Importing knives

dodderangler

What's the deal with buying and importing knives online? Will they get to me or is there a legal issue?

Uinseann_16

dodderangler wrote: »

What's the deal with buying and importing knives online? Will they get to me or is there a legal issue?

Ive bought them from abroad before no bother
They cant be spring assisted folding knives etc.. though.
So fixed blades and simple folding knives like opinels etc are sound just nothing that wont pass the "i dont like da look a dat" test;)

dodderangler

Uinseann_16 wrote: »

Ive bought them from abroad before no bother
They cant be spring assisted folding knives etc.. though.
So fixed blades and simple folding knives like opinels etc are sound just nothing that wont pass the "i dont like da look a dat" test;)

What about the ones from china?

SmartinMartin

I've bought knives from China and the US with no problems whatsoever. Knives are completely legal here, once you have a reason to carry one. The Chinese manufacturer Ganzo is probably the best all round cost v quality knife maker available.
And All knives are legal here, spring assisted or not. The onus is on the carrier to prove a valid reason for possession.

dodderangler

SmartinMartin wrote: »

I've bought knives from China and the US with no problems whatsoever. Knives are completely legal here, once you have a reason to carry one. The Chinese manufacturer Ganzo is probably the best all round cost v quality knife maker available.

I was looking at them on wish and ali express.

SmartinMartin

I'd be lost without a good sharp clasp knife. My favourite used to be kershaw. I tend to lose knives around the farm, so the cheaper the better. I found ganzo a year ago and I have to say they are the best bang for buck I've ever come across.

cookimonster

I am fairly sure under the terms of Irish law a 'flick knife' encompasses the definition of - butterfly knives (centrifugal assisted), gravity assisted knives, mechanical assisted and are therefore illegal.

Is there an issue with certain lengths and this has a impact on machetes?

Editing Here, as I found the relevant info..... gives a better discription then my attempt above....

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1991/si/66/made/en/print

Not been pedantic, but your better safe then sorry, in the UK the humble (but extremely effective) Opinals with their safety ring can constitute a 'lock back knife' even though most if us would require two hands to do so.

Anyhow, I haven't bought anything from China, knife wise but Have purchased from the UK and I had to provide proof of age before the transaction could be completed. Because I'm not a UK citizen they couldn't do a age check on me, so a copy of my drivers licence (other details blanked out) was emailed over. Once they had that I could purchase any other time with out the formality.

Uinseann_16

Ive bought folding knives from Aliexpress no bother;)
Cookimonster the UK is basically turning in to a draconain sh!tehole fewer and fewer personal freedoms on all fronts from freedom of speech to buying certain kitchen products or utensils :rolleyes:
We are not the UK proof of age was required in UK law because it thinks banning knives and restricting sales will decrease knife crime on london etc.. ffs they have knife amnesty boxes
Havent bought any fixed blades or machete type blades off it, i took up a bit of blackmithing and knifemaking as a hobby a few years ago so if i see something i like i try to make it meself:p. Folding knives are too finicky to make so i just buy em off aliexpress etc.. never had one taken by customs so fire away the steel can actually be surprisingly good in some chinese knives:D

cookimonster

Uinseann_16 wrote: »

.....
We are not the UK proof of age was required in UK law because it thinks banning knives and restricting sales will decrease knife crime on london etc.. ffs they have knife amnesty boxes ......

I'm aware that we are not the UK, but the OP asked about importing knives and I have pointed out my experience with the legalities of buying a knife online from a reputable UK knife dealer, plus there was a comment made about the legality of knives here.

I love knives, always have, I've never spent big money on knives except back in the day when I was starting out chefing and even then by today's standards they would be relatively inexpensive, a weeks wage for one 30 yrs ago.
My mantra today is 'better a sharp cheapo then a dull custom made'... so many lads fork out big money for blades they can't maintain. I tend to go for smaller light weight knives with 4 inch thin spined blades, perfect for most applications and light in the pocket or on the hip. My go to blades are Moras and Opinel (carbon and SS) sometimes a pair of Imperial Ireland Knives (fixed/ folding) and when I fancy a set of home made knives ground from an old carbon steel steak knife.
The rest of the collection usually take up space in an old mayonnaise bucket.

Grizzly 45

Have bought, knives,all sorts, swords, big blades, small, medium huge, from both the US, and Germany with no problems whatsoever, and have done so for years.

I wont buy from the UK simply because[1] They are overpriced with STG/Euro/Dollar on their imports. [2] Because of their ridiculously anal knife laws.
I find life is too short to be messing about with cheap Paki or Chinese junk blades.If you are worried about losing your knife, that's what lanyards were invented for,and sharpening kits or even the base of your ceramic coffee mug or plate,are very reasonable for a quick touch up at the end of the day.

SmartinMartin

You should try a good Chinese blade. You may be pleasantly surprised.

J.R.

I've bought a good few knives from these in UK - no age checks and never any bother

https://eur.heinnie.com/

gunny123

I was in the airsoft shop in Ballymount a few weeks ago on my way to buy a bit of steel. They had a huge selection, a whole wall nearly, of Mora knives, which i believe are excellent quality, and range in price from around the 25 euro mark up.

https://morakniv.se/en/product-category/all-knives/

cookimonster

J.R. wrote: »

I've bought a good few knives from these in UK - no age checks and never any bother

https://eur.heinnie.com/

Again not splitting hairs, but that's 'Euro' site, it may refer to England but I'd bet the blades are being sent in from me in land Europe.


Anyhow it don't matter the UK laws are there and even cuterly can't be sold to under 18's.

Uinseann_16

cookimonster wrote: »

I'm aware that we are not the UK, but the OP asked about importing knives and I have pointed out my experience with the legalities of buying a knife online from a reputable UK knife dealer, plus there was a comment made about the legality of knives here.

I love knives, always have, I've never spent big money on knives except back in the day when I was starting out chefing and even then by today's standards they would be relatively inexpensive, a weeks wage for one 30 yrs ago.
My mantra today is 'better a sharp cheapo then a dull custom made'... so many lads fork out big money for blades they can't maintain. I tend to go for smaller light weight knives with 4 inch thin spined blades, perfect for most applications and light in the pocket or on the hip. My go to blades are Moras and Opinel (carbon and SS) sometimes a pair of Imperial Ireland Knives (fixed/ folding) and when I fancy a set of home made knives ground from an old carbon steel steak knife.
The rest of the collection usually take up space in an old mayonnaise bucket.

IMO the best knife out there is the cheap Mora knives if you lose it it wont break your heart and the steel in them is second to none.
If you want a nicer handle on a mora knife you can buy blanks off them and put a handle on yourself;)

Vegeta

Uinseann_16 wrote: »

IMO the best knife out there is the cheap Mora knives

These are crazy good value, functionally sharp when new and at the price they sell for they are practically disposable

cookimonster

Mora Classic, Basic, Robust, Companion and Companion Heavy Duty are all great servicable and usefull knives. But IMO with the exceprion of a few other models some of their newer lines are gimmicky and unless your into the full rigours of bush craft or expeditions serve no purpose here other than to lighten your bank account.
If your into that sort of thing spend some money on a nice belt sheath, be it leather or kydex. Lost plenty of knives but very few sheaths, heck buy two knives at that price you could colour co-ordinate your clothes and blades...

SmartinMartin

The Sanrenmu folding knives are superb value for money. They are the manufacturer for the budget offerings from many major brands including highly regarded stuff like the Spyderco Tenacious etc.

The Land 910+ and 9103/4 are unreal for the money (under €20) - Sandvik Steel, ball bearing pivot, rounded blade spine. All the detailing like the grooves on the back of the blade are very well done.



I've gotten various ones from places like Gearbest or Fasttech, absolutely no problems.

SmartinMartin wrote: »

I've bought knives from China and the US with no problems whatsoever. Knives are completely legal here, once you have a reason to carry one. The Chinese manufacturer Ganzo is probably the best all round cost v quality knife maker available.
And All knives are legal here, spring assisted or not. The onus is on the carrier to prove a valid reason for possession.

This is dangerous misinformation (bolded). Some types of knives are classified as prohibited - that means you can't buy, sell or own them under any circumstances.

Basically butterfly knives, push daggers, spring-loaded switchblades etc. The full list is available online, google it. You should not buy these online under any circumstances. (Note I am not talking about carry - that's an entirely separate issue. Prohibited items cannot be owned full stop)

Your typical lockback, liner-lock etc is absolutely fine to order online.

Grizzly 45

Deleted User wrote: »

T

This is dangerous misinformation (bolded). Some types of knives are classified as prohibited - that means you can't buy, sell or own them under any circumstances.

Basically butterfly knives, push daggers, spring-loaded switchblades etc. The full list is available online, google it. You should not buy these online under any circumstances. (Note I am not talking about carry - that's an entirely separate issue. Prohibited items cannot be owned full stop)

Your typical lock back, liner-lock etc is absolutely fine to order online.

Not quite
Here is the whole act.http://kilkennyknifeandtool.com/knife-laws-in-ireland/
You have to read it in full to see again the loopholes,or again the Irish solution to the Irish problem of confiscation of private property without recompense.

It states the manufacture, importation, offering for sale etc... So that suggests that they accept that there are thse items out there in the first place,and this was to cut off the supply.
Then is says carrying or in possession in a public place, which for once is defined in the law is illegal. Ergo you can't take it anywhere outside your own private property.

The only place it says "prohibited" is in relation to importation. Logical really.
AFASICS there is no prohibition on owning these if you had them before the act came into force,and you never take them outside your own 4walls.

It's another "King Canute" act[trying to stop the tide,of finding something in the massive postage arriving in the EU every hour these days] and again an act driven by Hollywood glorifying a particular kind of POS knife in the 1950s films like The Wild One,and Blackboard Jungle,namely the flick knife.A knife that is made today is a very good quality and robust,not to mind expensive, useable tool.That even the US is becoming to own,use and carry in more states again.

Grizzly 45

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

Not quite
Here is the whole act.http://kilkennyknifeandtool.com/knife-laws-in-ireland/
You have to read it in full to see again the loopholes,or again the Irish solution to the Irish problem of confiscation of private property without recompense.

It states the manufacture, importation, offering for sale etc... So that suggests that they accept that there are thse items out there in the first place,and this was to cut off the supply.
Then is says carrying or in possession in a public place, which for once is defined in the law is illegal. Ergo you can't take it anywhere outside your own private property.

The only place it says "prohibited" is in relation to importation. Logical really.
AFASICS there is no prohibition on owning these if you had them before the act came into force,and you never take them outside your own 4walls.

It's another "King Canute" act[trying to stop the tide,of finding something in the massive postage arriving in the EU every hour these days] and again an act driven by Hollywood glorifying a particular kind of POS knife in the 1950s films like The Wild One,and Blackboard Jungle,namely the flick knife.A knife that is made today is a very good quality and robust,not to mind expensive, useable tool.That even the US is becoming to own,use and carry in more states again.

Okay, I mis-spoke when I said that mere possession is illegal.

The actual law is this:

a) manufactures, sells or hires, or offers or exposes for sale or hire, or by way of business repairs or modifies, or

b) has in his possession for the purpose of sale or hire or for the purpose of repair or modification by way of business, or

c) puts on display, or lends or gives to any other person,

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1990/act/12/section/12/enacted/en/html#sec12

And the list:
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1991/si/66/made/en/print

Basically if you have an old balisong in your garage you are not breaking the law. But you can't give it away, display it, sell it or take it off your property.

For the sake of this discussion nothing changes. You should not order any of these items online today.

Grizzly 45

Beats me why anyone would bother ordering one anyway.
They range from stupidly expensive for quality brands, to cheap POS Paki blades.

Any lockback can be converted easily enough to a switchblade, and there enough youtube vids explaining how to do it too.:pac:

BTW on a point [no pun] on "push daggers," there are some skinning knives out there that are a T handle design that can be bought here. The definition is the word "dagger" which describes a particular blade form.IE double-edged on both sides of the blade. So long as your skinner doesn't have a double edge or a piercing point, it's a skinning blade

I mention this, as I had this out with someone who claimed one of the blades was a push knife here in Birr game and country fair a few years ago .:rolleyes:

Cadpat_cowboy

Tís an awful silly mammy state we live, can't import some China sh#te bailsong I seen in Spain yet my local hard wear shop is selling machetes for 13 quid. I would love to know at what state of banning your citizens from doing stuff do you have to remove the "Republic" from your country's name.

Grizzly 45

Or just add the word "Democratic" to your countries title,so everyone knows it's a totalitarian state.:rolleyes:

gunny123

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

Or just add the word "Democratic" to your countries title,so everyone knows it's a totalitarian state.:rolleyes:

I was going to post a meme in reply to your post, but the eussr just banned them

Cadpat_cowboy

Cadpat_cowboy wrote: »

Tís an awful silly mammy state we live, can't import some China sh#te bailsong I seen in Spain yet my local hard wear shop is selling machetes for 13 quid. I would love to know at what state of banning your citizens from doing stuff do you have to remove the "Republic" from your country's name.

A lot of these bans were originally due to manufactured hysteria.

Switchblades for example were portrayed in 50s movies (and plays) as the weapon of choice for teenage hoodlums. The bad guy flicking open his stiletto with a flourish was a cinematic and sinister image. Tabloid newspapers in America picked it up and ran with it and promoted this idea of gangs running amok stabbing everyone with stilettos. It was sensationalism, there was never any basis to it. But it was enough to get them banned by politicians.

We simply copied the American ban.

cookimonster

Deleted User wrote: »

A lot of these bans were originally due to manufactured ...
.

I belive something similar / along the same lines, and the of hysteria of 'children losing eye's' resulted in the licencing of air rifles back in the day.

Cadpat_cowboy

[Deleted User] wrote: »

A lot of these bans were originally due to manufactured hysteria.

Switchblades for example were portrayed in 50s movies (and plays) as the weapon of choice for teenage hoodlums. The bad guy flicking open his stiletto with a flourish was a cinematic and sinister image. Tabloid newspapers in America picked it up and ran with it and promoted this idea of gangs running amok stabbing everyone with stilettos. It was sensationalism, there was never any basis to it. But it was enough to get them banned by politicians.

We simply copied the American ban.

Switch blades are legal in the US on a federal level. although I see how media hype was behind the government ban on such items I just think its ridiculous.

cookimonster

There are contentions in various US districts with 'assisted opening blades' where knives are not considered friendly.
Plenty of US forums discussing it.

Grizzly 45

Cadpat_cowboy wrote: »

Switch blades are legal in the US on a federal level. although I see how media hype was behind the government ban on such items I just think its ridiculous.

On a Fed level maybe,it's up to a state to decide on if they are legal or not.And then it can go to city and county level as well.
Handy infographichttps://cdn0.wideopenspaces.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/knife-law-knifeup.jpg

We,as usual,just copied UK law after the summer of scuffles in Brighton,between Mods and Rockers and Ted gangs in the 50s . Where the flick knife was weapon of choice,all egged on by Hollywood.

Pity really, as the Switchblade nowadays is a well made and expensive bit of kit, that really can be a lifesaver in the wrong circumstances. Considering it's a concept that has been around for over 100 plus years,and nowadays with flipper locks or lever assisted mechanisms, it's ridiculous that it is a banned item in most of West Europe.

Another piece of trivia on a related note is that in the aftermath of the original US ban* of switchblades, manufacturers were left with tonnes of unsold stiletto inventory, tooling etc. So many simply removed the spring to try to offload stock. They had to be flicked or dropped open. Lawmakers ammended their legislation to encompass these knives.

This is the origin of the gravity knife or centrifugal knife ban* ...in reality these knives were not intended to be a regular or long-term product, they were poorly functioning junk merely sold to offload stock.

To this day these vague "gravity knife" laws cause issues. 4000+ people are arrested in New York each year on gravity knife charges. To boost conviction stats or revenue generation, the beat cops become very good at a flicking technique whereby they can flick open just about anything and therefore classify it as a gravity knife (in some cases they open the knife partially first). People routinely get fined thousands of dollars for carrying ordinary lockback knives which bear no resemblance to the knives which the law was originally intended to target. It's a racket.

And of course we have a nonsensical section on 'gravity knives' in our own legislation. A real gravity knife is a WWII oddity which you never see anywhere.

*(I use the term ban casually and not in a legal sense...don't want to get into semantics about federal this and that)

Grizzly 45

They were as common as anything in Germany. I had two of them growing up.

One was the Bundeswehr paratrooper version, with the marline spike and the other was just a hollow handle with the free-falling blade. The paratrooper's knife was a solid bit of kit, albeit the blade for the size of the handle was unreal. But it was safe as Hell to carry retracted and was about as useless a fighting knife as you could imagine. short thin blade. You'd do more damage with a traditional German hunting knife than that thing...Wonder whatever happened to mine?