Talk about uptight– Japan Probe reports on a new ban in the U.K. on the sale, production, and importation of samurai swords. The fine if someone gets caught? £5,000, nearly $10,000 USD. Insert sword pain / financial pain pun here.
Talk about uptight– Japan Probe reports on a new ban in the U.K. on the sale, production, and importation of samurai swords. The fine if someone gets caught? £5,000, nearly $10,000 USD. Insert sword pain / financial pain pun here.
April 6th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
How can they ban samurai swords? From history I know that all people in the UK have broadswords. Are they trying to preserver their culture?
April 6th, 2008 at 10:01 pm
No we arent trying to preserve culture. And it’s not just Katana, but ALL swords including broad and claymore. The reason being over the past 10 years there have been a marked increase in sword related crimes.
You are allowed to own them so long as they aren’t edged, it’s live swords that are banned. They also have to be permanently mounted for display.
I don’t agree with much this government does, but this is one of the things i do agree with, as i have been a vitime of a sword attack.
April 6th, 2008 at 10:04 pm
Quick addition, it’s not a new law either, it came into force mid last year, and has been well recieved for the most part.
And i’d love to know where all these broadswords are being kept that Roryo claims we all have. Swords are a rarity in the UK. And most of those that are around are edgeless mounted ones and arent cocovered by the law. It’s only live imports that are banned.
April 6th, 2008 at 10:28 pm
Sword-related crimes ???
Ah, yeah, you brits have that immortal Highlanders bunch, lopping each other’s heads and making lightning storms all over the country, right ?
But seriously, WHAT sword-related crimes ?
April 7th, 2008 at 1:23 am
>>But seriously, WHAT sword-related crimes?
Didn’t you read?
“Eight YEARS ago (ONE) councillor was killed by (ONE) man wielding a samurai sword in the office of Cheltenham Liberal Democrat MP Nigel Jones.”
Wonder what this means for practitioners of iaido & other martial arts…
April 7th, 2008 at 2:53 am
You know i wish people would look into stuff before posting crap.
Over the past decade there have been over 300 sword related crimes of which 38 deaths related to sword crime.
There’s no need for a live sword if all your wanting it for is decoration. There’s no need for a live sword period. But then you americans love your weapons. Thats why hardly a day dosenty go by without someone being shot to death, or some druged out kid running rampage with guns through school.
thankfuly we havent gotten that far yet, and bhefore we get that way with swords, we’re heading it off. Good for the government….for once
April 7th, 2008 at 11:13 am
As Tiamat says, the UK is a deweaponised (yes, an ugly word and I apologise for it) society. The police are unarmed. We don’t have dangerous animals (apart from other humans). The government - and the population - would like it to stay that way.
And as a member of the British Fencing Association with two epees leaning against the wall in my bedroom, I can assure Roryo that we’re definitely in touch with our sword-wielding past.
April 7th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
Wonder when they will get around to banning knives? What about cars? When will people come around to the fact that if someone wants to hurt or kill someone there are many, many ways to do so. Ever see what an ax can do? Guess they have to go on the ban list as well.
April 7th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Considering a few weeks ago a man’s hand was chopped off in a bar in Dublin with a samurai sword, I can understand this.
April 7th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
@Zeouterlimits: Read the reports — a guy was attacked by 2 men, one armed with a sword & one armed with a HAMMER.
In FINGLAS.
If you were a Dub, you’d know what that means — horrible area, that.
April 7th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
It’s also that those cheap replica katanas are the second weapon of choice among British hoodlums, right after handguns which are already illegal there.