curculation but if any one wants another they can just get one so it is a waste i would have liked to have a look trough the bins though

 

[ilan]

Yes and how many cheap cr*p macho knives were imported from the far east in the same period ? stupid stunt by an ever desperate goverment

 

[sandsnakes]

Many years ago when giving a martial arts demo to a group of scouts, many of whom were 'well ard'- they drank light ale and smoked No6. On producing my knife (one of many) a kid in the crowd said 'hey mister, aint you sposed ta bin yer blade!' In his mind the carrying of any knife was a bad thing, it was at the point of another government knife amnesty, in his government influenced mind only bad people carried knives. This kid was raw material from one of the most notorious housing estates in N.E. London.

If it can instil a perception that carrying a knife is a 'bad thing' then that is good. In the context of what we do no sane policeman is going to stop you and say 'goodness what have we here, a member of the Kray gang!' Chefs have knives and they carry them to work, as to them they are personal tools. Carpet layers, builders, butchers etc, etc. Legitimate use is also a hobby, people who weave, make carpets, carve, turn wood and of course stuff animals.

The probability off one of us running wild in a supermarket trying to murder the manager is very slim indeed. After all we would rather be in the woods. What is more likely is, we dump the car in the traffic jam on the M4 grab our gear and say ‘sod it!’ I will came back for it next week when the traffics gone after the Moot!


Sandsnakes

 

[Longstrider]

If the amnesty were to save only one person from a stabbing it would be a worthwhile exercise. My concern is that this so called "public awareness" campaign can (and seems to) lead to a generalised hysteria in the media about knives being the problem. Knives are not a problem. People are the problem.
Working in the Security industry I have (at a previous job) seen many occasions where a knife was used as a weapon in a "street" fight and had cause to take many a knife from a "youf" in what is best described as "heated circumstances". In by far the majority of cases the knife in question has been a Stanley type knife (box cutter). Only twice can I recall having to deal with folders, one of which was a pruning knife with the characteristic slightly hooked blade. The only time I had to deal with a situation involving a fixed blade knife the knife in question was a serated kitchen carving knife. There is an old saying about guns that goes something like "It's the nut behind the bolt thats dangerous, not the gun" and I strongly believe that the same applies to knives.
Take all the knives off all the people and the mindless idiots that make the news with knives today will be making the news tomorrow with screwdrivers, hammers or whatever else comes to hand (and into "fashion").

 

[sandsnakes]

Well said Longstrider.

Its kids, not to bright people and the very scared often who use weapons. My observation is, it's often those who have no perception of the consequences of their actions. After all I, and they, have seen the Rambo films, you can get, shot, stabed, thrown off a cliff and blown up and still fight off a hoard of Russians before tea time. All you need is a band aid and you are up and running. They complain about reality TV lets have reality TV and let people see what happens to liver when someone sticks a knife in it.

Sandsnakes

 

[Pablo]

I've actually seen some of the stuff which was turned in. Some of it would make your hair stand on end. I'm really sorry if I offend some collectors, but I simply can't see a reason for holding onto some of these weapons. I say 'weapons' because that's exactly what they are. You may as well condone having an servicable AK on your wall .

Seriously though, I do think some people are missing the point that the amnesty is targeting 'weapons'. The definition of an offensive weapon is an article "made or adapted for use for causing injury to the person, or intended by the person having it with him for such use by him or by some other person." I would suggest that the articles specifically "made" for causing injury are the reason for handing in the weapon for example swords, butterfly knives etc etc. I do appreciate that there is a second definition regarding sharply pointed and bladed articles. If these are potentially "intended" for use to cause injury, (ie not used for the purpose they were designed for) they should go as well. Even (sadly) if it does mean an Alan Wood.

Yes, people can go and buy a kitchen knife ifrom Tescos if they want a sharp weapon, but they would have trouble buying a samurai sword off the shelf. I'm not a fan of the government and I don't like knee jerk legislation (the original act was brought out when the post war London 50's gangs including the Krays were using knives by the way). But if a few of these incredibly lethal weapons are off the streets, I for one won't be sorry.

Pablo.

 

[Zodiak]

One of my Explorer Scouts bought an article and asked if we should hand our knives in. We had a brief discussion about did he think that he could be trusted to look after his properly and it transpired that his mum had told him to bin it!

I wonder how many were dumped without the owners knowledge?

 

[BorderReiver]

Pablo,I disagree with a lot of what you said.

1) There is no harm in a law abiding person collecting anything,be it knives,swords,earwax or whatever.

2) Some of the things you mentioned are already illegal e.g. butterfly knives,things sharpened to be used as weapons.

3) I doubt if the average yob would lash out a few hundred pounds on an Allan Wood and I can see no harm in most people on this forum carrying one.

4) There is no point in "getting these things off the street" if the scum that misuse them are still there.Tigger from BB is still in hospital after a serious beating from yobs,no knives were used but he could still have been fatally injured.

What I'm trying to say is lets forget the media focus on inanimate objects and try to get something done about our society.

 

[Aliwren]

In my view the knife amnesty was a good thing. I handed in a knife - it was a large cheap bowie style blade saw back etc made in Tawian which I bought many years ago for a 'survival' type camp in Scouts.

This had sat at the back of a drawer for years, was not used and was never going to be again. I wasnt sure of the best way to dispose of this as I absolutley didnt want any risk of someone being hurt by it if it fell into 'less responsible' hands. With the amnesty I know it has now been properly disposed of and will never be used again.

For a responsible way of getting rid of a knife the amnesty was good. The wider aim of removing knives from the streets I am not so sure. My knife would have just remained sitting in the draw for many more years to come if not handed in so it wasnt really removed from the streets.

 

[BorderReiver]

. My knife would have just remained sitting in the draw for many more years to come if not handed in so it wasn't really removed from the streets.

Most of those handed in IMO were in that category.

For that quality of knife,a hammer is a good way of ensuring safe disposal.

Gloves,eye protection and a lot of newspaper to wrap the bits in of course.
If you don't want to bin the steel take it to your local recycling site.

 

[Martyn]

In my view the knife amnesty was a good thing. I handed in a knife - it was a large cheap bowie style blade saw back etc made in Tawian which I bought many years ago for a 'survival' type camp in Scouts.

This had sat at the back of a drawer for years, was not used and was never going to be again. I wasnt sure of the best way to dispose of this as I absolutley didnt want any risk of someone being hurt by it if it fell into 'less responsible' hands. With the amnesty I know it has now been properly disposed of and will never be used again.

For a responsible way of getting rid of a knife the amnesty was good. The wider aim of removing knives from the streets I am not so sure. My knife would have just remained sitting in the draw for many more years to come if not handed in so it wasnt really removed from the streets.

You could've dropped it into the police station any time, they would've been happy to dispose of it for you.

 

[Rod]

In my view it was all a publicity / propaganda exercise. There was a knife amnesty 15 years ago and I hand several in then (I was younger and more naive). The govt wants to to be seen to be doing something, esp since the death of Stephen Lawrence. The heart of the matter remains: People will carry a weapon - of any description - if it makes them feel safer, or if it makes a potential opponent consider attacking them. Peer pressure is part of it.

We (society) need to realise that knives are tools, and children should be taught as such. Knives are only offensive if you threaten someone with one.

(Guns on the other hand make "orphans, widows, grief". Apologies for going off topic here)

 

[nickg]

I sorry if I upset anybody here but amnesties only work for people who would have had no intention whatever of doing something bad in the first place. Its mearly a device used buy the police chiefs/home office to justify an impending piece of legislation, nothing more or less. There is no 'higher intention' no attempt to rectify a bad social situation no real desire to do anything more than justify or fuel what is likely to be an unpopular move. And that most likely to be intended to improve someones career and financial position. Its exactly what happened with firearms, 'dangerous' dogs, etc crossbows and air rifles will be next, then what; kites??!!.
If somebody is going to commit a serious assault they will use whatever they wish and can acquire. they dont kill people because they have a gun, they kill because they wish to, they use a gun because they have one or can get one, if they cant then they use a knife an axe a crowbar a car a baseball bat a pencil whatever.
I just made myself a woodlore copy from a bit of o1 steel - why is it taht I dont feel it dragging me into town to begin a rampage of homicide?
"Quemadmodum gladius neminem occidit, occidentis telum est."
Latin: "A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand." Lucius Annaeus Seneca (4BC?-AD 65) [The Younger] Roman Stoic philosopher, writer, tutor

 

[Womble_Lancs]

I sorry if I upset anybody here

Well I thought it was a perfectly sensible and logical conclusion. The fact that I own a few knives doesn't make me a killer, and I resent the implication by some of the mass media that it does make me a criminal

 

[Scuba Pete]

I agree nickg. If the police just announced they were putting metal detectors into train stations like they have been doing in Scotland, it would be harder for the public to swallow. But if they show thousands of knives on TV, then people are more likely to accept it.

As already mentioned, you can take a knife into the police station at any time for disposal, amnesty or not. From what I saw on TV very few were actually illegal (Gravity knives, flick knives etc) As far as the amnesty goes, I can’t see the criminals hading there knives in, so I doubt it will make a difference to the people that will actually use one.

Knife crime is a problem in Scotland, I understand what they are trying to do, I think it is more about raising awareness about the knife carrying culture. I agree what they are trying to do, but not how they are doing it. They are making out that anyone carrying any type of knife is some kind of criminal. It reminds me of the Monty python joke. “How do you cure a parrot with tooth ache?”, “Chop its head off”

I cannot help but feel that this is another one of our freedoms stamped on.

I am a law abiding member of the public, I do not have a criminal record. However cannot help feeling anxious about carrying a knife when I have legitimate reason. I don’t have a car and use public transport to get around. I wanted to take my mora to work to sharpen it, as well as have a go at making a knife. We have a great workshop, forge etc. I found myself worried that I would get stopped at the train station, and given the media hype and pressure on the police etc they would not believe me.

I know we are only talking about knives, but I wonder where will it end.

I can’t help but think of the film “Demolition man”, is that where we are heading?

Pete

 

[Spikey DaPikey]

I can’t help but think of the film “Demolition man”, is that where we are heading?

Pete

Sounds like it

 

[Spacemonkey]

On one of the news articles about it, they wheeled out a standard issue grieving mother whose son was killed by a knife. As the story unfolded, it sounded more like a racially motivated attack (the boy was white by the way and the point was not followed up) and the gang had many weapons, predominantly baseball bats but it was the knife that finally got him. Poor lad... But... I didn't hear a single plea to ban baseball bats. I mean, this is the UK and nobody, but nobody plays baseball here so why are so many sold???