Knife laws in Ireland?

Pat Mustard

shane102009 wrote: »

A bit off topic here but what if I bring back some blades from Spain in my case from a holiday? I'm going on Sunday and wondering are Swiss army knifes and maybe some larger knives legal to take home? thanks lads

Subject to correction, I don't think that there is a problem if you check them in. Don't try to take them as hand luggage or anything like that/

Deise Musashi

I brought home a Kukri from Prague, checked into the hold and there was no problem.

blue5000

Deise Musashi wrote: »

I brought home a Kukri from Prague, checked into the hold and there was no problem.

Are they legal here?

Deise Musashi

blue5000 wrote:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Deise Musashi
"I brought home a Kukri from Prague, checked into the hold and there was no problem."

Are they legal here?

Legal to own, not to have in the town square at 02:00...

There are some objects named specifically in the law, balisong, flick knives and "death stars" for example.

Other than that you can have pretty much anything you like as part of a collection, or with you if needed for camping/work/fishing/hunting or whatever. As long as you can justify needing a tool in the unlikely event you are stopped by the Gardai, you are fine.

I find being in my forties and not "known to the Gardai" is a big help in never having any bother. There are some newer restrictions on "Samurai Swords" but there are exceptions for collectors and Martial Arts students.

Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act, 1990 (Offensive Weapons) Order, 1991.

( a ) a flick-knife, that is to say—


(i) a knife which opens when hand pressure is applied to a button, spring, lever or other device in or attached to the handle, or


(ii) a knife which has a blade which is released from the handle or sheath by the force of gravity or the application of centrifugal force and when released is locked in an open position by means of a button, spring, lever or other device;


( b ) a knuckleduster, that is to say—


(i) a band of metal or other hard material worn on one or more fingers, and designed to cause injury, or


(ii) any weapon incorporating a knuckleduster;


( c ) a swordstick or dagger cane, that is, a hollow walking-stick or cane containing a blade which may be used as a sword or dagger;


( d ) a sword umbrella, that is an umbrella containing a blade which may be used as a sword;


( e ) any weapon from which one or more sharp spikes protrude which is worn attached to the foot, ankle, hand or wrist (sometimes known when intended to be attached to the foot, as a footclaw and, when intended to be attached to the hand, as a handclaw);


( f ) the weapon sometimes known as a belt buckle knife, being a buckle which incorporates or conceals a knife;


( g ) the weapon sometimes known as a push dagger, being a knife the handle of which fits within a clenched fist and the blade of which protrudes from between two fingers;


( h ) the weapon sometimes known as a hollow kubotan, being a cylindrical container containing a number of sharp spikes;


( i ) the weapon sometimes known as a shuriken, shaken or death star, being a hard non-flexible plate having three or more sharp radiating points and designed to be thrown;


( j ) the weapon sometimes known as a balisong or butterfly knife, being a blade enclosed by its handle, which is designed to split down the middle, without the operation of a spring or other mechanical means, to reveal the blade;


( k ) the weapon sometimes known as a telescopic truncheon or telescopic billy, being a truncheon which extends automatically by hand pressure applied to a button, spring or other device in or attached to its handle;


( l ) the weapon sometimes known as a blowpipe or blow gun, being a hollow tube out of which hard pellets or darts are shot by the use of human breath;


( m ) the weapon sometimes known as a kusari gama, being a length of rope, cord, wire or chain fastened at one end to a sickle;


( n ) the weapon sometimes known as a kyoketsu shoge, being a length of rope, cord, wire or chain fastened at one end to a hooked knife;


( o ) the weapon sometimes known as a manrikigusari or kusari, being a length of rope, cord, wire or chain fastened at each end to a hard weight or hand grip;


( p ) the weapon sometimes known as a sap glove, being a glove into which metal or some other hard material has been inserted or to which metal or such material has been attached;


( q ) the broad knife known as a machete or matchet.

FIREARMS AND OFFENSIVE WEAPONS ACT 1990 (OFFENSIVE
WEAPONS) (AMENDMENT) ORDER 2009

I, DERMOT AHERN, Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, in
exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 12 of the Firearms and Offen-
sive Weapons Act 1990 (No. 12 of 1990), hereby order as follows:
1. (1) This Order may be cited as the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act
1990 (Offensive Weapons) (Amendment) Order 2009.
(2) This Order shall come into operation on 1 September 2009.
2. Article 2 of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1990 (Offensive
Weapons) Order 1991 (S.I. No. 66 of 1991) is amended as follows:
(
a
) in paragraph (
e
) by substituting “foot, ankle, arm, hand or wrist” for
“foot, ankle, hand or wrist”;
(
b
) in paragraph (
q
) by substituting “machete or matchet;” for “machete
or matchet.”;
(
c
) by inserting, after paragraph (
q
), the following paragraph:
“(
r
) 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.”

So I like to collect examples of various indigenous and historical tools, parang, golok, kukri, kerambit, spatha, smatchet, barong etc. I've never had any issue, bar sometimes having to pay import duties.

Don't act the eejit and you won't have any problems.

This is a very handy site to check the relevant law.

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/