New knife laws

John Elstob

Forager
Aug 18, 2019
137
76
47
Darlington
Tories desperate for votes. Stupid, draconian, laws look good to their base on the Daily Mail front page/Website.

"Ban gardening tools!" that will stop people stabbing each other.

"Ban kitchen knives!"

"Ban knitting needles!"
I'm waiting for the ban on pen and pencils. Don't even get me started on how horrendous a paper cut can be
 

Aristotle

Forager
Jan 13, 2010
246
78
NW England
There was more in the news today about a campaign to ban the sale of "Zombie knives and machetes". I'm not sure if their idea is to try to make it illegal to own one, but our reactive government, may well introduce some clumsy, ill-thought-out, legislation about it...

I was using a(n 80 year old WW2) machete at the weekend to clear brush and trim branches from fallen boughs in woodland. It is a very useful tool. Not once did I threaten or cut any of the people I was with.

Whilst I *really* wish that teenage boys would stop knifing each other to death over petty squabbles (nothing changes), it would be a real shame if gardening tools were banned.

Stabbing people has been illegal throughout my lifetime, as far as I know
 

Laurentius

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Aug 13, 2009
2,534
699
Knowhere
The sword lobby is on our case. https://www.matt-easton.co.uk/uk-curved-sword-law. I am pretty sure that the Government will find it impossible to ban agricultural tools even if they technically fall foul of the silly law. I suspect machetes will cease to exist in name only to pop up as "grass slashers" "long bladed pruning knives" and "hand scythes" much the same way as the medieval German guild of knife makers got round the sword ban by making "messers". In any case I will not be hiding my knife collection underneath the bed any time soon.
 
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GreyCat

Full Member
Nov 1, 2023
180
179
51
South Wales, UK
Hmmmm, given that HM King Charles apparently does a bit of hedge laying, presumably he won't sign into law something which would ban billhooks and similar tools.....???

GC
 

Chris

Life Member
Sep 20, 2022
951
1,106
Somerset, Yorkshire, Lincolnshire
Saw yesterday that they are updating the ‘zombie knife’ law like this:

“The new law will mean that blades without images or words will also be recognised as zombie knives if they have other key features, such as a cutting or serrated edge.“

Spot the problem…
 

Tengu

Full Member
Jan 10, 2006
13,011
1,638
51
Wiltshire
I heard some stuff quite random on the radio...seems horrible hysteria to me.

And discriminating against young folk. Thats who its aimed at.

Oh, and serious crime...everything seems to be serious these days.

(I am wondering if its make work for the police?)
 

Kadushu

If Carlsberg made grumpy people...
Jul 29, 2014
944
1,024
Kent
Saw yesterday that they are updating the ‘zombie knife’ law like this:

“The new law will mean that blades without images or words will also be recognised as zombie knives if they have other key features, such as a cutting or serrated edge.“

Spot the problem…
So every functional knife?
 
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Pattree

Full Member
Jul 19, 2023
2,123
1,142
77
UK
Quoting Matt from the video (don´t remember the exact words): "For 60 years UK have been banning all sorts of knives and still knife crimes have gone up in numbers, could it be that banning doesn´t work since kitchen knives are the mostly used in knife crimes".
It is easier, cheaper and higher profile to ban the shape and mechanisms of the tools than to do anything about those who misuse them. Effectiveness is irrelevant when you are trawling for votes or under the cosh to do “Something”.
There are no votes in sociological and educational remedies.
Anyone who will break the law by stabbing or wounding another will hardly regard a law about possessing the implement.
Sorry, it’s all been said before but it makes me angry. They could ban every edged implement on Earth and I could make a dagger in about ten minutes. A knife might take thirty.
Stupid!
 

Chris

Life Member
Sep 20, 2022
951
1,106
Somerset, Yorkshire, Lincolnshire
It is easier, cheaper and higher profile to ban the shape and mechanisms of the tools than to do anything about those who misuse them. Effectiveness is irrelevant when you are trawling for votes or under the cosh to do “Something”.
There are no votes in sociological and educational remedies.
Anyone who will break the law by stabbing or wounding another will hardly regard a law about possessing the implement.
Sorry, it’s all been said before but it makes me angry. They could ban every edged implement on Earth and I could make a dagger in about ten minutes. A knife might take thirty.
Stupid!

“Well I was planning on going out and stabbing a few people to death with my illegally carried knife, but now my knife is even *more* illegal maybe I will stay home”


…said no murderer ever.
 
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Herman30

Native
Aug 30, 2015
1,544
1,219
58
Finland
They could ban every edged implement on Earth and I could make a dagger in about ten minutes. A knife might take thirty.
Stupid!
Don´t remember where I read (might have been a comment in Matts video) that one of the preferred weapons for criminals are sharpened bicycle spokes.
 

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