Samurai swords to be banned
By Emma Henry and agencies
Last Updated: 1:55am GMT 07/03/2007



The sale of imitation samurai swords could be banned by the end of the year, the Home Office announced today.

Importing or hiring the weapons could also be made illegal following a string of samurai sword attacks in recent years.

Breaching the ban, which is targeted at cheap imitation samurai swords rather than the more expensive genuine collectors' items made by licensed swordsmiths in Japan, would result in up to six months in jail and a £5,000 fine.

advertisementCollectors and martial arts enthusiasts owning or using genuine samurai swords would be exepmt from the ban

According to Home Office estimates, there have been at least 80 serious crimes involving the swords in England and Wales over the last four years.

One MP recently warned that they were being used by criminal gangs as the preferred weapon of choice after guns.

Last month, amphetamine addict Hugh Penrose was jailed for at least 19 years for hacking a 21-year-old woman with a samurai sword and then deliberately running her over.

In October, Bradley Moran was jailed for 17 years for murdering another man with a samurai sword following an argument in a nightclub.

It is currently legal to buy samurai swords - which are freely available at martial arts shops and on the internet - provided they are not brandished in a public place.

The Home Office now wants to ban their sale as part of a wider crackdown on knives and bladed weapons.

Carrying a samurai sword in a public place already attracts a maximum jail sentence of four years.

Vernon Coaker, the Home Office minister, said today: "Samurai sword crime is low in volume but high in profile and I recognise it can have a devastating impact.

"Banning the sale, import and hire will take more dangerous weapons out of circulation, making our streets safer.

"We recognise 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."

"It is already illegal to have a samurai sword in a public place but I want to restrict the number of dangerous weapons in circulation to enhance community safety."

The plans are outlined in a consultation paper, Banning Offensive Weapons, published by the Home Office today.

At present there are 17 weapons, including knuckle-dusters and batons, on the Offensive Weapons Order.

The exemptions would be for groups such as the To-ken Society of Great Britain and the British Kendo Association.

Last year, Tory MP James Brokenshire (Hornchurch) said cheap samurai swords were as easy to buy "as purchasing a Lotto ticket".

Better stick to German Daggers then!

it`s ridiculous isn`t it?.i can`t buy a cheap `samurai` sword, but can walk into the same shop off yarmouth seafront, and buy a `highlander` claymore, or a `klingon` battleaxe!!.

more soundbites from our pathetic government, i`m just surprised they didn`t think of keeping them for sale, but introducing a heavy `safety` tax for our protection.

quote:

Last month, amphetamine addict Hugh Penrose was jailed for at least 19 years for hacking a 21-year-old woman with a samurai sword and then deliberately running her over.

CARS WILL BE NEXT.

I was looking at this from another perspective. As I read this, it is now against the law in England to sell a reproduction samori sword. This means that if someone sells you a copy, you have actual criminal legal resource against that person. This would end much of the fraud in the hobby if we can go to the authorities and have criminal charges preferred.

I say extend the legislation to all edged weapons and let's go after the cheats.
Jim

you a lawyer jim?.

Good one blueboyukb.

Of course, in the US, accusing someone of being a lawyer could lead to a bar brawl.

I was actually afraid someone would accuse me of liking government regulation. So, to be clear.

I am not a lawyer and lean towards anarchy as a form of government, but, since we have to have governments, if we can get the government to go after those people trying to destroy the hobby selling reproductions, that is a nice change of pace. What we are used to is the government trying to censor us.


Jim

I received a packet in the mail containing the BANNING OFFENSIVE WEAPONS SUMMARY OF RESPONSES TO A HOME OFFICE CONSULTATION PAPER.Having been outraged by the thought of this pending situation,I elected to write a letter of objection.Although I am not a British citizen,I am a collector of edged weapons among many other things.I also happen to be half Welsh!This Item of possible legislation could be another nail in the coffin for fine law abiding citizens.Although I do not collect Reproduction "Samurai swords"I have worked in retail situations that involved the sale of edged weapons including: Antique,Collector/Fantasy,and utility.Although I have no desire to collect "The Sword of KING ARTHUR,or THE SWORD OF THE STAR TREK VULCAN.or MERLINS DAGGER,It should be the right of civilized people to own what they want to.If police had guns.A Psycho could be disarmed from a distance.By the way I have a few friends who get together at a local Waffle house to drink coffee and "Brandish "Samurai swords"Most of the customers find it interesting,often it has led to new collectors or a contact with a blade to sell.I may feel differently if I were hacked to death with a meat cleaver or had my head smashed in with a coffee maker.Perhaps we could spend taxpayers money trying to get these items banned! Here is the really sad fact:Including mine,there were only 270..Yes ,TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY responses. BAD Boys,BAD Boys,Whatya gonna do?Whatya gonna do when dey come forYOU!!!

Not only "Samurai" swords.

Includes all curved blades over 50 cms.

Exemption for antiques but it is now illegal to sell a sabre made before 1908.

So I guess this would include German sabres from WW1 and WW2.

IMHO badly worded legislation - couldn't come up with a workable defintion of what they actually wanted to ban.

Rumour has it that straight blades will be next.

Richie

This country has gone to the dogs recently. Dont even get me started we are just TAX machines for the labour party. The amount of silly little stupid things this nanny government does is absolutely obserd. Just wait daggers will be next to be banned with alco pops and car ownership!...

In france they would revolt at petrol that was £1.10 a litre $2.20 for our friends in the US.. because of all the so called green taxes! I dont collect swords but its just damn stupid

I understand that de-activated firearms are next. I don`t have any now but I used to have a couple. I think it is a total outrage. It would make much more sense to penalise the criminals than the collector of useless lumps of iron. I mean really is a ban on de-act`s going to stop the gangster rap scum in our cities obtaining guns? Of course not, firearms are illegal anyway & it hasn`t stopped them, the criminals will do what they always do. Stupid control freak interfering liberal governments headline grabbing when they don`t have a clue how to really govern. Well I don`t know what morons voted for them & there were plenty that did, but it wasn`t me!

The "samurai swords" UK Government ban is just for fake, cheap copies (mostly from China)with exemption for "martial arts enthusiasts" and collectors or real Japanese swords which basically is good for collectors of REAL Nihonto pieces (avoiding the fakes).
BUT the eBay.uk has recently banned ALL "samurai swords"!
They are as always overzealous.
From other hand I try to understand them - how the hell the eBay CAN distinguish Chinese fake katana from REAL Nihonto piece?
One more question:
Do you REALLY think that any "martial arts enthusiast" would practice kendo or jai with REAL, worth $3K-5K-10K-and up katana????