Ebay UK ban sale of "samarai swords"

[spiral]

Well the offensive & banned weapons law has been around a long time.

Post 1908 swords with curved blades of 50cm or more will be illegal as flicknives, butterfly knives, knuckle knives etc. {straight blades Oct. 2008.}

They will be listed in that same law section.

As Krockew says Trying to tell policmen , "its ok i collect them" is not realy going to work at the time.

One doesnt notice generaly notice massive trade in them even as antiques in the UK or see them shown at many fairs etc.

Sadley with Ethnographic pieces its hard to prove whether they are pre. or post 1908, & with this law the burden of proof of defense is with the sword owner.

Spiral

[katana]

I think generally, we are all agreed that this 'new' law seems to be 'politically' motivated.....to show the population that measures are being taken for their 'safety'. The law amendment seems very vague and ill conceived, there seems to be little input from independent experts or associations etc. that collect or use swords in their pastime or sport.

The strange thing for me ..is the increase in 'gun' related crime which is not being addressed with such 'force'

I personally feel, that this situation has been greatly 'aided' by the import of the cheap 'Samurai' swords from China. These 'flooded' the market and were readily 'available' on eBay.... with claims that the blades were 'surgical steel' ..'functional' ..'battle ready' ...etc
With the popularity of 'martial art' films recently, showing 'katana's in action' impressionable teenagers were buying these in great numbers.
Unfortunately 'impressionable' politicians seemed to have believed the 'hype' ......these cheap 'knock-offs' are 'sword' like ...in reality they are cheap and useless... the blades often snap off the poorly welded tang and 'fly off' potentially hitting anyone in the general vicinity.....so you could argue that they are dangerous

Unfortunately, the concerns of knife crime, cheap Chinese wall hangers, eBay and the recent film hype of the 'Japanese' sword have all combined in recent times........ I feel we are victims of circumstance .

[Yannis]

As Eftihis said before a ban in UK will affect other countries too.

I wish you can find a solution. Maybe you can try a club of collectors or other collective action.

I wonder what will happen to all these fine auction houses who have plan auctions in the near future in UK. What will happen to the famous Arms Fair?

Anyway to those who concern I have a solution in Swap Forum. Just think on it.

===Editing====

I think I misunderstood the law. It affects only 1908 and later swords? Who will confirm the age? It is probably the same trap we are here in Greece!

[BBJW]

It is hard to believe this law is actually real. Thank God in the United States we have the Second Amendment... "the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed". I've told people about this new law in the U.K. and they think I'm joking.

Sympathies
bbjw

[Rick]

The New Colossus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Emma Lazarus, 1883

No flames please .

[Mike Cudzich-Madry]

I have read all of your posts with interest, and while it may have been an originally proposed exclusion, where does it say that swords over 100 yrs old are exempt? It doesn't, in fact say this! One sword site was also using an earlier draft which specified "single edged curved swords"; this would have exempted European sabres because of up to one third of the back edge being sharpened from the point. Now, the only exemptions (apart from re-enactments, illustrations and sports) are for the very type of weapon (albeit for the real rather than the reproduction) that brought the bill into being in the first place; our own European historically cultural Military curved swords are not exempt!

This is a travesty; show me a hoodied yob, indigenous or otherwise, who is interested in the honour of leadership, obligation and duty represented by a sword. Show them a 1796 Officer's LC Sabre or a 1796/1803 Flank Company Officer's Sabre etc. etc., and all they see, with what little brainpower they have inherited from their restricted gene pool (nay, - make that gene puddle!), is that it can kill people, - anyone!

The problem today, is that thanks to the apologist 'do-gooder' mentality ascendant in our society with the eclipsing of the masculine by the feminine, it is no longer acceptable to judge people on their suitability as we used to; viz:- "no sorry you uneducated uncouth and pugnacious ignoramus, you are not a fitting member of society to possess something as noble as a sword" All that was necessary was to licence them and require the usual endorsement from a referee of professional rank; thus excluding the yobs and their yoblet offspring.

Mike

[spiral]

As I said earlier Mike,

"Its an ammendment to the offensive weapons act, the antique exemption to this ammendment are already written in that act. " So you wont finf it shown in the new ammendment, its in the offensive weapons laws last updated in about 1988 I think.

Heres some more info from the UK knife collectors & traders association.

linky

Spiral