[Li Jin]

Good morning

HI, I though something new about this propose of banning swords. I have never heard of any street swords fighting in NYC except shootings cases. UK ban the swords because the fights and killing with swords, but only if US did not have any case of swords injury. Every US states have different state laws, perhaps NYC would likely to ban swords, but maybe other states might not be, even Taxes have guns Even today, China only banned a small amount
of knives, and I mean the military knives, and I never heard of any sword killing in China except knives. When I first heard about the sword fighting in UK, I though it was 13 or 14 years old kids fighting with Bokens but I was wrong. At last, Sir
Burns, I still believe that USA would let us keep our own private stuff, even though is a weapon, as long the UK doesn't come to US and tell US if they should ban swords.


Jin

[Shayan G]

Apologies, I'm not quite sure I understand how this will influence online sales and importation.

If importation of all curved swords was in effect halted, it would be of course very uncomfortable for many, but perhaps it would also result in a burgeoning UK katana-production market or something. That would be exciting, to have new companies. Howe likely that is to happen is another matter.

It looks, however, that if the interpretation of the law is up to the salesmen, there is still a lot of opportunity for obviously responsible martial artists and collectors to obtain swords. While some may stop sales altogether, others will simply keep selling to their original market--respectable law-abiding citizens. At least, I hope so, for our friends' sakes! It looks as if it may just be self selection of the salesmen. The irresponsible salespersons who allow children to buy wallhangers for fighting in the first place will quickly realize their legal liability, or have their businesses shut down, while the responsible salespersons would hopefully continue as they have been.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

[Leo Todeschini]

This is not exactly on the same lines as the current thread, but I thought I had to add this one.

I went over to France for a show at the weekend with pretty much my whole stock, amongst which there is enough weaponry to make a Policeman raise an eyebrow or two and I was pulled over at customs on the way out of the UK.

The Customs man asked where I was from, where I was going and then asked if I had any weapons in the car........my heart stopped as with the greyness of the laws in the UK who knows what will happen, but on the basis honesty is probably best I replied 'funny you should ask that, its what I am going to sell'

The first box he opened had wooden plates in, the second had leatherwork and then he told me to go on my way; he didn't even look at any of the weapons I had freely admitted I had, leaving me slightly bemused and relieved.

Maybe I have a loveable face................

[Leo Todeschini]

Sorry I was not explicit. I need to point out I was taking nothing illegal out of the UK, it is just faced with authority figures we all get nervous, especially when both you and they are not entirely sure what the law is

[Mike Lee]

[Francisco Simões]

Hello
Could someone please tell me, as to where this banning is supose to take place?
Thank you
Godspeed

[Lawrence Parramore]

[Shahril Dzulkifli]

And now it's October. Is the sword ban currently imposed in the United Kingdom right now?

[Emmet J. McGauran]

Can anyone clarify this for me:

I live in the UK and ordered a Ringeck through Albion Europe almost a year ago and still have no idea when it is due to be delivered.

If a ban were to come in before the sword arrives would that affect me (for example would the sword get through customs?)

Thanks,

Emmet.

[Darren Tully]

I'd say the answer is yes I know in Ireland if they catch sharpened blades that can be concealed going
through the post they confiscate them there was a news report about it last year (I felt sorry for the people
who ordered those machetes) despite the fact that there is nothing in the law to stop you buying one from
a dealer and no requirment to register the items infact they are only ilegal if you carry them concealed
You might have a better chance if it were deivered by a courier service they normally have their own jets
and breeze through costoms

I hope for you guys in the UK that they dont ban swords because the fact is most of us who collect them
are responsible people who just want to admire the beauty and craftmanship maybe use them in reinactments
cetainly not to go out and murder someone when was I dont recall ever hearing about someone being
murdered with a sword in recent times we certainly hear about people being attacked and murdered with
knives thats a sad fact that we cant ignore but I cant see how you can bundle swords with knives given
that the knives used in these crimes are small and easily hidden from view

[Stuart Mackey]

[Peter Lyon]

I don't think there is currently any great similarities between the situation in the UK and the situation in New Zealand.

It has been a few years since I talked to the local arms officer at the central police station, but at the time he had no interest in swords unless people were liable to do something stupid with them or scare people by carrying them in town. He was aware of reenactors and martial arts people, and had no problems about them. Similarly for maces and flails (which are banned in parts of Australia) and crossbows (which are also controlled in various places). In NZ, only guns need to be licensed, and even then individual long weapons are not licensed (that was thrown out about 20 years ago), it is only the person who is licensed. Pistols are much more controlled than long weapons though.

I don't think much has really changed, yet. NZ still operates more on common sense than the US and other places. The most dangerous weapons (handguns) are very controlled, the rarer/less dangerous (close-in use only) weapons are not licensed. NZ has a gang problem like most places, so there is more interest in just who owns certain things like maces and flails, but the preferred weapons for gang flair-ups are guns anyway. In the case of swords, there are incidents, mostly with cheap katanas, but mostly people recognise that the people using them are probably nutters anyway, and it is just as important to keep an eye on the person as it is to control access to weapons.

NZ will probably go down the track of the UK one day, as some politicians feel the need to be seen to be "doing something" about perceived problems, but hopefully that will not be for a while.

[Sean Flynt]

No comment. Just a related link.

http://www.royalarmouries.org/programmes/ntk

[Bennison N]

Oh... OK. That's really interesting...

Y'see, I was told that I had to declare weapons of all types, for many years (since leaving the Army in 1998-99 actually), and simply thought everyone had to. I never even bothered to read the actual text on it.

To be honest, I'd been thinking recently that I'd been really naughty by not declaring a few imports and was considering going in to do it soon. I was even called to report in to update the list of Martial Arts I'd learnt (started in 1995) on the very week Auckland's North Shore Policing Centre opened in 2006. So why are they picking on me? That seems very odd, and something I'm going to have to address and remedy immediately, I think...

I guess if an actual Swordsmith like Peter doesn't have to, than I don't. So I won't... I mean purely in regards to non-powder weapons, of course... I will continue to declare and catalogue firearms as required by NZ law.

Thank you very much for pointing that out to me, you guys... I feel a little stupid, but that's not much different from all the time, really... haha! Brings to mind a popular N.W.A. track of the early nineties...

[Matt Easton]

I just thought I'd clarify the matter slightly for UK sword fans reading this, as this thread could be pretty confusing for new people.

Currently under UK law, if you want to buy a curved single-edged sword, with a blade longer than 50cm, then you need to have 3rd Party Public Liability Insurance related to using swords - such as most martial arts or reenactment groups will have. A seller is legally bound to ask to see proof of this insurance. You can import curved single-edged swords from abroad, but customs will hold the item until you give them your insurance details.

It is NOT illegal to OWN a curved single-edged sword in the UK. You simply need the correct insurance if you want to buy or import them.

There are NO problems with straight swords.

Members of my group have recently imported curved swords with no problems - they just gave their insurance details to Customs. In addition, 'traditionally made' curved single-edged swords are now apparently exempt, as the new law has been amended (already!!).

[Randall Moffett]

Thanks Matt! I called out county police HQ and they sent me to a few people and the last person was nice but had little help to offer. I have downloaded the laws as I can find them online but it is rather confusing.

When they hold them in customs do they contact you or do you need to know how to contact them?

RPM

[Ted Parolari]

Ok, I guess I'm showing my American ignorance here, but what is the deal about whether or not a sword is curved, straight, single edged or double edged? Seems to me one no more dangerous than the other.

[Artis Aboltins]

I suppose they went specifically against curved swords because in majority of the cases attacks were made using cheap replicas od katanas. Last I was in San Marino you could get those starting from 10 euro and everywhere else in Europe they are easilly avaliable at bit higher but still very low prices. European swords are usually more expensive, besides, thanks to popular culture katana is often associated with semi-criminal things. Entire idea is compleatelly ridiculous of course - to same effect you could ban chess because some chess enthusiast would have used game board to hit his coleague after loosing a game...

[Matt Easton]

Hi Randall, yes they send you a letter telling you what they are holding and asking for proof of insurance/club membership. If there are import duties to pay then they include that in the same letter. Once you've replied it takes about another 2/3 weeks to recieve your item.

To the others: Yes they only banned curved single-edged swords over 50cm because initially they just wanted to ban the sale of katanas, but they could not agree on a legally-enforcable definition of a katana. Swords have only been used in a tiny percentage of 'knife' crime in the UK (kitchen knives make the vast majority - sword I believe are less than 1%), but when swords have been used in high profile cases they often seem to have been wall-hanger katanas. And even when they were not wall-hanger katanas, the newpapers reported them as being 'Samurai swords' anyway. One recent news article said the weapon used was a "9 inch Samurai sword". This made us laugh a lot. I just hope I don't get stopped and search while carrying my "6 inch Medieval Barbarian Death Spear" (AKA pencil).

This law has already been relaxed slightly since coming into effect (to allow 'traditionally made' curved swords to be sold without legislation) and I have not seen any suggestions of them expanding it to cover other edged weapons.
It seems they got what they wanted, and luckily for us, it doesn't really effect us except for having to write a letter or tell a seller our insurance number.

Matt

[Kimon Andreou]