legal to own a sword?

Icyseanfitz · 21-05-2011 12:07am #1

hey guys just wondering is it actually legal to own a sword in this country at the moment? just curious

Victor · 21-05-2011 4:43am

For a real sword, you will have serious problem. I'm not sure if you can evven get a licence for one.

Tar.Aldarion · 21-05-2011 4:52am

No idea, plenty of us have them though!

Dyr · 21-05-2011 4:36pm

A sword? Yes. Certain types of sword? No

"It shouldn't be allowed, Joe"

paulmclaughlin · 21-05-2011 4:58pm

who's gonna know?

whitetigerkungf · 22-05-2011 3:51pm

it depends, I assume your talking bout samurai type swords, they're the only ones coverd by the ban.

The amendment of the "FIREARMS AND OFFENSIVE WEAPONS ACT 1990" (SI 338 2009 Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1990 (Offensive Weapons) (Amendment) Order) has come into effect. With this order the following has been added to the list off weapons:
"the sword sometimes known as samurai or katana, other than such a sword—
(i) made before 1954, or
(ii) made at any other time according to traditional methods of making swords by hand.”.

the ban mainly covers selling or importing of sowards. You dont need a lisence to own one, never did. if you have one from before the ban there is no issue. it maily seems to be targeting the cheap Chinese samurai replicas, and wall hangers that have been sold in this country, even from some martial arts suppliers, that are dangerous to use as they have only a rat tail tang or even none. If you buy a decent one from somewhere like Japan there seems to be no problem brining them in as they are traditionally made by craftsmen. Even blunt training swords, iaito, are ok to import as far as I know.

Icyseanfitz · 23-05-2011 12:13am

so you can import proper swords? and not the fake ornament ones? seems like a stupid law but but then again this country is arse backwards

whitetigerkungf · 23-05-2011 8:06am

Well te law was brought in to target scumbags who bought swords for 20euro and then went waving them around to scare people or rob shops. Also in the wake of the machette attacks that the newspapers reported as samurai sword weilding nutters, the gov had to be seen to do something bout it. The way it was set up was to ensure that if you were a martial artist that used a sword you could still get one as you wouldn't/shouldn't be using those cheap ones anyway.

HellsAngel · 23-05-2011 4:35pm

Ok I know it's a bit off topic but I once read where an Irish guy in London was going to one of the hurling clubs over there for a match at Ruislip GAA pitch and a copper stopped him and charged him with carrying an offensive weapon !!!! Strange but true.

Dave Joyce · 23-05-2011 5:54pm

Ok I know it's a bit off topic but I once read where an Irish guy in London was going to one of the hurling clubs over there for a match at Ruislip GAA pitch and a copper stopped him and charged him with carrying an offensive weapon !!!! Strange but true.

Remember it well as I lived in London at the time (1989) and it made the front page of the Irish Post.

legal to own a sword?

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