Taking my knives to UK

**Terry Searl** · 25th May 17, 11:48 PM

Originally Posted by Jock Scot

Sigh, sigh and thrice sigh again.

A cricket bat is not a weapon, a baseball bat is not a weapon, a brick is not a weapon, a chisel is not a weapon and the SD is not a weapon. However if any of them are used offensively or even defensively then they can become weapons.

A hand granade is a weapon, a sword is a weapon, an atom bomb is a weapon. Do I need to go on?

In days of yore the Sgian Dubh was a weapon, and so was a dirk, that's why they were carried.......not just for peeling apples or spuds....as far as the other implements, it just depends if you are on the receiving end of what you say is not a weapon Jock......as far as your sighing....... well just keep at it

**Jock Scot** · 26th May 17, 12:50 AM

Sorry Terry but you are wrong. Yes it, an SD, could be used as a weapon and no doubt was used as such on occasion, but it's original and more usual use was as a tool, it still is----- slicing an apple, peeling an apple, cutting string, cutting a slice of cheese, etc.. Before the days of knives and forks for example it was used to eat with and you brought your own tool as the host did not provide one. Cutting off a chunk of meat or bread for example was a far better and cleaner option than using ones fingers. If you look at the design of a SD you will quickly see that as some sort of Ninja fighting knife it is not, it's far too frail. Actually the dirk is a much better design for close fighting and that was its use.

I am afraid you, among so many, have got yourself caught up in romantic tommyrot as far as the SD is concerned.

**Farmer Jones** · 26th May 17, 07:39 AM

Thank you all for your input. The responses here indicate that this is as contentious an issue as I thought it might be. I am quite a sensible person, not given to waving knives around in public, nor to attending questionable pubs. My niece has been strongly influenced by my mother, who supplied most of my gear. I do not want to disappoint my mother, but I will explain to her that she would have been more disappointed if I lost some of her treasures in the name of vanity. If as one of you suggested, that I ask my brother, then I would not be in the position to have adopted my niece and be the one giving her away. So that is not a going proposition. The venue itself has no problems, and in fact have indicated that they welcome the colour and ceremony. It was my mother who told my niece that our dirk should be used to cut the cake. What I have decided to do is find a place that will sell me reasonable items over there and not bring any of my cutlery with me. I will then leave those items as a gift for my new nephew.

**Jock Scot** · 26th May 17, 08:51 AM

Have you consulted the Customs Department? Dirks must and do cross the Atlantic from time to time, so there must be a way to do it. Send it in advance by mail of some sort, might be a consideration?

As I have already advised the dirk is rarely worn these days, but it is not unusual for a dirk to be placed alongside the cake ready for use. Again, for what it is worth, the blade needs to be cleaned well, VERY soon after use as wedding cake ingredients have a disastrous effect on blades in a very short time. It would be a shame to go to all the effort to get a precious family item into Scotland to get it ruined by an oversight or ignorance.

**Farmer Jones** · 26th May 17, 09:29 AM

Originally Posted by Jock Scot

Have you consulted the Customs Department? Dirks must and do cross the Atlantic from time to time, so there must be a way to do it. Send it in advance by mail of some sort, might be a consideration?

As I have already advised the dirk is rarely worn these days, but it is not unusual for a dirk to be placed alongside the cake ready for use. Again, for what it is worth, the blade needs to be cleaned well, VERY soon after use as wedding cake ingredients have a disastrous effect on blades in a very short time. It would be a shame to go to all the effort to get a precious family item into Scotland to get it ruined by an oversight or ignorance.

I have written to HM Customs to ask, but I have already decided, after reading the responses, that I will purchase something in UK and let my mother know why. I would blame her for having sent everything to me in the first place, but a tongue lashing from my mother hurts more than a whip. I usually use mineral oil to protect high carbon steel blades (I have many for use on the farm), but for cake I will clean it carefully before hand then rub a small amount of vegetable oil on it. Afterwards I will clean it and rub mineral oil on. Then I will give it to my new N-in-L.

**Jock Scot** · 26th May 17, 09:37 AM

Can I advise that you take particular note with the cleaning of the blade if there is any etching on it. A daily inspection of the item would be a wise precaution for at least 10 days after the cleaning.

**lewtherin** · 27th May 17, 01:50 PM

I just come back from the UK a couple of weeks ago. Ireland, Scotland and England. I didn't realize that there was so much fuss made over knives, When I was at Edinburgh Castle, I seen several men wearing sgians and dirks and I thought they really looked cool with the outfits. Here in Missouri, I have always hunted and did alot of clay pigeon shooting, so I hadn't give it much thought. And I like many, many Americans own and carry pistols. I have transported guns via airplanes many times, but there are proper ways to do this and they much be in checked luggage. But I also noticed that the police officers in the UK were not armed also. I was really surprised by this, but different countries, different customs. In this case, if I were wanting to do this, I would definitely check with the host country before I did anything. Some good advise was given here. But what about fake replica dirks and sgians to rent there. Just a thought

**Michael A** · 25th June 17, 05:57 AM

What about a bottle opener - a sgian brew?

**Farmer Jones** · 25th June 17, 08:43 AM

Curiously enough, since I started to investigate what I may or may not take to the UK with me, I have discovered that my seal skin sporran is not OK there and that it could potentially be seized at the whim of customs officers.

**48HofC** · 25th June 17, 09:57 AM

Whenever we go to the UK, we have to register any ivory mounted pipes, leopard skins, eagle feathers,etc with the Canadian government to get proper clearance documents. Never had a single problem with UK customs as long as documents were in order. A sealskin sporran should fall into the same category. As a side note, how are your crops doing?