Home / Featured / UK Law Would Ban Home Delivery of Knives

UK Law Would Ban Home Delivery of Knives

July 29, 2017

The UK is considering a series of anti-knife measures that include banning the home delivery of knives. The proposal follows a March 2016 investigation by the Guardian where teens under 18 were able to circumvent Amazon’s age-restrictions on knife purchases.

Under the proposed measures, scheduled for a consultation in the fall, all knife purchases would need to be picked up in person to verify the buyer is 18-years or older. The legislation could also see the introduction of further restrictions on knife carry and broaden the definition of illegal “flick knives.”

Clay Aalders, Managing Editor of The Truth About Knives, has been following the UK knife law situation closely and believes the measures are misguided. “Preventing home-delivery of knives seems like a needless restriction and pointless waste of time,” he says. “What is stopping said underage person from simply grabbing a knife from a kitchen drawer or a letter-opener or pair of scissors from a desk? Or making a homemade shank for that matter?”

Aalders goes onto say that custom makers stand to lose the most if the proposed laws were to go into effect. “The ones who will be hardest hit are the custom makers who don’t have a particular storefront and rely (relied) on internet sales and shipping their products to make a living.”

> > Keep your folders awesome. Grab a Pack of 5 Microfiber Blade Sleeves for $8.99 < <

Supporters of the legislation point to an uptick in knife crime that started in 2014. According to a report released last Thursday by the UK’s Office for National Statistics, the number of knife crimes in 2016 rose by 20% versus the prior year and is the highest it has been in seven years. 2016 saw the banning of ‘Zombie knives’ and the construction of a “knife angel” statue, made from thousands of surrendered knives collected from the knife amnesty bins across the country.

Related Items