A man has been arrested and a replica of a samurai sword recovered in Tower Hamlets in a week when Hackney police tweeted chilling images of similar swords and knives which have been seized in a flurry of raids.
The man was arrested on Sunday, with one sword and two knives seized by police between 5 and 12 March.
In a similar incident in November 2018 a gang of thieves wielding Samurai swords rampaged through central London.
Samurai expert John Evans revealed the probable source of the weapons to the Hackney Post.
Mr Evans, who runs Battodo Fudokan is a Japanese Sword School in Haggerston,said: “The so-called ‘samurai swords’ that the police regularly recover are not real Japanese blades. These are only available from auction houses or from Japan and cost a huge amount.”
“What the police find are bits of standard steel sharpened with machine tools and then fitted with cheap replicas of Japanese style handles and scabbards. Others are kitted out differently to become zombie knives, Viking swords and Lord of the Rings swords.”
He added: “A lot of young people think samurai swords are ‘cool’ and apparently drug dealers sometimes keep these cheap imitations at home as a status symbol.
Mr Evans said that to purchase any metal sword from the reputable dealers he buys from, people “have to prove they are over 18, they have public liability insurance through a martial arts organisation, they belong to my dojo and have my recommendation.”
Swords used for sports or historical reenactments can still be delivered to homes under the Offensive Weapons Bill 2018, but deliveries of all other knives and blades are illegal. Instead, buyers must pick up their knives at a collection point to have their age verified. However, Mr Evans says he has seen “no evidence that [illegal] dealers are being prosecuted” since the Bill’s implementation.
“There are many sellers in the UK and abroad who do not require any documentation and are therefore selling steel sharp blades, some described as Japanese swords, illegally.”
“I have been consulted by the police on several occasions and have pointed this out but I have never heard of any sellers being prosecuted.”
“They are no sharper and probably much less sharp than good quality kitchen knives.”
Earlier this week, Asda responded to the knife crime epidemic by announcing it will stop selling individual kitchen knives by the end of this month. Last September, Poundland stopped selling all kitchen knives. Poundland Retail Director Austin Cooke wrote to the National Police Chiefs’ Council, urging stronger action against knife sales: “When people say you can’t possibly make a difference, we know that even one single knife in the wrong hands could ruin countless lives.”
