Knives on our streets.

Perhaps it's due to "the system", with young people feeling they've little to look forward to?

No jobs, no chance of getting a foothold on the housing ladder, and so on?

Whenever there's a terrible crime committed by a young person, I always wonder how on earth anything can be worth going to prison for, but perhaps with few prospects, it doesn't seem such a big deal to them?

Many kids used to have penknives, adults too. Reports of violence were very rare,though. Carving names on things, yes but carving people,no. What is going on these days ? Is it frustration with life, lack of being told it is wrong, overcrowding, just why ? Perhaps we were a bit more aware of violence and it’s terrible effects because of memories of world war 2?

An horrific attempt at a beheading in Belfast last night; do not know any further details.

Last week ,there was yet another knife attack in the nearby once peaceful town.
I was threatened the week before and subjected to a verbal racist attack .
I'm losing count of them.

One of my friends had asked me to trim his beard and hair .
I'm no hairdresser ,but I can do a reasonable trim.
I'd put my hairdressing scissors in my handbag .
I walked past the police investigating the knifing I suddenly thought to myself that actually I'm carrying an offensive weapon.

I’ve recently visited the Knife Angel, on its tour and displayed in Ely during June. It is an astonishing sculpture constructed from knives seized or handed in during a weapons amnesty.

How wonderful it would be if every knife-carrier handed theirs in, including those using the frankly ridiculous claim that religion requires them to carry one. How any religion perverts the mind of any adult is utterly incomprehensible to me.

If guns were legal in the UK, knife crime would go way down. If knives were banned, fork crime would go up. Maybe only violent crime should be addressed.

If toddlers at play were all given knives I am sure they would hurt each other when angry (have you seen them bite!) but isnt there an age where humans disagree with violent acts or are they only schooled to stop? Or do some people never mature in that way? Are they permanently underdeveloped so that acting out in violence is unstoppable behavior or are they mentally damaged? Or do they always want to act out in violence but dont because of the law or only do when they wont be caught and punished?

There seems to be no change in certain types of violence from the beginning of time until now.

Could be either, tbf Rosie.

Basgetti

Kittylester: my biggest concern about people carrying weapons and sharp tools is that they could so easily be turned on them by an attacker.

Only if they first show the sharp tool first! I don't think much of the knife problem in this country is the carrying of a Swiss army penknife. Should hatpins and certain brooches also be prohibited? I had a scarf fastener which was a circle through which a 3 inch metal 'pin' was threaded. Useful item or weapon?

Kittylester: my biggest concern about people carrying weapons and sharp tools is that they could so easily be turned on them by an attacker.

kittylester

Basgetti one example of someone needing to carry a Swiss Army knife (or the like) would be DH going to help our disabled son with something. Our son doesn't own tools or implements as he would be unable to use them - therefore DH has to go 'equipped'.

A locked box at your son’s house ?

WithNobsOnIt

Casdon

I have a big Swiss Army knife in my glove box, and I do use it quite often, particularly when I’m out for the day or on holiday. It’s got a bottle opener, corkscrew, scissors, screwdriver, nail file and tweezers, as well as a couple of knives. I’ve had it about thirty years, I find it really useful, and I’ve never thought of it as an offensive weapon, although I guess it could be used as one.

Never mind as an offensive weapon .
It sounds like an essential life support system to me. Very useful.

A good way to describe it! In addition to the above, mine also has a small saw. It wouldn’t build you a shelter on a desert island, but it has been very useful from time to time.

Casdon

I have a big Swiss Army knife in my glove box, and I do use it quite often, particularly when I’m out for the day or on holiday. It’s got a bottle opener, corkscrew, scissors, screwdriver, nail file and tweezers, as well as a couple of knives. I’ve had it about thirty years, I find it really useful, and I’ve never thought of it as an offensive weapon, although I guess it could be used as one.

Never mind as an offensive weapon .
It sounds like an essential life support system to me. Very useful.

All the boys in the Scout troupe used to carry a Swiss army type knife in 1950’s.
My Dad used to complain that he couldn’t carry a flick knife which he would have found useful in his job, to be able to use it one handed while still holding onto wires he needed to cut.

Just checked it too SueD ✅

You’re wrong, Paddyann. Wearing a sgian dubh is permitted as part of national costume. This quote is from Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995, last updated 1/05/26.

(5)Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (4) above, it shall be a defence for a person charged with an offence under subsection (1) above to [F10show] that he had the article with him—

(a)for use at work;

(b)for religious reasons; or

(c)as part of any national costume.

Here’s the link. www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1995/39/part/VI/crossheading/offensive-weapons

I lived in Southall in the 70s, which is home to quite a sizeable Sikh community. An elderly friend would walk around in full ceremonial outfit with this tucked into a wide red and gold sash all of the time. Out only fear was that he might trip and hurt himself as he fell. On certain festival days, he would be joined by any number of the same. Never a problem, never an issue. A bit like the Scottish skean dhu, it is part of the outfit.
While Sikhs have an historic reputation for being warlike, the ones I know are gentle very kind people who would never use in anger.

not true sue donim
The law says only fake dirks are allowed..even kilt hire companies will only supply wooden or plastic replicas and that has been the rule for decades.
Knife crime in Scotland is down over 60% .Though worryingly there seems to be a younger age group involved with knives.
Something to do with families who think boys carry a knife for whittling !
My daughters Irish friend was shocked to discover that these knives were also illegal….despite it being a thing in Ireland when she was young.

nanna8

Why are they letting anyone carry a knife? It is discriminatory, can’t they see that ?

Anyone over 18 in UK can carry a LEGAL knife. Legality is defined by size and type of blade; (and sometimes by occupation , such as cooks, vets medics tradesmen butchers_ . who can legally carry larger blades for their work).

At the time he killed Digwa was wearing a small traditional kirpan round his neck, under his clothes, to comply with Sikh religious requirement.

Therefore the much larger, illegal knife he was openly carrying in view , was nothing to do with religious compliance. That excuse is just one of the many lies he told.

.

petra

In the Sikh religion you can only carry the knife if you have been baptised.
Judging by the amount of lethal weapons the scum had in their house I very much doubt they have a religious bone in their bodies.

I 've met plenty of baptised people who wear a cross round their neck but do not live by the precepts of the Christian church where they got baptised and married.

SueDonim

Fair enough to keep a mix of ‘tools’ in a car, many of us have a kit in the car, but on the High Street?

The reason we keep tools in the car, is so that we can use them when we're outside the home.

Basgetti, my Swiss Army knife came into its own at a Holiday Inn in the Midlands, when the waiting staff could not lay their hands on a corkscrew.

In the Sikh religion you can only carry the knife if you have been baptised.
Judging by the amount of lethal weapons the scum had in their house I very much doubt they have a religious bone in their bodies.

Primrose53

Charity shops cannot even have knitting needles on display and that has been the case for easily 20 years when I was a volunteer.

We still accept and sell needles where I volunteer.

Ilovecheese

Knife crime is actually falling, although still too high of course. I don't think it should be compared to gun crime in the US
"Killings involving a knife or sharp instrument fell by 21% last year, according to figures from police forces in England and Wales.

It comes after official data previously showed that homicides had fallen to their lowest level in nearly 50 years.

"Crime statistics published on Thursday by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed 172 homicides involving a knife or sharp instrument were recorded by police forces in 2025, compared with 217 in 2024.

Last year's number of knife-related killings is also the lowest since comparable data was first collected in 2010-11."

Those statistics only relate to homicides involving knives. Overall knife crime reported to the police is up by 50% over the last 10 years to March 2026.

It's just wrong, wrong ,wrong!

Remember the BA aircrew who was barred from wearing a small silver crucifix on a necklace for fear it would offend passengers and more recently all the Jewish ladies who are frightened to wear Star of Davids in the same way for fear of being attacked.