Sword sales banned in Scotland

Discussion in 'Weapons' started by nickh, Aug 14, 2006.

  1. nickh

    nickh Valued Member

    http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/t...adline=blitz-on-deadly-blades--name_page.html


     
  2. xen

    xen insanity by design

    where does that leave Scottish practioners of sword-arts?

    do they come under;

    ?
     
  3. Bluce Ree

    Bluce Ree Asinus asinorum.

    I suppose they would, but how long is it going to take them to realise that it's actually much easier to kill someone with a kitchen knife than to go buy a foot long bowie knife?

    But what about ordering from online or, say buying a sword in England while on holiday?
     
  4. AquaNinja

    AquaNinja New Member

    Just how many "giant broadswords" have been used in crimes in the last century?!?

    When will people realise that outside Highlander, people don't carry around swords for use in street fights?

    How exactly are Samurai swords (which I assume is what they're talking about) "vicious"? This diving knife - which I am about to buy as I'm a scuba diver - might fit the description "Vicious looking", but surely it's the wielder that's vicious??

    James.
     
  5. Lord Spooky

    Lord Spooky Banned Banned


    I remember reading that the "Samurai Sword" :rolleyes: has become something of a gang weapon in some areas of the UK.
     
  6. Sukerkin

    Sukerkin Valued Member

    After all the protesting and lobbying, the politicians have done exactly what we thought they would i.e. pass some legislation that hurts legitimate sword arts practitioners and does absolutely nothing to halt the violent crime rate.

    So let's see. A malevolently intended miscreant is planning to murder someone - does he really care that he might get a 4 year jail sentence instead of 2 if he's caught carrying a bladed weapon?!

    All the relevant points have been made before so I wont rehash them but, despite being ready for them to do precisely this, I still find I'm hung between shaking my head in disbelief and being 'Outraged of Hemel Hempsted'.

    We're next chaps i.e. those of us in 'liberal' ole England.
     
    Last edited: Aug 14, 2006
  7. xen

    xen insanity by design

    too true

    :rolleyes:
     
  8. Dave Hail

    Dave Hail Valued Member

    I don't think we need to panic just yet, it's a tightening of legislation not an outright ban.

    How many of us practitioners of the sword are unable or unwilling to provide details and proof that we use swords for a legitimate reason, i.e. martial arts.

    It's still possible to buy swords, we just have to prove good reason.

    This was on the BBC website:

    "Exemptions to the ban on sword sales include swords that are to be used for Highland dancing, museum displays, historical re-enactments, fencing and martial arts."

    I don't think that the change in the law is as bad as it could have been.
     
  9. PeterG

    PeterG Valued Member

    Why does England and now Scotland seem so intent on taking away people's civil liberties. And yes, I consider not being over legislated by the state to be a CL.
     
  10. kiaiki

    kiaiki Valued Member

    They have obviously not caught up with the news that in England by the end of the knife amnesty, violent crime involving knives had rocketed by (I think) 76% !

    The whole idea of amnesties and crackdowns on shops is that they cost nothing, make it look like you are treating the problem very seriously, and get lots of media attention as they show footage of hundreds of grannies' kitchen knives and garden tools falling out of a bin, together with a couple of 'wall hanger' kukri's etc.

    I fell about laughing down here in Bristol area where they showed endless footage of a gruesome 'street' weapon handed in, which I think was a double bladed Klingon sword!

    Unless I've missed something I have yet to see any evidence of a single crime being prevented by the amnesty or a single case of a street mugger trotting along to hand in his blade. Any bets how long it will be before we hear in court : 'I was going to stab them you Honour but I know the cops don't like knives or swords - so I shot them instead !'

    Hopefully, Dave Hail is right (and the BBC) and the law in Scotland, and England, will allow you to carry your sword to MA sessions as a 'legitimate purpose' - properly bagged or boxed etc. and not go down the road they did with shooting and insist all swords are locked up at the dojo, IMHO making them a prime target for thieves. I wouldn't want to be Battle Orders shop right now, though! :)
     
  11. Tommy-2guns...

    Tommy-2guns... southpaw glassjaw

    oh my ,
    what foolery
     
  12. Gary

    Gary Vs The Irresistible Farce Supporter

    The ban will hopefully limit the amount of swords being owned by people with intent to do harm as well as people who want a sword to play with before they have any kind of training. Exceptions have been made for people with legitimate reasons, including martial arts, which is a lot better than you'll see with most bans.

    When I was living in Plymouth, there was a statistic that there was a sword related injury every week on average, and a lot of these were attacks. Reducing the availiability of swords is definately a good move IMO, especially since it has been handled well to include the exceptions previously mentioned.
     
  13. Capt Ann

    Capt Ann Valued Member

    Has anyone noticed how the knife-related crime rate rose as the restrictions on handguns increased? Think there may be a correlation? :rolleyes:

    In the US, generally speaking, the lowest crime incidence is usually in areas with the least restriction on gun ownership and usage. This is probably because
    1. People who are trained to use guns (or knives or swords) end up with a healthy respect for them, AND
    2. Criminals would rather attack 'honest citizens' that they can assume will be unarmed.

    Some of the worst crime stats are for the nation's capital, Washington, DC, which of course, has some of the toughest anti-gun laws in the nation.

    Good luck to you guys in the UK. I do not envy your situation (as a civil libertarian OR as a sword art practitioner).
     
  14. Gary

    Gary Vs The Irresistible Farce Supporter

    Of course, it's always possible that the tough anti-gun laws are because of the higher crime rates, not vice versa.
     
  15. Capt Ann

    Capt Ann Valued Member

    Actually, the crime gets worse afterwards (have been stuidies on this), but that was a legitimate thing to ask/check about.

    In Washington, DC, there is another problem - the courts have ruled that citizens do not have a fundamental right to police protection, and citizens inside public housing may be subjected to even more rigorous anti-gun laws because (the reasoning goes) you give up some rights by agreeing to public accomodation. So in a recent case, a woman was terrorized in her own appartment for several hours before police arrived. She was not allowed to own/use a gun, and she was not even allowed to take the city to court for the delayed emergency response because she did not have a 'right' to police protection.
     
  16. angacam

    angacam Mare Est Vita Mea

    Correct me if I am wrong but did they not already do the same things with firearms? I was told that the olympic shooting teams have to go to other contries to train because they are not permited to use their weapons in England.
    Americans need to look at this and be afraid. Be very afraid our government is heading in the same direction.
     
  17. TheDarkJester

    TheDarkJester 90% Sarcasm, 10% Mostly Good Advice.

    Hahahahahaha that sucks for you Scots...

    What's even funnier is the fact I can drive 10 minutes from my work, fill out some paperwork and 30 minutes later drive home with a .50 Desert Eagle. Or any handgun for that matter down to a .22...

    or if I wanted.. I could go to WAL MART and buy a hi-powered hunting rifle with scope, and snipe people.. or I could simply purchase a 12 guage shotgun, saw off the barrel and go postal at my job.

    Prohibiting something doesn't make crime go away. Look at prohibition in the 20's and 30's. It led to the rise of bootlegging mobsters and gave the Mafia the cash cow needed to carry on its operations. The drug war.. exact same thing.

    Honestly... I bet if they made handguns legal to carry concealed on the english isles.. you'd see crime go waaaay down. Mainly because I think of it this way..

    "I'm going to mug you with an edged weapon.."
    Now chances are.. if I know that the average law abiding joe schmoe isn't carrying anything but his fists, then its going to be easy pickins for me, the knife wielding mugger. Why is it so hard for Europeans to grasp this concept? You don't go after the guy packing the friggin mobile shoulder cannon.. Thats how you get your wig peeled back! You take on the guy with no weapons to protect himself!
     
  18. Yossarian

    Yossarian Valued Member

    Im a Scot and I practice various weapons as part of my TSD curriculum including knife and sword.

    My understanding of the new law is that it wont affect martial artists/highland dancers/sgian dudh wearers so nothing for us to worry about.

    This just looks like another PR exercise to make the Government seem like they are doing something about crime. Its not like all the wee neds(chavs) will be rushing to hand in thier knives. Besides if they dont have knives they will use something else, i hear the sharpened screwdiver and sawn off golf club are quite popular.

    Personally im happy enough guns are illegal, ive never been in a situation(or anyone i know) where ive needed one. For that matter ive never even seen one in real life and sniper and shotgun rampages are at an all time low :D We get by fine without them.

    Im sure the story about the olympic gun team cant be true, farmers are allowed shotguns and rifles for pest controll and there are regular dear culls throughout the highlands. They did tighten the laws for gun clubs after the Dunblain incident but im sure this meant that they had to keep all guns locked up at the club, correct me if im wrong.

    Ps its the British Isles not the English Isles, thats fightin talk where I come from :D
     
    Last edited: Aug 19, 2006
  19. jjmac

    jjmac New Member

    its true alot of neds run around with katanas but the fact is that most of them are blunt and do much better as a club than a sword

    the thing ive seen alot fo them use is tantō easer to hide from cops but living in glasgow for all my life the knife of choice is and has always been the lock back fishing knife
     
  20. Yossarian

    Yossarian Valued Member

    Ah Glesgea, the chibbin' capital o' the world :D
     

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