This is a serious post. If you are a British citizen that buys/sells knives or swords, or uses them for personal or professional reasons (and yes, this includes cooking knives!), you need to read on. New legislation is being proposed that will affect us all and you can help stop or shape it.
I have used ‘knives’ to cover any edged article.
The UK government is consulting on new laws around the licensing of the selling of knives. Generally, a ‘consultation’ means that some new legislation will be coming, but they are trying to find the best way to structure it, and they are ASKING for public opinion. Filling out the questionnaire only takes 3 minutes, but your say will help to direct the government. I urge you to answer it before the 24th of February. Here is the link https://www.gov.uk/government/consultat ... accessible
The legislation proposes that a licence is required for either companies or individuals to sell edged articles. This would cover everything from hairdressers’ scissors to billhooks, gardening secateurs to Swiss army knives, kitchen knives to scalpels, bushcraft knives to diving knives, fencing foils to grandpa’s service sword. But it will also include so many things none of us have even thought of, as well as the more obvious historical reproduction swords and daggers I am involved with. This even affects reenactors using blunted weapons, because UK law does not differentiate between a blunt and sharp knife.
This law could affect every single person in the UK.
They are looking at two principal options:
1. To require companies who sell knives to have a licence, or
2. To require everyone who sells (or gifts) a knife to have a licence.
The following is my opinion of what it will mean. Please bear in mind that the idea behind the legislation is to make it harder for young people to buy knives, particularly of the types the public perceive are used in street violence i.e., machetes and zombie knives. For the record, the vast majority of bladed weapons used in street violence are kitchen knives.
Option 1 - Companies require a selling licence
As a reputable company this change may not affect me much as I would be able to buy a licence and carry on as before. Being ‘approved’ may even help me by eliminating competition. In reality, some customers abroad may read news articles about the UK tightening up knife laws and may assume they can no longer buy from me. Let me make it very clear: this law would not affect my ability to sell and ship knives abroad.
From a personal viewpoint though I fear this law will stop a new generation of knifemakers and crafts people from ever starting. I started making knives at work and then started gifting and selling them and 30 years later here I am. I would never have begun if I had needed a licence.
I am a responsible seller anyway, but with a licence and some legal hurdles to jump through, presumably all professional sellers and retailers would be checked and vetted to ensure that they are also responsible. Responsible companies need to check details of their customers and ensure compliance with the existing knife laws.
However, private individuals would still be able to import machetes etc and sell them to others just like they do now. Teenagers would still steal kitchen knives from their parents, or have older siblings or accomplices purchase edged weapons on their behalf. Clearly companies being licensed will make no difference to the street availability of edged weapons, so what is the point beyond making it look to the public that ‘something’ has been done.
Option 2 - Everyone needs a licence
Every transaction where a bladed article changes ownership would come under this law and would require a licence to be applied for and bought. This includes selling, gifting, handing on, making…The list of possibilities is endless. This system would need to be enforced by the police who would not be able to manage the millions of licences required. Clearly this would be an impossible task which means it could not be enforced. If it is not enforced, then only companies would bother getting licences.
It is not addressing imports so our young people can still buy knives from abroad and have them sent to them just like now. And remember drugs are freely sent into the UK so it is unlikely that customs will be able to stop bladed articles. Again, the new law would not reduce the availability of knives on the streets and again it is just so it looks to the public like the government is doing ‘something’.
Something does need to be done, but this is not it. Kitchen knives are the weapon of choice, and it is not possible to restrict kitchen knives in general. The net result will be nothing but complications and red tape.
Rather than pointless pieces of legislation that will do nothing but create warm and cozy headlines for government, they should be looking at the root causes and deal with those. What makes a teenage boy care so little for the life of another, sometimes a stranger? Of course, these boys know they have a strong likelihood of being caught, so why does our young chap care so little for his own life and future?
Our (usually) urban youth have little to do, nowhere to go, no future in education or work and, as a consequence, no self-worth or respect for the worth of others. If your future holds little hope then your present is devalued too and I believe that is the root cause; a lack of a positive future.
The government should not be investing large sums in worthless legislation and the infrastructure to support it, they should be investing in youth clubs and services, employment opportunities, education, vocational skills training, activities like skate parks and accessible music studios and so on. Treat the cause of the illness not the symptoms.
So please do not delay, fill out the Home Office questionnaire and express your views, because it will affect you:
https://www.gov.uk/.../licensing-for-kn ... accessible
Could I also ask a favour of my non-British friends who read this and ask them to not comment. There is little time left and it would be helpful right now to keep the discussion about this between those who will be directly affected. Usually, I am like most British people and don’t mind weapons restrictions very much and accept that they may do some good, but this one is truly crazy and utterly pointless (in my opinion).
A lobbying group has formed that represents as many people and organisations as possible that this legislation will affect and they present the case very well – please have a look at the web site of the Sword and Blade Heritage Association for full details.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and if you could spread the word, it will be helpful.
Tod
Graph source: Data via ONS 2024.
