New knife laws

[Wildgoose]

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.

There was a point (no pun intended) in the 90’s where this was the case. Sharpened and worn under a tubi-grip bandage for concealment. It’s not the case anymore though.

Any knife can do harm, but it’s about an image popular with gangs.

I’ve handed a few “zombie” knives. Poor steel, no edge alignment, weak handles (para wrap). But they look the part.

 

[John Elstob]

So are normal knives 8" or longer ok inc standard machetes such as parang's and golok's?

 

[GreyCat]

Typical politrickian/media rubbish. They confuse making new (often badly written) laws with properly enforcing/applying what is already there. "Yes, Minister" called it "politicians logic."

I don't think it's entered their heads that those who break the law by using any object as a weapon will continue to do so irrespective of the specific applicable law, and those who don't do so will be the ones who suffer. (Although increasingly perhaps, the "law abiding" are becoming less so on occasions when the law is clearly an bottom).

With any luck it won't get parliamentary time (lots of words on media but nothing actually happens) although being in an election year all sorts of strange things could happen.

Hopefully, there will be some "common sense" lobbying. Drafting a law that goes beyond the current provisions but does not outlaw kitchen knives, industrial blades, meat cleavers, garden tools etc won't be practically possible unless applied in a very narrow way.

Already I see the word "Machete" going out of use and sellers describing knives on Etsy as "outdoor tools" to get around selling restrictions.

We live in strange (and sometimes frankly bizarre) times!

GC

 

[Pattree]

I know I’ve said this before:

If a legitimate business in Britain sells me a knife and I use it as intended then I’m not worrying about knives. I’m not impressed by the tools other than to do the job that I buy them for. I’d rather use secateurs for cutting small wood for my fire and scissors for cutting textile, cord etc.

 

[nigelp]

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.

You couldn’t make it up!

 

[Chris]

Typical politrickian/media rubbish. They confuse making new (often badly written) laws with properly enforcing/applying what is already there. "Yes, Minister" called it "politicians logic."

I don't think it's entered their heads that those who break the law by using any object as a weapon will continue to do so irrespective of the specific applicable law, and those who don't do so will be the ones who suffer. (Although increasingly perhaps, the "law abiding" are becoming less so on occasions when the law is clearly an bottom).

With any luck it won't get parliamentary time (lots of words on media but nothing actually happens) although being in an election year all sorts of strange things could happen.

Hopefully, there will be some "common sense" lobbying. Drafting a law that goes beyond the current provisions but does not outlaw kitchen knives, industrial blades, meat cleavers, garden tools etc won't be practically possible unless applied in a very narrow way.

Already I see the word "Machete" going out of use and sellers describing knives on Etsy as "outdoor tools" to get around selling restrictions.

We live in strange (and sometimes frankly bizarre) times!

GC

I am friends with plenty of police officers and all of them think these laws are utterly pointless.

It isn’t the severity of sentence or the item itself being illegal which puts people off, it’s the risk of getting caught. For which they need more police and for them to be supported by the public.

Unfortunately that requires actual work and effort from politicians though, so it’s a non-starter.

 

[Kepis]

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.

I said that as part of a reply to another thread last year, a good friend of mine is a serving Police Officer and she told me that sharpened bike spokes were quite common.

 

[Chris]

I said that as part of a reply to another thread last year, a good friend of mine is a serving Police Officer and she told me that sharpened bike spokes were quite common.

Well we are banning knives, may as well ban the wheel as well.

 

[Laurentius]

It is stupidity of the highest order and I think we do not have to be party political to see that they are all at the same game. A certain PM passed laws regarding partys he knew he could ignore with impunity, the opposition leader of today does not have my confidence as being any more honest. If you want to create criminals out of honest citizens all you have to do is pass silly laws. What next?

 

[gg012]

I read an article on this which had a photograph of examples of these terrifying zombie knives, the problem is that the photo was of various knives with neon green handles, including plain edged throwing knives and a plain edged lock knife. Misinformation really doesn't help

Sent from underground

 

[Aristotle]

I read an article on this which had a photograph of examples of these terrifying zombie knives, the problem is that the photo was of various knives with neon green handles, including plain edged throwing knives and a plain edged lock knife. Misinformation really doesn't help

Sent from underground

Very often, if somebody knows a bit about the subject of a news story, they will notice significant factual errors. Journalists are rarely experts.

 

[demographic]

Serrated knives ban?

So thats breadknives then eh?
And insulation knives? I have a Hultafors insulation knife to cut ichy wool insulation.

 

[Chris]

I’ve always been a law abiding person and I think having laws and civilised behaviour is incredibly important.

…but there has to be a line where this all just becomes too much, surely?

 

[Pattree]

Sorry for being a broken record; I’ll try to remember not to say this again for a while:


This is the Opinel #8 Outdoor.

It is a folding knife in which the blade can be locked open.

The blade is longer than three inches.

The blade is pierced - by the shackle spanner.

Half the blade is serrated - supposedly to cut cord.



This knife is legally available right across the UK.
It ticks nearly all the boxes to be called a zombie knife, a term not used in the legislation.

I wouldn’t carry it about all the time because that is not what it is designed for.
I don’t anticipate any problems at all from carrying it to anywhere that it will be useful.

Most folk here carry knives appropriate to their use in given contexts. There is nothing to sweat about.

 

[gg012]

I think you are right, these rules will only really apply to those who are stopped and searched which will likely be males from minority ethnic backgrounds who live in cities. BUT the point is that, even though it won't affect the majority of the population, it is a useless piece of legislation which unnecessarily imposes constraints. It is already illegal to have a locking knife or fixed blade without good reason, making it more illegal won't stop criminals doing so

 

[grainweevil]

I'm a very cynical person, and as such I can see this being applied to anyone at all when the constabulary in question is trying to get its knife crime numbers up or the individual copper is seeking to annoy. Which makes me more than a little worried about the bit of this preposed legislation that no-one seems to be talking about at all - giving the police powers to seize and destroy knives on private premises simply because they "have reason to believe" they could be used in a crime. The scope for abuse is tremendous. I'm not a "police bad" kind of person at all, but history shows us that the police have and will use such powers for reasons other than those intentioned.

Throw in what a dog's dinner the lawyers will manage to make of the usual standard of lax legislation that comes out of parliament these days, and what may be intended by government has every chance of turning into something much, much worse.

But to cut to the meat of the thing, as a law-abiding citizen, I'm just fed up to the back teeth with being increasingly hampered and criminalised by unnecessary legislation. It doesn't tackle the real crimes, it just makes more potential law breakers.

 

[Herman30]

No-one seems to want to comment this new proposal of banning all swords that Matt Easton is talking about in the video.
If passed; it would mean no more fencing sport, no more swords in theater, no sword for officers in parades etc etc.

 

[nigelp]

No-one seems to want to comment this new proposal of banning all swords that Matt Easton is talking about in the video.
If passed; it would mean no more fencing sport, no more swords in theater, no sword for officers in parades etc etc.

All swords? Is that what it says?

Technically a foil is used in the sport of fencing. Most guns are banned but shooting is still allowed so I would think once the furore and hyperbole had died down those using swords for sport, ceremonial and civic duties would carry on as before.

 

[Chris]

Video says all swords, yeah. It’s been as well thought through as you’d expect from our elected officials.

I expect people are concentrating more on the knives @Herman30 as the forum is naturally going to be more concerned with an essential tool to bushcraft, whereas swords maybe less relevant.

Realistically it wouldn’t impact anyone in the military or athletes, but what annoys me is that people seem to think it’s not OK to have something just because they like it. It’s an entirely valid reason - maybe I like swords or knives. Whose business is that but my own as long as I am not committing crimes with them?

This country risks becoming ungovernable by making it impossible for sensible people to go about their days freely - hurting no one - and without being criminalised.

 

[Kepis]

No-one seems to want to comment this new proposal of banning all swords that Matt Easton is talking about in the video.
If passed; it would mean no more fencing sport, no more swords in theater, no sword for officers in parades etc etc.

Do you have a valid link to the proposed legislation that states ALL swords rather than just a YouTube video?