UK weapons laws....

Ok I admit I’m lost I’m not seeing much common sense here.
I appreciate that some weapons were banned as they were associated and pretty much symbolised gang violence back in the day, like flick knives and knuckle dusters were closely associated with gangs of angry teddy boys.
But balisongs and some others seem to have been banned just to ban them.
I’m not even going to try and get my head around this replica vs airsoft vs co2 gas powered air guns that look like real guns, or the rules regarding samurai swords.
What’s bugging me is I can’t buy a telescopic baton legaly, but I can buy a flick out spring cosh thing, I can’t buy an old school ebony police baton nor the riot batons, but I can buy a lead loaded cosh, slapper, stick designed to hit folks with (escrima sticks) a tonfa is ok, so why not a police baton?
It makes no sense to me.

 

It's because of the reasons why you want it, there's karate students who have a good reason to have tonfa, there's no reason to have a police baton unless your in the police.

I don't think a leaded cosh is legal to carry.

What spring out cosh things are you talking about, they all sound like they'd be illegal anyway.

But again escrima sticks have a valid reason.

Flick knives were banned ages ago, because there effectively lock Knives.


Edit:

Why do you want a police Baton?

 

Any object can be classed as an offensive weapon, it depends on your intent of use at the time.
As I've said before in previous posts...a baseball player walking around with his kit and bat over the shoulder walking home vs some guy hiding round the corner of an alleyway with bat in hand.

Another would be. A butcher in full uniform, carrying knives going to work (or home from work) is not an offence to carry until he/she starts swinging the knives about in the street causing distress and alarm.

Now. Saying that. Butchers and Chef knives are legal to buy and carry because they have a purpose apart from the ability to stab people.
It's a bit different with stuff like balisongs and flick knives, because they're primarily used as an offensive weapon. It doesn't matter if you carry it and then claim "for self defence" because that's just admitting that you will use it to stab someone.
It is not a reasonable or necessary.

At best, it'll be confiscated of you, worst case scenario, arrested for suspicion of possession of offensive weapon.

Lots of factors play into it.

 

The airsoft community is always coming under fire for RIFs. The rules are changing (or changes are being proposed) every few months at the moment. The sword community (eastern or western) is pretty much in the same boat.

The general rule of thumb is it's all situational.

If I was a chef and I had to carry my own equipment with me, I'd likely have it in a proper carry sleeve and usually stowed with my whites (I know my mates had to do this when he was at college). If stopped and searched it'd be pretty obvious I wasn't planning on criminal action with my work tools. If I was just walking up the street with s couple of knives jangling round in a JD Sport drawstring bag it might give a different impression.

As for rules of purchasing they change all the time. I think the most recent ban I saw was on "Zombie Knives". For all intents and purposes they are generic survival knives/axes that you could buy for camping (think something similar but cheaper than the Bear Grylls range of gear). But because they were being advertised as a "weapon" and nothing else they got the banhammer.

I'll echo DPs question as well. Why would you want one? Only folks that need them are Police professionals.

 

The law doesntmake sense in a lot of cases ...

Bottom line dont carry weapons on the streets in the UK

Smurf

 

I can buy a lock knife
I can buy a lead loaded classic gangster style cosh
I can buy sap gloves
I can legaly buy a kind of telescopic baton/cosh thing that’s springs instead of solid tubes.
I can buy a machete or a 15” Rambo knife for the sake of argument. I don’t understand why one kind of hitting stick is illegal and another legal? It makes no sense.

I kinda wanted a NI style riot baton for nostalgia you used to see buckets of them at surplus and militaria places but no longer as for some reason, I can’t buy one now... but I can buy rattan sticks, tonfa, jo, bo and those screw together nunchucks, baseball bat things in unbreakable polymer by cold steel along with shillaigleigh and those steel tipped unbreakable walking sticks.

It makes no sense.

 

I wouldn’t and don’t, I’ve got a fair few but I’ve got them as souviners or momentous, some are useful training tools.

I’m not on about actually walking the streets tooled up

It’s not the carrying, all weapons or anything that is commonly used as a weapon should be wrapped up and carried in a zipped up bag away from immediate use, along with your trading cloths, pads and stuff.
When I did classes that involved weapons or wooden tantos etc I had them in the bottom of my bag in their cases or wrapped in a towel with GI on top and my ‘licence’ the insurance and grading record book at the top. This meant if stopped I could say ‘I’m going training or I’ve just been training officer, I’ve got my licence and nothing I’m carrying is on the offensive weapons list. Would you like me to empty my bag and show you?’

 

There’s that yoville ninja with a foam sword on his back too.

 

Why can’t I practice and train with a baton? If I can with a host of other impact weapons, I see no reason why I shouldn’t.

 

Are lock knives illegal then?
Tekki are karate weapons as well but I’m 99% sure people make their own as they can’t be imported, brought or sold because they match the definition of a knuckle duster.
Lock knives are not illegal, carting any knife without reason is illegal, even with a blade of under 2 1/2 inches that doesn’t lock you could still be detained and have it confiscated as a ‘sharp or pointed articke’ If you had it at for example a night club or football match

 

So when I put gloves on...does that count as concealed carry?

I'll let me self out...

 

When did they make a lock knife illegal?

 

Are you claiming your hands are offensive weapons? That might be a messy confiscation

 

Some weapons that people regularly abused have been banned in particular, everything else is banned as a general offensive weapon.

 

The law is 1988, with an association court date of 1998.

 

So why can I still buy one?
I can even carry one with reasonable cause. For example if I were hunting or doing bushcraft training.
So they are not illegal at all. Carrying one without justification is.

 

Because there's valid reasons for having one.

It's a two tier system isn't it.

 

A flick knife is illegal to buy sell or import, as it is on the offensive weapons list. There is no excuse to carry one.

A lock knife is illegal to carry without reason.

I suggest you read up or learn about the law before commenting on it.