• Zachariah@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    17
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    6 days ago

    Why would you need a reason—legitimate or otherwise—to justify owning a sword?

    • MurrayL@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      5
      arrow-down
      11
      ·
      6 days ago

      Because it’s a weapon.

      Ninja swords – which have a blade between 14 inches and 24 inches long with one straight cutting edge with a tanto-style point – have been linked to the surge in knife crime which has risen to more than 50,000 offences in the past year, close to its record high in 2019.

      • lurch (he/him)@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        13
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        6 days ago

        It’s ridiculous to ban them because of that. The criminals could just use a kebab knife instead or whatever. A proper way would be to ban carrying all long knives around, except in closed boxes. So the kebab guy or sword collector can buy a knife and bring it to his restaurant/home, but by the time a criminal gets it out of the box ppl can call the police and it’s already a crime.

        • ForgotAboutDre@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          7
          ·
          6 days ago

          You already need to have a reason to carry around a large blade. Anything over pocket/eating size. Someone with a kebab knife would have to be selling, gifting, repairing or travelling from or to a kebab place.

          With these swords, collecting them is a good reason that would make it difficult to prosecute someone carrying it as a weapon. Banning them means the person carrying them is without doubt a criminal, because they are now illegal.

          Most people committing knife crimes don’t have a profession (that they would tell police about) that requires large blades.

          • FarceOfWill@infosec.pub
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            3
            ·
            5 days ago

            Collecting them isn’t much of a reason to be carrying them around.

            I don’t think the police would let you off if you claimed to have just bought it. I’d expect them to demand some kind of proof.

            The law is so when they raid a gang members home and find five swords they can do something other than compliment them on their awesome ninja sword collection.