Are Samurai Swords - Katana and Wakizashi - Legal in the UK?
2 minute read
We're often asked about UK Law: Are samurai swords, such as Katana and Wakizashi legal? Does one need a license to own them?
Currently, (we keep this page updated with any changes), the scenario is as follows:
- All products sold on our website are legal to own in the UK.
- You can not carry a sword in public without a valid reason.
- Anyone purchasing a sword must be at least 18 years of age.
- Samurai and other curved swords are legal, *AS LONG AS* they have been handmade using traditional production methods. All swords sold on our site are made using traditional methods and are legal in the UK.
There is a BBC article from 2008 that claims all Samurai Swords are banned in the UK. While the article was correct when it was written, it was obsoleted 4 short months later by the passage of an amendment that allowed for swords "...made before 1954 or was made at any other time according to traditional methods of making swords by hand" [emphasis added]. All our swords are hand-forged using these traditional methods, so they are UK legal.
For current laws and more detailed information, please refer to:
More information can also be found in our legal section here.