UK bans Japanese swords.

ariel · 17th December 2007, 05:35 AM

Modern " Sword of Zelda' and "Sword of the Elven King" are, apparently, harmless

Banning samurai swords Thu Dec 13, 10:30 AM ET

LONDON (Reuters) - The government said Wednesday it would ban the sale of samurai swords because the weapons had been used in a number of serious, high-profile attacks.

The Home Office said the swords would be added to the Offensive Weapons Order from April next year, meaning they could not be imported, sold or hired.

However collectors of genuine Japanese swords and those used by martial arts enthusiasts would be exempt from the ban.

"In the wrong hands, samurai swords are dangerous weapons," Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker said.

"We recognize it is the cheap, easily available samurai swords which are being used in crime and not the genuine more expensive samurai swords which are of interest to collectors and martial arts enthusiasts."

The Association of Chief Police Officers said the swords were not a common weapon but they had been used in a number of significant incidents.

In 2000, Robert Ashman murdered a Liberal Democrat councilor at the offices of Cheltenham MP Nigel Jones, who was also seriously hurt in the attack.

A year earlier, Eden Strang seriously wounded 11 people when he went on the rampage with a samurai sword at a Roman Catholic Church near his home in Thornton Heath, south London.

(Reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Tim Castle)

fearn · 17th December 2007, 05:38 AM

Well, they join throwing stars in California on the "illegal--hunh???" list. I wonder how cheap is still legal, or how often you have to go to the dojo to be considered a martial artist...

I predict a rise in violent crimes perpetrated with claymores and rapiers, myself.

F

Rich · 17th December 2007, 05:42 AM

May the gods protect us from the idiot politicians who think any type
of weapon is dangerous. It's the stupid people who misuse them that
are dangerous, not the knife, sword, throwing star, etc. Of perhaps it's
just that politicians who are dangerous to our freedom. My question is:
who protects us from the politicians??

Rich S

David · 17th December 2007, 05:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fearn

I wonder how cheap is still legal, or how often you have to go to the dojo to be considered a martial artist...

And lord knows martial artists never commit crimes...

kahnjar1 · 17th December 2007, 06:04 AM

At least in this country (New Zealand), sanity still prevails!!! If you are a POM you had better get used to no kitchen knives---they will be next!! This spanks of the reaction a few years ago re firearms in the UK.

kronckew · 17th December 2007, 08:40 AM

those two instances are the only ones i've ever heard about. there are no hordes of unwashed barbarian ronin wandering our streets slicing peasants for the fun of it.

they banned guns a few years back, gun crime goes up about 50%
of course criminals don't obey the law, guns flood in from eastern europe, machine shops convert non-firing metal replica guns, or make new ones from scratch.

there have been a number of highly published shootings of teen agers recently, so the govt. had to do something. they've already banned guns; so they've banned samurai swords in order to appear to have 'done something'. this is a trial to see how much objection they get, they'll then have a precedent for the next ban.

they are setting us up for the next round. they've been talking about sharp pointy things and publishing studies by 'eminent' doctors (or is that imminent

) saying there is no need for a knife to have a point and all knives sold should have rounded points. it's not the law yet, but i see it coming. of course we all know knives and swords with rounded points are unable to cause damage

didn't they ban pointy bolos in the philippines once? those square tipped bolos couldn't slice anyone then, i guess.

my dha is also 'safe' i guess

plastic (rounded tip of course) knives and forks are next, followed by making even them illegal. reminds me of the PC ZT principal in a US elementary school who hauled a five year old girl into his office and screamed and yelled at her for breaking the rule that scissors could not be brought into the school. the scissors were plastic (rounded points again) and had been handed out by the school for arts and crafts class. the girl was so scared she wee'd on the floor so the principal called the police and had her arrested for assault. great example to our youth.

they have not figured out that the tool is not the weapon, it's the mind behind it.

Tim Simmons · 17th December 2007, 09:32 AM

The axe man cometh. The sign of the axe

. A ban on those nasty cheap swords, I wipeth the spears from mine eyes.

katana · 17th December 2007, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kronckew

they are setting us up for the next round. they've been talking about sharp pointy things and publishing studies by 'eminent' doctors (or is that imminent

) saying there is no need for a knife to have a point and all knives sold should have rounded points. it's not the law yet, but i see it coming. of course we all know knives and swords with rounded points are unable to cause damage

didn't they ban pointy bolos in the philippines once? those square tipped bolos couldn't slice anyone then, i guess.
.

STOP PRESS;

MP's DECIDE SHARP POINTY THINGS ARE DANGEROUS ...AND DECIDE TO SET AN EXAMPLE ...BY REMODELLING THE HOUSE OF COMMONs.
An insider is quoted as saying "you never know, an airline passenger may jump from their plane ....and impale himself on the spire of Big Ben.
'Cotton wool ' lawns are being considered as well , in case, the proposed hapless passenger misses.......

An artist's impression of the modifications...

bladerunner11 · 23rd July 2008, 10:47 PM

it will be plastic cutlery for us all soon lol

17th December 2007, 05:35 AM	#1
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	UK bans Japanese swords. Modern " Sword of Zelda' and "Sword of the Elven King" are, apparently, harmless Banning samurai swords Thu Dec 13, 10:30 AM ET LONDON (Reuters) - The government said Wednesday it would ban the sale of samurai swords because the weapons had been used in a number of serious, high-profile attacks. The Home Office said the swords would be added to the Offensive Weapons Order from April next year, meaning they could not be imported, sold or hired. However collectors of genuine Japanese swords and those used by martial arts enthusiasts would be exempt from the ban. "In the wrong hands, samurai swords are dangerous weapons," Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker said. "We recognize it is the cheap, easily available samurai swords which are being used in crime and not the genuine more expensive samurai swords which are of interest to collectors and martial arts enthusiasts." The Association of Chief Police Officers said the swords were not a common weapon but they had been used in a number of significant incidents. In 2000, Robert Ashman murdered a Liberal Democrat councilor at the offices of Cheltenham MP Nigel Jones, who was also seriously hurt in the attack. A year earlier, Eden Strang seriously wounded 11 people when he went on the rampage with a samurai sword at a Roman Catholic Church near his home in Thornton Heath, south London. (Reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Tim Castle)

17th December 2007, 06:04 AM	#5
kahnjar1 Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: CHRISTCHURCH NEW ZEALAND Posts: 2,811	What a STUPID idea!! At least in this country (New Zealand), sanity still prevails!!! If you are a POM you had better get used to no kitchen knives---they will be next!! This spanks of the reaction a few years ago re firearms in the UK.

17th December 2007, 09:32 AM	#7
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,925	2008 YEAR OF THE AXE The axe man cometh. The sign of the axe . A ban on those nasty cheap swords, I wipeth the spears from mine eyes.

23rd July 2008, 10:47 PM	#9
bladerunner11 Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 2	plastic cutlery next it will be plastic cutlery for us all soon lol

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17th December 2007, 05:38 AM	#2
fearn Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,247	Well, they join throwing stars in California on the "illegal--hunh???" list. I wonder how cheap is still legal, or how often you have to go to the dojo to be considered a martial artist... I predict a rise in violent crimes perpetrated with claymores and rapiers, myself. F

17th December 2007, 05:42 AM	#3
Rich Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: comfortably at home, USA Posts: 432	May the gods protect us from the idiot politicians who think any type of weapon is dangerous. It's the stupid people who misuse them that are dangerous, not the knife, sword, throwing star, etc. Of perhaps it's just that politicians who are dangerous to our freedom. My question is: who protects us from the politicians?? Rich S

17th December 2007, 08:40 AM	#6
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,259	those two instances are the only ones i've ever heard about. there are no hordes of unwashed barbarian ronin wandering our streets slicing peasants for the fun of it. they banned guns a few years back, gun crime goes up about 50% of course criminals don't obey the law, guns flood in from eastern europe, machine shops convert non-firing metal replica guns, or make new ones from scratch. there have been a number of highly published shootings of teen agers recently, so the govt. had to do something. they've already banned guns; so they've banned samurai swords in order to appear to have 'done something'. this is a trial to see how much objection they get, they'll then have a precedent for the next ban. they are setting us up for the next round. they've been talking about sharp pointy things and publishing studies by 'eminent' doctors (or is that imminent ) saying there is no need for a knife to have a point and all knives sold should have rounded points. it's not the law yet, but i see it coming. of course we all know knives and swords with rounded points are unable to cause damage didn't they ban pointy bolos in the philippines once? those square tipped bolos couldn't slice anyone then, i guess. my dha is also 'safe' i guess plastic (rounded tip of course) knives and forks are next, followed by making even them illegal. reminds me of the PC ZT principal in a US elementary school who hauled a five year old girl into his office and screamed and yelled at her for breaking the rule that scissors could not be brought into the school. the scissors were plastic (rounded points again) and had been handed out by the school for arts and crafts class. the girl was so scared she wee'd on the floor so the principal called the police and had her arrested for assault. great example to our youth. they have not figured out that the tool is not the weapon, it's the mind behind it.