Bit of an odd question, but I'm putting together an outfit for a uni social and part of it involves a foam training katana. I'm well aware carrying swords in public in the UK is a crime, but does this extend to things like foam replica weapons? I'm fully aware of how careful I have to be with airsoft guns because they look real, so I'm wondering if the same sort of rules would apply here with fake swords. Since its a drinking social I'll probably skip the problem and buy a neon pink toy one or something, but I'm curious if I could do it properly or it would lead to problems with the police. Many thanks! edit: Or wood. Basically can I carry a bokken around while I'm drunk and dressed up as a comic book character?
You should be fine, I remember the Ninjas and Pirates society used to carry around all sorts of stuff.
You won't get into any club with a wooden one or even a plastic one for that matter. You want swords that will be foam all the way through. You can damage people with anything that is hard or pointy. You're a mod I'm fairly sure you can't joke about that last line
Hadn't thought of that. So far the bouncers here seem resigned to accepting student nights will be full of foolishness. But that is a very large tick for the pink foam sword box.
As long as its completely foam and theres nothing rigid holding it together it's fine. The club still has the right to take it off you and collect it on your way out though.
Ah ok this reminds me of my university fencing club initiation at the guild involving plastic cups attached with sellotape to epees full of nasty tasting cocktails where we had to tip the cocktail into a fellow club members mouth holding the sword with our teeth. Very sticky. Very messy. Co-ordination tended to deteriorate as the party went on. Er...regarding foam swords I think its ok. They are not blades in themselves. Fencers roam about in public with bags full of training metal swords all the time and it comes legally under sports and training equipment. But carrying something openly out of its container is tricky. The managers of clubs/bars have a duty of care towards their customers and staff and it might raise an eyebrow. Remember you may know its a foam sword it it may be not clear to any other onlookers. You could either let them know before hand or spray it blue or someother neutral colour so that its obvious it isn't a weapon and visually screams 'party prop'
It depends per place, but a hard & vast rule I think covers everywhere is "if it anyway looks somewhat realistic, don't walk with it uncovered in public" If it obviously looks like some kind of toy, you're probably safe. Probably. But you can still get in trouble or weird looks, so you might want to conceal anyway. Some people got in trouble somewhere at a trainstation around here this summer for having "aggresive looking umbrellas". Nothing illegal, just that the handles looked a bit too much like a sword handle or gunstock. Keep in mind that even though you may not technically be breaking laws, policemen wordwide tend to err on the side of "act now and sort it out later" these days.
Another thought might be blow up swords. They'd probably be safest. If you can get into a club you can deflate it.
Deflating your sword in a club? I though for most, it takes quite some drinks to have that happen, yes? .. sorry I'll go now
I would imagine that as long as your outfit is suitably ridiculous as to undercut the seriousness of the sword you'll be fine. As always on MAP, we demand video or photographic proof Mitch
but you have just given me an idea for when they do the fancy dress up fetish night at a certain club in Burslem.
You have me on facebook mate. I think you'd agree my usual student night attire isn't suitable for a family forum
