UK vendor closed, police action?

[oregon]

Beating (the google) the internet bushes for the upcoming full flat grind Spyderco E4 and stumbled upon this link to shop4lessuk, clicked on it and was surprised to see the resulting message: http://www.shop4lessuk.com/product_details/C10FPBN.html

Curious about this so I surfed this up from BritishBlades: http://www.britishblades.com/forums/sho ... hop4lessUK

Anyone have any facts on what actually happened?

oregon

[tonydahose]

i better change my sig or the cops will come and bust me too :rolleyes: that country has some messed up laws.

[2cha]

Read the BB forum and followed to a news link that BB forum members suspect may be linked to the closure.

A man was arrested with a "cache" of over 40 knives including the following as reported by BBC news--funny, I have a more dangerous looking assortment under my bed--and the cops would have to bring a paneled truck to Tony's house :D

[dsmegst]

The headline is: "More than 40 knives seized in Tynemouth house raid." Imagine what they would say if one of our houses was raided...

[yablanowitz]

"Seven officers and one suspect slain in shootout over knives" or something like that. The rest of the officers in our department know me well enough to call in an airstrike first.

[FIMS]

Are steak knives and meat cleavers in the UK fixed or folding slipits???

What a crock.

[oregon]

"Seven officers and one suspect slain in shootout over knives" or something like that. The rest of the officers in our department know me well enough to call in an airstrike first.

LOL

oregon

[2cha]

"Seven officers and one suspect slain in shootout over knives" or something like that. The rest of the officers in our department know me well enough to call in an airstrike first.

I thought the special grill was the funniest thing I was gonna see/read today!

Wrong again!!

[VashHash]

Yab i think my situation would go like that but it would say SUSPECT ARMED AND DANGEROUS STAY INSIDE UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE!!! I think i spotted a chokwe in that pic. Look in the upper left, right on top the kukri and in the bali handles.

[oregon]

Perhaps we here can develop a special whistle tune (einsy binsy spider or something) in order to help identify fellow :spyder: collectors for when we, well the survivors anyway (will miss you when you are gone yab), are all finally rounded up and deposited at Guantanamo and wearing those snappy hoods.

sidebar: I'd like to hear from the subject of the police action. Anyone know him or how to contact him?

oregon

[nathan310]

The UK is getting ridiculous with these laws. Enough already!

[Sam Vimes]

Gents,
can I, yet again, point out that the UK laws on knives haven't changed since something like 1958. The Police and Crown Prosecution Service are slowly trying to change the interpretations of these existing laws but that's it. Until the facts of the case are known all you've got to go on is a notoriously hysterical and very biased media. It's quite possibly a complete non-story. I'm not going to get worked up about it so I'd suggest that none of you get angsty by proxy. :D

[2cha]

Gents,
can I, yet again, point out that the UK laws on knives haven't changed since something like 1958. The Police and Crown Prosecution Service are slowly trying to change the interpretations of these existing laws but that's it. Until the facts of the case are known all you've got to go on is a notoriously hysterical and very biased media. It's quite possibly a complete non-story. I'm not going to get worked up about it so I'd suggest that none of you get angsty by proxy. :D

I hear you. On the other hand, a little hysteria around issues I care deeply about motivates me to keep watch and take action. I don't want something I deem a fundamental right to slip away because I was too slow to act. Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean "they" aren't out to get my knives! :D

[The Deacon]

Gents,
can I, yet again, point out that the UK laws on knives haven't changed since something like 1958. The Police and Crown Prosecution Service are slowly trying to change the interpretations of these existing laws but that's it. Until the facts of the case are known all you've got to go on is a notoriously hysterical and very biased media. It's quite possibly a complete non-story. I'm not going to get worked up about it so I'd suggest that none of you get angsty by proxy. :D

So Sam, are you saying that re-interpreting an existing law to increase the number of otherwise law-abiding citizens it entraps is somehow less egregious than passing a new one to erode their ability to be self reliant? Are you saying that media generated hysteria is nothing to be concerned about? I'd bet that, if it had not been for said hysteria, the US knife laws regulating switchblades and graivity knives that were enacted around that same time (mid to late 1950's) would simply not exist.

[Sam Vimes]

So Sam, are you saying that re-interpreting an existing law to increase the number of otherwise law-abiding citizens it entraps is somehow less egregious than passing a new one to erode their ability to be self reliant? Are you saying that media generated hysteria is nothing to be concerned about? I'd bet that, if it had not been for said hysteria, the US knife laws regulating switchblades and graivity knives that were enacted around that same time (mid to late 1950's) would simply not exist.

Not at all, I'm simply trying to suggest that there may be more to this particular tale than meets the eye. It wouldn't be quite as interesting to find out that the fella was actually under investigation for tax evasion on the sales he was making and the police just happened to seize his stock as part of that. The press wouldn't have half as much fun with that so instead they can get all hysterical over a knife seizure. The fella concerned is less than fifty miles from me and, at this point in time, I'm not particularly worried that law enforcement agencies will be swooping on my abode or stalking around the countryside when I'm out hunting or fishing.

True enough, the slow erosion of our liberties is a concern. Changing the interpretation of laws by those that are simply meant to enforce them is also annoying. But that seems to be what happens when a left of centre government is in power. Hopefully, they won't be remaining in power for much longer here, an election is imminent. I hope your left of centre government is kept in check by congress in a way that simply doesn't happen in the UK. If not I'd wonder if you won't have a long three years on your side of the pond.

[The Deacon]

Not at all, I'm simply trying to suggest that there may be more to this particular tale than meets the eye. It wouldn't be quite as interesting to find out that the fella was actually under investigation for tax evasion on the sales he was making and the police just happened to seize his stock as part of that. The press wouldn't have half as much fun with that so instead they can get all hysterical over a knife seizure. The fella concerned is less than fifty miles from me and, at this point in time, I'm not particularly worried that law enforcement agencies will be swooping on my abode or stalking around the countryside when I'm out hunting or fishing.

True enough, the slow erosion of our liberties is a concern. Changing the interpretation of laws by those that are simply meant to enforce them is also annoying. But that seems to be what happens when a left of centre government is in power. Hopefully, they won't be remaining in power for much longer here, an election is imminent. I hope your left of centre government is kept in check by congress in a way that simply doesn't happen in the UK. If not I'd wonder if you won't have a long three years on your side of the pond.

No problem Sam, and you're right, the truth may be less "newsworthy" than the fact that knives were seized. Lord knows, we've had that sort of thing happen here. But, on the other hand, the does seem to be a greater tendency on the part of the British knife community to "suffer silently" and try to justify your government's actions rather than voice displeasure with them as openly as we voice our displeasure with ours.

As for your last point, I rather expect the next three years here will be long ones. But the observations of English Bob in Unforgiven regarding our respective leaders give me some small measure of hope.