Buying Knives in the UK

[Zed]

Maybe he lives in Scotland as we have to have a licence to own an airgun here.

Really  I can see us ending up with a knife licence at some point (pardon the pun lol ) 

[zr0dfx]

Maybe he lives in Scotland as we have to have a licence to own an airgun here.

Really  I can see us ending up with a knife licence at some point (pardon the pun lol ) 

Yeah the change in law happened last year after some idiot killed a baby with one.

[Don Pablo]

Maybe he lives in Scotland as we have to have a licence to own an airgun here.

Really  I can see us ending up with a knife licence at some point (pardon the pun lol ) 

Yeah the change in law happened last year after some idiot killed a baby with one.

"this is why we can't have nice things". 
And I can see paintball being legislated as well, what with smurfers attacking people with paintball markers.
I hope paintball doesn't disappear before I get a chance to try it! 

[Aloha]

I would like to see the rules these law makers have in their homes.   

[Borg]

Scotland yes, here now we have to have a license to have an air gun, in truth i didn't have to get rid of them, i could have got a license but at £80 or so to go shoot some cans or balloons every now and again i couldn't justify it.
I have heard that it is the same amount of hassle to get one for a Shotgun as it is for an air gun anyway, which is probably the road i would have taken.
The Police had an amnesty and you could hand any gun in without question for a few weeks, that is now finished so if you are caught with an unlicensed one now its 2 years in the slammer or a hefty fine ..or both.
I saw a few pictures of the piles of air guns handed in, sad to see.. some real nice ones in there, probably all crushed now.

[Dean51]

So much I want to say but can't.
To the UK members the plans are already in place to take your knives. You just don't know it yet.
They are after all Swiss Army Knives, deadly stuff.
The powers in place are very patient.
There's a logical progression to such matters. First restrict and register guns. Then confiscate.
First restrict then confiscate your knife.

I've listened to the BBC, there will not be any counter argument from the media.
You can pitch a fit on MTO and it will do no good.
Find an organization that is fighting this and join. Actively support them with the same effort you support this forum. Write letters organize, recruit, protest, what ever it takes.

If you don't just go ahead and send your evil SAK's and MT's and knives to me.

My apologies if I'm going to far.

[AimlessWanderer]

Dean, we live in very different worlds.

We have a legally protected right to defend ourselves with reasonable force using whatever is to hand. Anything! We cannot however plan to inflict harm on someone with anything. Carrying a weapon is planning to inflict harm.

If someone comes at me with a baseball bat while I'm chopping wood in the garden, I can whack them with the axe or whatever else I'm using. No problem. If I whack someone with an axe in the street, questions will be asked. If I have a genuine reason to have an axe in the street, and it's demonstrated that using it was reasonable force, again I am covered (albeit messy to justify both elements). If I had no reason carrying an axe, or the threat didn't warrant giving them a crimson centre parting, then I am an offender.

Replace axe and wood chopping with whatever implement and justifiable reason to carry that you want. So long as we were going about our legal peaceful lives with it when we had to defend ourselves, our loved ones, or our property, we're covered. You just can't carry anything for defence purposes, as that is a demonstrated intent to inflict harm.

I know people from other countries don't understand this, but for the most part it works. It might not work there, but we're not there. It has been like this for years, and we are lower down the murder per capita rating than other countries who let you carry guns, knives, whatever.

Just because we don't do what some others do, doesn't mean we are wrong. Please don't turn this into one of "those" threads. People will get upset, and nobody will gain anything from it.

[Dean51]

My statement has been modified.

[Syncop8r]

I know people from other countries don't understand this, but for the most part it works. It might not work there, but we're not there. It has been like this for years, and we are lower down the murder per capita rating than other countries who let you carry guns, knives, whatever.

Just because we don't do what some others do, doesn't mean we are wrong. Please don't turn this into one of "those" threads. People will get upset, and nobody will gain anything from it.

Well said.

You just can't carry anything for defence purposes, as that is a demonstrated intent to inflict harm.

I guess the thinking there is the reality that things carried "for defence" will sooner or later end up being used for offence.

[Kev D]

I bought 2 knives yesterday and wasn't asked to prove if I was over 18, so much for my boyish good looks

 

[Aloha]

I bought 2 knives yesterday and wasn't asked to prove if I was over 18, so much for my boyish good looks

 

 

With the amount of grey in my whiskers the young girl at the bank has begun to call me Sir, as opposed to Mr Aloha like they used too  . 

[Sparkey]

I bought 2 knives yesterday and wasn't asked to prove if I was over 18, so much for my boyish good looks

 

 

With the amount of grey in my whiskers the young girl at the bank has begun to call me Sir, as opposed to Mr Aloha like they used too  .

Sucks, don't it?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Sparkey]

Dean, we live in very different worlds.

We have a legally protected right to defend ourselves with reasonable force using whatever is to hand. Anything! We cannot however plan to inflict harm on someone with anything. Carrying a weapon is planning to inflict harm.

If someone comes at me with a baseball bat while I'm chopping wood in the garden, I can whack them with the axe or whatever else I'm using. No problem. If I whack someone with an axe in the street, questions will be asked. If I have a genuine reason to have an axe in the street, and it's demonstrated that using it was reasonable force, again I am covered (albeit messy to justify both elements). If I had no reason carrying an axe, or the threat didn't warrant giving them a crimson centre parting, then I am an offender.

Replace axe and wood chopping with whatever implement and justifiable reason to carry that you want. So long as we were going about our legal peaceful lives with it when we had to defend ourselves, our loved ones, or our property, we're covered. You just can't carry anything for defence purposes, as that is a demonstrated intent to inflict harm.

I know people from other countries don't understand this, but for the most part it works. It might not work there, but we're not there. It has been like this for years, and we are lower down the murder per capita rating than other countries who let you carry guns, knives, whatever.

Just because we don't do what some others do, doesn't mean we are wrong. Please don't turn this into one of "those" threads. People will get upset, and nobody will gain anything from it.

Well said. Just because we CAN doesn't mean we SHOULD.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Kev D]

I bought 2 knives yesterday and wasn't asked to prove if I was over 18, so much for my boyish good looks

 

 

With the amount of grey in my whiskers the young girl at the bank has begun to call me Sir, as opposed to Mr Aloha like they used too  .

Sucks, don't it?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It must have been all my grey that gave me away

[pomsbz]

Maybe he lives in Scotland as we have to have a licence to own an airgun here.

I didn't realise that, did someone see that episode of Still Game where the neds were shooting the old men with air guns and decide that this was the solution?

[Smashie]

This was Heinnies response to the announcement, I used this as the basis for my letter to my MP

Heinnie Haynes’ Response to the Home Secretary’s Announcement

On July 18th, 2017, the Home Secretary announced her intention to tighten the law in order to stop under 18s being able to purchase knives. The proposed measures would mean anyone who bought a knife online would be required to collect it in person, with retailers responsible for checking the age of all buyers.

These measures, if enacted, would of course have a huge impact on our business. Heinnie Haynes® is the UK’s largest online retailer of knives and their accessories.

We’ve been trading online since 1996, and from the beginning, we’ve taken our social responsibility extremely seriously. When you’ve shopped with us, you’ll have noticed that we won’t sell a knife to anyone under the age of 18 years. We check out ages by reference to a number of sources, or by asking the customer to supply us with proof of age. This means that we have to occasionally turn away orders. We will not sell a knife to any person aged under 18.

The new offences would mean knives “could no longer be delivered to private property, making it harder for underage sales to go undetected”. Clearly, this would have an impact on us as an online business. Unless every customer was able to make the trek to the hallowed corner of a Barry industrial estate that is the home of Heinnie Haynes, our sales of knives would effectively cease overnight.

We are concerned that the proposed new offences will do little to curb the sale of knives to the under-18’s. We’ve seen over the years that the requirement for face-to-face age verification is not a panacea for the legal sale of knives. It is already illegal to sell most knives to under 18’s, but test purchases by Trading Standards, as well as the Met’s Operation Sceptre show that despite the current law prohibiting sale, it’s still possible for children to purchase knives in “bricks & mortar” stores. By making “bricks & mortar” the only channel for purchasing a knife will not solve the problem.

By removing the UK’s online knife market, the government is unlikely to stop citizens buying knives online. We recognise that it’s entirely possible for an individual to purchase knives from overseas and import them into the UK themselves.  Any new law will not impact the ability to ship into the UK of those companies based overseas.

Here at Heinnie Haynes, we’re fortunate to be able to handle some of the most sought-after knives available to the collector and the outdoorsman. Our range is vast, and is made possible by our ability to send our products around the UK. It is simply not practical to expect this range to be available in a single store, or chain, which is available to the majority of the UK population to visit in person.

We welcome and support the efforts of the UK government to control the scourge that is knife crime, which has no place in our society. However, we contend that banning the sale of knives online would only serve to drive sales underground.

There are several ways in which knife sales online can be regulated, and we offer our support to the Government in working on new legislation that would prevent the sale of knives to minors without preventing the legitimate sale of knives to the collector, the outdoorsman and serious customer.

If you have a point of view on this matter, we’d be grateful if you could channel your energy into contacting your local MP, who is best placed to pass your view on to the Home Secretary. You can find your MP using this link:

http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/mps/

Heinnie Haynes
July 2017

[Don Pablo]

 
I wish you all in the UK good luck at getting this repealed.

[pomsbz]

Ouch, I thought this legislation just meant that you had to go to the post office to pick it up with proof of age. After all that would have been far more sensible right? I just ordered a SAK to my in laws in Manchester. Delivered a few days later then brought out to me hopefully soon with family flying out. This will kill many popular stores selling camping goods, etc. I buy often at the bushcraftstore and swisstool in the UK. Both great stores The latter would be wiped out. They must be going out of their minds. Just had a thought. Amazon would be affected by this too. Surely there will be enough pressure to change this law?

[Zed]

Yet I'm sure we could still buy kitchen knives  This is all a joke, punishing collectors and innocent good people and effecting businesses, I'm stocking up as I'm sure we will suffer in the long run ,but I'll always carry a knife so screw them 

[Smashie]

Ouch, I thought this legislation just meant that you had to go to the post office to pick it up with proof of age. After all that would have been far more sensible right? I just ordered a SAK to my in laws in Manchester. Delivered a few days later then brought out to me hopefully soon with family flying out. This will kill many popular stores selling camping goods, etc. I buy often at the bushcraftstore and swisstool in the UK. Both great stores The latter would be wiped out. They must be going out of their minds. Just had a thought. Amazon would be affected by this too. Surely there will be enough pressure to change this law?

You'd think so wouldn't you, under the right circumstances a perfectly legal knife can be classed as an offensive weapon, intent is the key here. Guess what, the post office will not carry weapons and their definition has a steaming great hole in it.

Including Section 5 firearms (e.g. handguns, machine guns), CS gas and pepper sprays, flick knives, tasers and stun guns. Items that appear to be prohibited weapons may be subject to additional checks and delays.
Guns for sporting use, including Section 1 (e.g. hunting rifles), Section 2 (e.g. shotguns) firearms and low-powered air weapons may be sent in compliance with UK law and subject to domestic controls on the possession of firearms. Please see Restricted items below.

[greenbear]

There are a number of areas of concern on this subject:

The first is that knife crime is spiralling rapidly and, quite reasonably, something has to be done about it. I think we would all agree with this sentiment, but of course all MTO's members fall into the category of "sensible and responsible people" so I guess we would think that way.

The second is that any restrictions will badly affect UK businesses that retail knives in a sensible and legal manner.  Clearly it is wrong that these UK sellers should suffer due to an increase in knife crime that is, in all likelihood, totally beyond their control.

Thirdly, we are repeatedly told in the media that the majority of knife crime in committed using kitchen knives etc.

Fourthly, and probably most importantly our government is using the media sensationalism of the story to appear as if they are being proactive on the subject.  Perhaps this is a good time to question whether the recent increases in violent crime (which by definition will include knife crime) are linked to the cuts in the policing budget and, hence, the number of police officers.

I would be opposed to licensing of knives.  The crackdown on firearms following the awful Dunblane attack served to drive firearms underground.  A relative who works for the police assures me that the number of illegal forearms is now believed to exceed that of the legal ones prior to the law change.  Would it be good practice to extend that risk to knives - I would suggest not.

To me it seems that it would be more sensible to deal with the underlying issues that result in knife crime (robberies, street gangs etc) rather than attempt to cure the symptoms of those underlying issues.

(Post written with a rubber pen whilst eating my tea off a rubber plate with plastic cutlery - just to be on the safe side   )