Thank you for watching. This video is intended to help the current mess, and to be useful for police staff. Please don't use the comment space to abuse the police, or to discuss international weapon laws and rights. This is supposed to be a bridge-building and diplomatic video, which will hopefully be useful.

In regards to the law being difficult to understand, more people should readily accept that the law hasn't been written with the express purposes of being clear and understood. Governments love vague and broad laws for a multitude of reasons.

"They've got curved swords!" Formerly random Nord in Whiterun. Currently constables in England.

The law on locking knives is ridiculous! The blade locks for SAFTEY, the are literally called safety blades anywhere else in the world

I work at a US hospital that has a ban on weapons, and every single maintenance worker has a locking blade supplied by the hospital. Locking blades are important safety tools for us.

As an American, I can't imagine not being allowed to carry a locking knife. When I was a child learning proper knife safety while camping, one of the first things my mother told me right after "Don't cut towards yourself or anyone else" was "knives with locks are always safer than knives without locks" and I was strictly forbidden from owning any non-locking knifes, or knives with shoddy locks. So many accidental closes happen when using non-locking blades. It's absolutely ridiculous that people who want to use a knife are forces to us the most unsafe readily available option in the name of safety.

Have experienced a police misunderstanding first hand, had most of my collection seized and had to take it to the crown courts to get it all back. Glad that the mistake was rectified and I got it all back

Probably falling on deaf ears unfortunately. I had some knives taken from my house about 10 years ago. No charges were ever brought. Half the items taken 'went missing', and it took me 3 years to have the other items returned. The police are a law unto themselves.

"Please sir, if it please the crown, could I possibly use a butter knife for me toast?"

Remember kids, always blame the object (the inanimate object), never the assailant. The assailant we protect and their motivations, intentions and identity we hide and protect. Another law that oppresses and alienates law abiding private individuals and does nothing to prevent crime.

Heartening to hear this argument; disheartening to have to hear it. Thank you, Matt.

“A man's natural rights are his own, against the whole world; and any infringement of them is equally a crime, whether committed by one man, or by millions; whether committed by one man, calling himself a robber, (or by any other name indicating his true character,) or by millions, calling themselves a government.” - Lysander Spooner

I guess taking vegetable peelers off old people doesn't do it for them anymore.

This is something that - as someone who makes and sells knives and axes, which sometimes need posting to the customer - I come up against fairly often. For example, in the service you mention - ParcelForce - their "general prohibitions" show bladed items (including swords, scissors, kitchen knives, etc.) as "cannot be sent". There is no mention of an exception to this on an age-verified service, and that service isn't listed in the sending options (I presume it's something you select as part of another service). I've also had the Post Office/Royal Mail who DO allow knives and other items to be posted refuse me at the counter, pointing to a large picture of a knife on their "Weapons" category, as some sort of proof that knives cannot be sent. The picture of the knife was of a Bowie knife, which CAN BE SENT under their rules! It's baffling.

When laws are illogical , they should be removed.

I use a device capable of causing massive injury or death on a daily basis. Nobody stops me. Apart from traffic lights obviously.

I believe seizing something that is legal to own is called theft wether it is seized by police or civilians.

Beware: One of my students was prosecuted for a Tai Chi Chuan straight sword aka Jian/ Gim. He had been practising his sword form in a quiet area of meadow near a forest. A member of the public had seen him and reported it to the police. They would not listen to his protests that it wasn't a curved sword and even though he got a weapons expert testimony he still ended up with a caution to save him going to court as his solicitor told him they'd convict him. It is crazy that in China you can have these swords and broadswords plus other weapons and they are very serious about law and order but here "in the Free West" such a thing will lead to a criminal conviction.

*UK Police watching this video* ... background full of offensive curved swords...hmmm...*adds to visit list*

I have also worked for the UK Civil Service and seen appeal and financial decisions made that don't follow the law because the training and guidance doesn't follow the law. I expect in many cases UK police officers are assuming the directions from senior officers have a legal basis or don't want to rock the boat.

Because its a well known fact that the majority of knife crimes in the UK are done by samurai swords, right? I mean they blend in so well, no one would ever know your carrying one. Ok, I know there have been idiots who have attacked people with a sword, but if you compare those to people who die by say, a kitchen knife, or an axe, or anything else you can buy legally at a DIY store or through Amazon, then they become inconsequential. It boggles the mind that the police spend so much time on this rather than actual crimes taking place. If you need a police officer when something is happen good luck on that after they keep you on the 999 call for half an hour as they try to find a police car willing to take the call!!!

Isn't it fun when police enforce their whims instead of the law? And that's to say nothing of how objectively pointless laws can sometimes be

With the high number of officers who have to be retrained on new laws to uphold. They probably just watched a brief PowerPoint slideshow on the new edged weapon law. Spending the time and money to sit down and retrain any type of large workforce is bound to have a large number of people misunderstand it.

For the record: UK Customs and Police forced me [by plea bargaining with another "offence"] to confess to importing an automatic "flick knife" when it was a legal-to-import and possess folding lock knife with flipper and thumb stud that gets sold by the score in the UK every day. No surprise the police were utterly ignorant of the law and didn't give a damn that they had zero evidence of it actually being a flick knife, not even a picture. Contemptible.

The thing is, almost every folding pocket knife has a simple flat spring that locks the blade so you don't cut yourself. My father actually had one without a spring-lock and it was a certified finger nipper when you put your thumb on the back of the blade.

What gets me is when my local park ranger tells me I'm not allowed to practice in public, with a plastic waster that is clearly not a sword. And I live in a state where it is perfectly legal to carry a concealed handgun in that same park without a permit.

The hours I spent writing to the Home Secretary(both of them...) the Post Office etc during the consultation of this act, I even got the knife icon changed to a machine pistol on the Post Office "Weapons" sections as knives/scissors are "restricted" not "prohibited" and the counter staff always looked up "a knife" on their icon help sheet and placed "knife" as "weapon" therefore BANNED!!! I had to get this sorted just so the whole "delivery to a home address" notion had a chance of being saved and between yourself and others such as me busting our balls trying to defend fixed blades, folding knives, sabres, katanas, machetes, from being not just being unable to be posted to a home address but also getting made illegal in a nanny state knee jerk, but lately it is the "import" problem where UK Border Force open any and everything (banggood, aliexpress and Ganzo etc) so a lock knife being imported is "not allowed to carry" so it gets seized, then they get the Police to call around, then they can photo a table of surrendered and seized lock knives along with the pizza cutters, cheese knives and froes and claim they're saving lives. Keep on fighting the good fight Matt, as there are always people out there who misread, misunderstand or don't know what they are on about but are in positions of power and won't be told.

There need to be serious consequences for police officers who seize property illegally, even if it is just a result of ignorance.

Im glad we don't have any knife restricting laws like this in my country. Not that I own any swords,... but I can if I want to:)

Working exactly as intended, feature not a bug, and all that. In case you haven't been paying attention for the last two years (to pick a timeframe totally at random) the ruling class is simply fucking with us, the plebs, at this point, and pretty much daring us to do something about it. Which is alarming. And, the fact that I may have to worry about a knock on the door for expressing my opinion in this way ought to tell you something about the state of this 'free' country. Anyway, changing the subject - rope is cheap, in plentiful supply, and has many interesting uses....

I really don't want this to come across as condescending, and I acknowledge that it's probably going to, but it's really not meant to: As an American watching this, your utter faith in the goodness of the system was kind of adorable.

Meanwhile here in Poland you can buy all kinds of knives and swords on a almost every shopping mall.

That's how things like the Mafia come to life: "The Mafia, a network of organized-crime groups based in Italy and America, evolved over centuries in Sicily, an island ruled until the mid-19th century by a long line of foreign invaders. Sicilians banded together in groups to protect themselves and carry out their own justice. In Sicily, the term “mafioso,” or Mafia member, initially had no criminal connotations and was used to refer to a person who was suspicious of central authority. By the 19th century, some of these groups emerged as private armies, or “mafie,” who extorted protection money from landowners and eventually became the violent criminal organization known today as the Sicilian Mafia. The American Mafia, which rose to power in the 1920s, is a separate entity from the Mafia in Italy, although they share such traditions as omerta, a code of conduct and loyalty." If the authorities start to take away rights of the people. What are the people supposed to do? Act like slaves? I'm not supporting the Mafia. But there's a limit to what the law enforcers can do without having negative effect on the people. Action = reaction.

As always I'm deeply impressed by your calm rationality, professionalism, and assumption of good faith! You're speaking to police and presuming that they were well intentioned but simply misunderstood various technical aspects of the law. And you're pointing out how wrongful seizure isn't only a problem for the owner of the locking knive(s) and/or curved sword(s) but it also presents a host of challenges to police, from time and money wasted to damaging community trust. If you just started trashing the police for their wrongful seizure then they wouldn’t listen to you and the problem would persist. But your professional communication strategy is the best way to correct a false assumption and address the issue. Keep up the great work!

05:20 they will be after nail clippers now 🤣

A deterrent example of what laws and police practices are not supposed to look like

Did you hear about those Hoodlums from Manchester? They have Curved swords. Curved. Swords.

I do hope more people see this video. Not because of the topic (which is ultimately UK-focused), but the approach. If you want to see what a genuine attempt at opening conversation looks like, this is a good example.

Matt: I am in the States. I still watched. Splendid video. Good info, simply explained, without talking down. Top marks

"THEY HAVE CURVED SWORDS.... CUUUURVED SWOOORDS"

Black Belt Barrister has some exacting videos on this subject...and he IS a lawyer. Worth checking out.

If an action doesn’t have a victim, it is a *natural right* . It doesn’t matter what some people write down and call ‘law’ “Since no individual acting separately can lawfully use force to destroy the rights of others, does it not logically follow that the same principle also applies to the common force (state force), which is nothing more than the organized combination of the individual forces?” - Frédéric Bastiat

I am a police Constable, and I carry a Gerber ‘Diesel’ multi-tool where all the tools lock, including the small blade. I was brought here as my Sgt told me today that my tool is breaking the law because locking knives are illegal, because they lock. Now I like to think I am knowledgeable, particularly when it comes to such important legislation which helps to prevent serious injury/death but, conversely, can infringe upon peoples basic rights. I was genuinely surprised by the comments made to me, which were enough to make me re-check the legislation and also brought me here out of curiosity. I have to say that, even in todays ‘current climate’ (we all love that phrase don’t we..) I will still employ common-sense when it comes to people I find with different types of knife, although there are many colleagues around the country who will nick immediately and let the court decide whether the defendant had a ‘good reason’ for doing so. I had to respectfully tell my Sgt she was wrong but I’m glad I triple checked as I felt bad that I may be breaking the law, which in fact I was not..! Great video - thank you 👍

I find it all rather odd that the locking knives are considered particularly hazardous. If one were really anticipating violence a fixed blade would almost certainly be the first choice. Actually the inexpensive kitchen knives with a sturdy thick blade would really probably be more suitable for violence than any blade on any common multi tool that I know about. 🤔

Self defense is a human right. Having access to the best self defense tools is a human right.

I live in the United States and I'm just shaking my head while watching this. In some states, there are laws that are almost ridiculous as what you're talking about here. But, in the state that I live in (Ohio) you can carry any kind of blade you want to and even conceal them. The basic rule of law is that unless you use a knife in a criminal manner like assault, murder, or robbery the knife is legal. Basically, a knife is legal until you do something illegal with it I routinely carry a fixed-blade with a five-inch blade openly and an assisted opening, liner lock folder in my pocket. Large, locking folders clipped in people's pockets are common. It's in the states and cities that have to most restrictive weapons laws (both guns and knives) where violent crimes are most prevalent. It seems to me that the people (in any country) making these restrictions are either ignorant about the weapons and tools they're restricting and criminalizing. Either they want the people to be helpless and dependent on the government with a monopoly on the legal use of force for protection against the true criminal element. Dependence is a great means of control.

Thank you for this video matt. We all appreciate your efforts 👌👏👏👏

Well, good luck speaking truth to power.

I am confused are they just going to people's houses to confiscate, or is it more like they are there for unrelated reasons then find the knives and swords and then confiscate them? As an American (and longtime viewer of you content) every time i watch one of your videos on UK laws pertaining to weapons and such, it is always strange and frustrating to me what you guys have to go through.

I've always seen most of the firearm and blade laws as being mostly useless laws that were only made so as to be soon to be doing something. They recently tried to sneak a restriction on .50 cal ammo and crossbows in a weapons bill after an acid attack. Collectors knives have been a sore topic for a while. As most knife crime is done with kitchen knives because they're the cheapest, most easily available and leave the same signature as most kitchen knives. As opposed to a unique one that would be left by say a curved blade. Not to mention self defence laws are deliberately a grey area.

The assistant Chef Constable of either Wiltshire or Gloucestershire was on the local news points west some months ago and said that locking knives were completely illegal even in your own home!

I, for one, really appreciate the efforts you are going to to save our community (small as it is) of people who have an interest in edged tools whatever their legal purpose. I have a foot in two camps here as both a martial artist and a knife collector and enthusiast. It almost seems like border control seize whichever knives THEY might think are 'dangerous' willy nilly, without the buyer having much recourse to claim them back even if they are legal. It's an uphill battle, but as you said- we need to stick together on this one. Thanks again for being a voice of sanity in this mad situation. All the best, Jim

How many people will just decide it may not be worth it even if it is legal? After all, authoritarians never accidentally enforce non-existent laws, so it's probably a total accident. You all have my sympathies across the pond.

"We have to apply common sense to these things." How long have you lived in the UK, Matt?

Many thanks for this video. It's really important that to try to clarify this matter for everyone.

You've literally saved my (modest) collection of folders & fixed blades I'm moving to the UK & was thinking I'd have to get rid of them. You know how attached we knife nuts can get .... and there is NO way I'd commit a crime with an expensive piece of cutlery ....😂😪🙏🏻🙏🏻

UK police could assign more patrols to dangerous areas, but they'd rather treat inanimate objects as if they have supernatural powers. I wonder what they would do if people started using rocks and socks.

🎩Hi, I’ve owned a small lock knife, under 3” blade for over 30 years. Mainly for my safety because when I was 11 I was whittling a piece of wood with a normal folding knife and the blade folded back on its self and cut my finger down to the bone.

Matt, I'm fairly sure the kitchen knife brand you showed isn't generally to be found on the High Street :-) But I'm so glad you've made this video and promoted the topic, thank you.

I enjoyed this video. We love to visit your beautiful country. We call Texas home. I am a fifth generation Texan and my kids and first grandchild are sixth and seventh. We have an almost unlimited right to openly carry any weapon or firearm. It is sad to me that this is a problem in the UK. I am also a member of the Armored Combat Worldwide team and hope to come fight in the future in the UK. Best wishes sorting out this issue.

Everybody share this with their MP! If we all shout at once we have a greater chance of being heard.

Oi m8 u got a loicense for ur curved swords? Curved! Swords!

Very important info in this video. Thanks Matt.

big props on this video it was very reasonable and understanding of the polices side of this situation also interesting as someone in a different country hearing about other laws in places

Excellent video, Matt. Any idea, what constitutes a "curved sword"? I'm thinking specifically about single edged examples (such as messers), which might be ostensibly straight, but the blade curves towards the tip.

Legal teams often consult experts when creating a defense. If anyone in the UK counts as an expert in edged items, pretty sure it's you.

I had a client with a sword stick at home it was surprising that the police and CPS never considered if it was an antique until a not guilty plea was entered and they obtained an expert report which placed it at over 100 years, and the case was discontinued

Barrister here, great video! One rather important thing to add re curved swords. It is a defence to show that the sword was made before 1954 **OR** at **any other time using traditional methods of making swords by hand** Quote: _ a defence … to show that the weapon in question was made before 1954 or was made at any other time according to traditional methods of making swords by hand.]_

They need to keep ther noses out of our legal hobbies.

I have a Cold Steel machete in the (rough) shape of a gladius. It's nothing special (It's Cold Steel after all) but the fact this double-edged stabbing sword legally qualifies as a tool in Belgium is just hilarious to me.

a friend bought a longsword form USA, he lives in Leicester UK. He got in trouble with customs and eventually the police for having a longsword. He keep commenting it is for decoration and HEMA only. He heven has a secure showcase and large safe (hunting safe) they had to remind him that the law was implemented a few years ago regarding all that. I really feel for him because he paid 2400+ USD total not counting the secure showcase and hunting safe. I am most certain there is a lobby combating that hare brained law. it took a few bad apples to ruin everything. :(

I am a retired builder and a retired Army officer. I have a few screwdrivers with 10 inch shafts, they can be so much more dangerous and deadly than a four or five inch folding knife. I have practiced in throwing these screwdrivers and have become very proficient. It is not the tool but the person behind the tool. Make the penalty suit the crime, you cannot reduce crime by banning tools

The biggest problem problem with knife and weapon laws is the criminals don't follow them, with some scrap metal and a few simple hand tool's I can make a weapon, if I need to get rid of it for any reason I'm not out anything.

I am still a little confused in respect of "assisted opening knives" and regarding curved swords, the defence you described relating to Martial Artists. With over 45 years of martial history under my belt it may not be surprising to learn I have over the years acquired various tools of the trade, none of which see the light of day anymore, all of which are now in off site storage. I understood we had the defence of martial practice under previous guises of the laws, but I cannot identify where that actual defence is under current Acts. Equally we sought clarification in respect of assisted opening knives (which your knife in the video could be mistaken for?).. As a high level practitioner I am one of those who does take his actions and teaching seriously but on this I have no defined answers, only vagueness. ( and I should add, our solicitor was no further help) Any takers for a referenced - plain English - answer?

Watched this as an American to get a better perspective on how things are across the pond. Very informative video, Thank you!

Non-realeted topic comment. Today, in my basement I found my wooden greatsword that I've made when I was younger and I swang it couple times remembering old times when me and my friends trained "fencing" with "grappling" but it was more a fun game. Then I thought that is not very convenient to swing zweihander in that small room, so I position my self in Ox guard, then in posta de fenestra and pflug guard, then I used half swording so I fought that best way to use that kind of weapon is to use it more like a spear. It would be interesting if you as a HEMA practitioner would pondered the subject of using long weapons such as spears, two handed swords, poleaxes or daneaxes in small spaces: corridors, tower stairs, or caves, mines, thick forrest for more fantasy setting. I think it might be interesting and fun to think 'bout it.

When I made blades, I specifically looked up all the regulations for my customers possible before shipping. Well, at least the ones I can find. Don't want to make someone an expensive blade and then have them get in trouble for it, I'd feel really bad about that. I forget from the year I lived there if the UK has local weapons laws, as well, which can make things very confusing.

I'd like to see unarmed UK Police trying to relieve the Royal Horse Artillery of their "curved swords".

I’m going to be doing a bicycle tour in the Uk and Europe next year and I carry both a Leatherman Surge and Signal, one for general use and repairs for my bicycle and gear and the other explicitly for camping. I also keep a Rough Ryder Sous folding Chef knife in my kitchen kit for food prep only (I never use my leathermans for reasons of food hygiene) . Would these reasons be classed as “Good Reasons” to keep stored in my bike bags as prescribed by UK Law?

Thank You Good Sir For Laying Down The Letter of The Law For Everyone Involved !

It's only a matter of time before locking knives are banned simply because they can ban them with minimal resistance and the only reason kitchen knives aren't banned is because there will be resistance to such measures. There is a clear trend that may occasionally slow but it never ever reverses of: more and more restrictions on anything remotely dangerous. It will end up like living in a prison, where an inmate can only have any sort of tool if it's necessary for the work that's approved by the warden.

I can confirm this is true, had cause for the cops to come to my house, showed them a locking knife relevent to the situation and the officer interviewing me said it was "fine" to own

Good afternoon Matt , and Cheers from California ! I read your pinned comment , makes sense to me. However , most of the comments did Exactly the opposite Ha ha ! “You can lead a horse to water , but you can’t make them drink”. Ain’t it the truth .

Hey Matt, your demonstration 'two hand opening' locking blade knife looks like a crkt I have in Canada. Very smooooth opening

We have a section of society who keep stabbing each other and they are dragging us all down to the lowest common denominator. I think that maybe the knife laws in London should be different from those in rural Yorkshire where I live.

We could get all American about it and start carrying self defense swords everywhere. School stabbings could be prevented by having trained teachers with their concealed katanas! The only way to stop a bad guy with a sword is a good guy with a sword... And probably a half cloak just for the aesthetic. The news would be so anime!

The "Peelers" don't want the rank and file having any sharp things, and will take any and all opportunities to have such things off the public. Great video MANY THANKS.

One of our family - a young kid who was only probably 16 at the time - was held by the police manning (of all places) the entrance to Parliament when he carried his locking scout knife with him on the tour. Despite, BTW, me asking before we’d left our rented flat if anyone had anything on them that could be a problem. It was during this visit to the UK we found out that locking knives were illegal there! He didn’t get arrested or anything, but he had to surrender his favorite knife to the authorities.

How would this relate to the Zombie knife laws? They refer to anything that may, or not be brightly coloured, that may or not have a serated blade - so an apple, a chair or a machete.

Matt, they aren't going to give up a pretext to hassle people at will. Police don't do that voluntarily. It's one of the primary ways they operate, even if it's just a petty leverage and intimidation to secure some goal they actually care about. I understand you may feel you had to make the attempt for the record. But it's actually depressing me to think you're looking at a situation this convenient for them and believe this is all a misunderstanding that can be cleared up. Police only listen to the courts, and then under protest.

Matt, would a pocket knife with a blade under 3" be considered "assisted opening" in the UK if it had a thumb stud on the side at the base of the blade where the hinge is? Isn't that technically there to "assist" with one-handed opening, or is the law restricted to spring and pully-based mechanisms? Thanks.

Hi could you maybe clear something up as can't find answer any ware. Is it Legal to own a replica curved sword that is over 100cm length in this case a Bat,leth with blunt edge / no real edge as it is a handmade replcia only? As this is for my youtube and display item. Thank you

problem is criminals tend to do things illegally. curved swords are not unilaterally more dangerous than straight ones, but neither belong at the local swimming pool. but that doesn't mean either should be illegal to have in your own home.

av u got a loisens to be makin videos about the legality of curved swords?

I recently visited the victorinox store in London with the intention of purchasing their new camping bushcraft knife. ( fixed blade full tang ). I was told that they are not available to sell in the UK as they are seen as a deadly weapon. But they were happy to sell me a large locking knife or a kitchen knife. I did mention, what's the difference with the law , they didn't know. And just said that's how it is.

Nice work!! good info!!!

Now if I'm a bladesmith but not a reenactor, is the Damascus sabre I'm forging illegal for me to have in my shop upon completion of heat treatment, mounting the guard or peening down the end of the tang?

Worth noting that it's cutting edge of 3 inches or less, not blade length. Regarding "street legal" knives in the UK. Must be non locking also. "Readily foldable at all times" The reason most people are getting visits about importing locking knives. Is that HM Customs are pushing for the angle of gravity knife based on the letter of the law. Which is open to interpretation that if you can flip or wrist snap open, it's a gravity knife.

I’ve been a re enactor,I’ve trained as electrical and have a few antique weapons all these involve me owning either a fighting knife or sword or lock knife I still own them all but will not part with them but I no longer do any of these things

hello, thanks for the video and a question: can a brittish sword maker export from U.K. to foreign countries (as European Union) modern sharpe swords?. I hope your answer, thank you very much.