Impending machete ban.

[papasmurf]

I can understand the reasoning behind the ban, but I hope the authorities use a bit of discretion. 

No sign of that thus far, no clarity at all. I have a full set of chefs knives, a bone chopping cleaver, two fish filleting knives. (Which I had a lot of hassle buying, any one would think I has asked the shop keeper for 10kilos of Semtex.)
My wife carries some of the kitchen kit to and from the village football club to cater for football matches and other events. As for machetes, during the cauliflower, cabbage picking season there are hundreds of pickers in the area using them.

[patman post]

I can understand the reasoning behind the ban, but I hope the authorities use a bit of discretion. There's certainly no need to carry knives, machetes and sickles in public.

However, like carving knives in the kitchen, they have their legitimate uses in appropriate places. I know my Dad has a veg cutting knife — I got it for him. Does he have to hand it in or risk jail, even though it's either locked up with the other gardening tools, or being used to harvest thick-stemmed greens...?

https://www.worm.co.uk/products/vegetable-harvesting-sickle

PS — Mrs P's Chinese cleaver knife is her favourite kitchen tool — I guess one of those could substitute for a garden tool...

[papasmurf]

Which crop in the U.K. requires a machete to be harvested?

Cabbages, cauliflower, and several others. Standard tool for the job.

Agricultural Machetes | Land Cultivation Machetes | Horticulture Machetes (springfields.co.uk)


CUTTTING CAULIFLOWER (youtube.com)

[Nick]

I am a law abiding member of society. My machete is used for chopping kindling for lighting the fire. Plus a ban on machetes will stop a lot of crop picking. The government seems to have forgotten that.

Which crop in the U.K. requires a machete to be harvested?

[papasmurf]

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-law-to-ban-zombie-style-knives-and-machetes

Law abiding people might hand them in. The dangerous members of society  may not

I am a law abiding member of society. My machete is used for chopping kindling for lighting the fire. Plus a ban on machetes will stop a lot of crop picking. The government seems to have forgotten that.

[Barry]

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-law-to-ban-zombie-style-knives-and-machetes

Law abiding people might hand them in. The dangerous members of society  may not

[papasmurf]

I am a bit puzzled by this unless the media/government makes the machete ban clearer. Otherwise a lot of crop picking will stop. I have a machete (a family heirloom, jungle warfare souvenir) I use for splitting wood for kindling. 

The ban seems a sledge hammer to crack a nut to me.

Public urged to hand in zombie knives and machetes ahead of ban - BBC News
4 hours ago

People who currently possess zombie-style knives and machetes are being urged to hand them in to police ahead of a ban coming into force next month.
From 24 September, the weapons will be banned under legislation passed by the Conservatives while they were still in power.
However, people in England and Wales have from 26 August to 23 September to surrender these items to police stations and claim compensation.
Policing minister Dame Diana Johnson said the ban was the first step in the government's plan to halve knife crime in a decade and would be followed by efforts to outlaw ninja swords.
Participants in the surrender scheme have been asked to get in touch with their designated police station for advice on how to package up the weapons and bring them in safely.
Surrender bins will also be available for anyone who wants to remain anonymous.