Weapons shop owner brazenly slams Government crackdown on 'menacing' blades: 'Kitchen knives do the job too'
18 April 2023, 18:51
The owner of an online weapons retailer has brazenly slammed the government's crackdown on the sale of "menacing" blades, saying kitchen knives "could do the job".
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Kaiser's website weaponsgalore.com sells machetes, hunting knives, and 42-inch ninja swords, some of which have serrated edges and images of fractured skulls emblazoned on the side.
Despite having the characteristics of a so-called Zombie knife they are legally available to buy, because they do not have writing on them.
Ministers are now moving to close that loophole, which was exposed by LBC last year, and ban blades which are "designed to look menacing" and "with the intention to threaten".
But Kaiser insists his products do not fall in to the same category as Zombie knives, and are purchased as collectables, or for camping and bushcraft.
Speaking to LBC, Kaiser said: "You can go to any major store and pick up a kitchen knife - they would do the job.
"Say we didn't exist, and you couldn't buy knives from us. Do you think that is going to stop anybody who wants to cause harm to somebody else?"
When asked why somebody might buy a 27-inch ninja sword with a serrated edge, which is one of the hundreds of items for sale on weaponsgalore.com, Kaiser told LBC it's a "collectable" item which they are allowed to sell.
Kaiser says his knives are not Zombie knives because they don't "gratify violence" with images of bloodstains and writing on them.
But LBC found a Tac-Force Punisher blade for sale on the site, with an image of a fractured skull on the side.
When asked why the design is necessary, Kaiser said it's "a display item with a gothic theme", but insisted the user wouldn't "take it out on the road."
When asked how they ensure customers aren't using the knives for violence, Kaiser said: "We can't control what a person does with it at the other end, but we do make sure the customer is over 18.
"When they receive the item they have to be over a certain age, and that is verified during the delivery process.
"We ask for ID. There are other checks which I cannot disclose, but if it doesn't match up we don't proceed with the order.
"We go above and beyond. We are regulated. We get checked by trading standards as well."
Kaiser said his business will be majorly damaged by the ban, and slammed the government for "targeting the small guy".
He said: "I can't understand how banning certain types of knives will stop crime. We are regulated, everything is time stamped and there is a record of the sale."
He pointed to Facebook Marketplace, Etsy, Amazon and TikTok as examples of retailers who he claims sell the weapons with more relaxed checks.
