Hanwei swords withdraws from the UK - shock news
Shock news this morning. I'm leaving this as a rare public post because this news is dreadful and I'd appreciate friends pointing people in its direction so that awareness spreads while those who can work to turn the situation around do their damnest. We're doing our bit, I hasten to add - involving every organisation we are involved with (NARES, the NA, the BFHS, our MP etc) to make sure that those we know who stand a change of turning this around are talking to each other and can then co-ordinate their approach. What can you do? Talk to your MP, talk to your re-enacting organisation, or if you are a martial artist, tell your instructors and get them talking to your sport's organisations so that they can pursue this with the Home Office.
In the past 24 hours, two major UK suppliers of Hanwei by Paul Chen swords have confirmed that the maker is planning a withdrawal from the UK in the light of the recent sword ban (that came into force on 6 April as an amendment to the Offensive Weapons Act).
What's happening is that there will be one more batch of deliveries to the European distributor in a couple of weeks' time and then supplies will be frozen, pending discussions with the UK government. The consequences may be that Hanwei's European distribution moves from the UK permanently and direct trade with the UK by Hanwei ceases.
Yes, if European distribution moves from the UK we might still be able to get hold of swords from them - but on a far less reliable basis (if our experiences with an Italian gunsmith are anything to go by!). It all depends how brassed off Hanwei get - they may decide to effectively impose an embargo on the UK as a protest against the sword ban, which then raises all kinds of 'interesting' international diplomatic issues about trade.
Of course the worst consequences are not for those idiots in the Home Office, including the Minister. The worst consequences are for martial artists - Western and Oriental. No supplies from the world's largest sword maker may well kill off two of our hobbies - martial arts and re-enacting. Bet they didn't see that coming while pushing a *bad law* forward when bowing to pressure from law enforcement agencies, without thinking of the wider implications.
This news comes on top of a week where we found out that the theatre company an actor friend is working for at present found themselves unable to buy a Hutton sabre this week, becuase of uncertainty as to what this woolly piece of law actually does prohibit both in terms of weapons and in terms of who can buy them. An idiotic situation, where theatre fight work has suffered because civil servants forgot to add that weapons blunted by design are not meant to come under the ban (which we personally have in writing from the Minister - the legislation was not intended to cover weapons blunted by design). The theatre company ended up going to three sword suppliers before they were told they could buy Hutton sabres, but no one has any in stock at present!
This situation leaves me unsure whether to feel sad and anxious as to how my hobbies will be affected, or just plain angry.
In the past 24 hours, two major UK suppliers of Hanwei by Paul Chen swords have confirmed that the maker is planning a withdrawal from the UK in the light of the recent sword ban (that came into force on 6 April as an amendment to the Offensive Weapons Act).
What's happening is that there will be one more batch of deliveries to the European distributor in a couple of weeks' time and then supplies will be frozen, pending discussions with the UK government. The consequences may be that Hanwei's European distribution moves from the UK permanently and direct trade with the UK by Hanwei ceases.
Yes, if European distribution moves from the UK we might still be able to get hold of swords from them - but on a far less reliable basis (if our experiences with an Italian gunsmith are anything to go by!). It all depends how brassed off Hanwei get - they may decide to effectively impose an embargo on the UK as a protest against the sword ban, which then raises all kinds of 'interesting' international diplomatic issues about trade.
Of course the worst consequences are not for those idiots in the Home Office, including the Minister. The worst consequences are for martial artists - Western and Oriental. No supplies from the world's largest sword maker may well kill off two of our hobbies - martial arts and re-enacting. Bet they didn't see that coming while pushing a *bad law* forward when bowing to pressure from law enforcement agencies, without thinking of the wider implications.
This news comes on top of a week where we found out that the theatre company an actor friend is working for at present found themselves unable to buy a Hutton sabre this week, becuase of uncertainty as to what this woolly piece of law actually does prohibit both in terms of weapons and in terms of who can buy them. An idiotic situation, where theatre fight work has suffered because civil servants forgot to add that weapons blunted by design are not meant to come under the ban (which we personally have in writing from the Minister - the legislation was not intended to cover weapons blunted by design). The theatre company ended up going to three sword suppliers before they were told they could buy Hutton sabres, but no one has any in stock at present!
This situation leaves me unsure whether to feel sad and anxious as to how my hobbies will be affected, or just plain angry.