Sorry, I didn't know the knife laws were that repressive in the UK.
I'm not sure it's the law that dictates ebay's stance. They probably just don't want the aggro.
You
can buy knives mail order in the UK, for example
here.
I believe the earlier Normarks had the plastic scales, special editions had wood.
Later models and EKA's had rubber and wood scales.
My Normark Super Swede (ca.1995) has hard rubber scales which look a lot like the photo in post #13 but there are quite a few differences in detail: the blade is a bit slimmer and the pointed part is longer; the grind runs right into the handle; the scales are more textured, especially the depressed curved section; the 'Normark' name is more distant from the blade. It almost seems like they had a number of different manufacturers supplying them, and each had a slightly different take on the specifications.
The rubber on the later EKA Swedes isn't a patch on that on my Normark. After a few years the EKA rubber goes crumbly and falls off. It will leave black dust and goo on everything else in your pocket if you're not careful. There's one in my pocket now. Actually the rubber is a thick coating on slim, hard plastic scales so it's not as big a disaster as it could be but it still sucks. When the wife's walnut tree gets big enough maybe I'll prune it to make some scales...
All nice knives, shame most are no longer made.
I'm sure there are perfectly acceptable alternatives. The TBS mentioned in post #16 looks like a contender. Has anyone here used one?
I wouldn't buy one without knowing more about it. I don't trust photos in sales blurb and I'd be scared of being caught out by some knock-off made in China. There have been horror stories.