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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

aibu to not buy my 12 year old a butterfly knife to play with?

55 replies

Wineandpopcorn · 22/04/2016 13:58

The latest trend at my 12 year olds school is a blunt butterfly knife Confused They are used to do tricks with apparently!

I can't find much information on the Internet about the legalities, other than obviously it's illegal to carry a knife. I can't work out if a blunt butterfly knife is classed as an actual weapon though?

Obviously I am not going to buy him one, ever, and I am contacting the school to let them know that they are being used in the playground, buy doesn't anyone know anything about them? And am I right in thinking that even though they are blunt, they are still dangerous?

OP posts:
VestalVirgin · 23/04/2016 17:33

A butterfly knife isn't necessarily a weapon any more than your kitchen knives are weapons.

Nonsense. Those things, as seen in the photo, have two sharp edges, that means they are designed as weapon. Even if this one is blunt, it is still a weapon meant for stabbing ... and I don't like the glorification of such things.

Every kitchen knife and Swiss Army knife, and other knife meant for use as a tool, has only one sharp side, the other one is blunt.

I would buy my child a tool knife, but I would not send her or him to school with it. Those things are nice when you go camping or stuff. You certainly do not need them at school.

chilledwarmth · 23/04/2016 18:04

They do look cool and you can do tricks with the balisong/butterfly, that's a bit separate to carrying one for use as a weapon. And I definitely wouldn't chose that as my protective weapon owing to how ineffective a knife can actually be. VestalVirgin it's not a weapon meant for stabbing, you couldn't manage to stab someone with the blunted ones.

OzzieFem · 23/04/2016 18:27

Because it is considered a concealed weapon, the Butterfly knife is illegal in the countries of Australia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Germany and the Netherlands and some states within the United States of America.

Blunt knives can be sharpened. The police would be interested in where they are obtaining these weapons.

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 23/04/2016 18:32

I agree with Chilled.

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 23/04/2016 18:34

The 'knife' your ds is talking about has no blade at all,the kids do all sorts of tricks with them. It was all the rage here a couple of years ago.

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 23/04/2016 18:35

I totally agree with Chilled too.

Mountain out of a molehill.

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 23/04/2016 18:47

If you Google practise butterfly knife you will see you could do more damage poking someone hard with your finger.

VestalVirgin · 23/04/2016 20:12

What do you need a practise knife for if you never plan on buying a sharp one?

Even the blunt ones look like weapons, and I do not think it is reasonable to expect teachers to be able to tell them apart from sharp ones. Which are highly illegal, as Ozzie pointed out.

If this was my child's school, I would ask questions as to why they allow blunt knives that could a) be sharpened and b) normalize weapon-type knives to the extent that a teacher wouldn't notice a sharp one.

I am the kind of person who would buy a blunt dagger or sword for decoration. And I still think they should not be brought to school.

chilledwarmth · 24/04/2016 17:15

VestalVirgin the main attraction of a butterfly knife for a lot of people isn't the actual knife but the tricks you can do with flicking it open and closed. That's all I used mine for.

lifesalongsong · 25/04/2016 18:14

This subject happened to come up when I was in the compnay of some young teens over the weekend.

Their view was that lots of people have them to do tricks with and they are totally harmless. If I hadn't seen your thread last week I'd have had no idea what they were talking about. Mumsnet has made me cool Grin

Reagan123333 · 18/12/2017 17:52

A training butterfly knife is not dangerous unless used like a weapon e.g hitting some one with it I own one I do find it fun the blade is blunt and the holes are there to prevent it from being sharped if I was you I would let him get one it helps me with concentration

theimportanceofbeinghappy · 18/12/2017 17:59

Absolutely no way I'd buy that.

To be fair I am the mother of a three year old so far younger than your DC but the thought of buying a child (or adult) any kind of knife leaves me feeling a bit cold

Reagan123333 · 19/12/2017 07:48

Another benefit is that it gets him of ps4/xbox/pc he will use it and learn tricks and it give you an amazing feeling. I am a flipper myself and the worst I’ve done with mine is drop it on my foot.

Creambun2 · 19/12/2017 07:52

why revive a 2yr old thread on knives?

MakeUpMyRoom · 19/12/2017 07:53

I would allow it but then my two children own sailing knives which are very sharp. They also like to whittle sticks under supervision with Opinels.

It isn't normalising weapons. As other posters said, anything can be a weapon and actually, these certainly aren't dangerous.

Butterfly knives (when sharp) are illegal because the blade is locked.

Katinkka · 19/12/2017 07:58

My son had one too. Not allowed to take it out of the house though. He’s grown out of it now.

Pressecopong · 28/12/2017 02:49

They are perfectly kegal and cannot be sharpened due to the design of them
The holes on the blade are made so that if someone were to try and sharpen them they would break
The only way they could is by welding the holes together first but i doubt they have access to welding equipment
Harmless toys,nothing else

Pressecopong · 28/12/2017 02:53

They are not meant fir stabbing
Even sharpened ones arnt
You could get a fixed blade for that
They are designed for skills and tricks and a whole community has been built off it
So yeah
Harmless

Parentsmakemelaugh · 26/12/2018 20:08

You are completely wrong they are classed as gravity knives. And if you had read the before passage you would know it has to have a sharp edge to it. I have done research and as a collector myself of knives l. In NO way is a trainer illegal or dangerous. The mum's on this website don't know what they are on about and have no clue what they are so best not consult a website full off worried mum's on the legality of the item involved.

Nothininmenoggin · 26/12/2018 20:21

With all the knife crime that has taken place this year I am totally flabbergasted that anyone would think this is ok. I appreciate that they are kids and probably would not even think of the connection but you are normalizing walking around with a knife. Never in a million would I allow my child to have this.

AleFailTrail · 26/12/2018 20:30

Butterfly knives are illegal in this country, and if it has a metal ‘blade’, even blunted, it classifies as a weapon. If it looks even remotely real it’s illegal. If it not for training purposes as part of a legitimate martial art/sport, acting purposes or being transported to work it is illegal.

(I’m a sword collector and currently redundant military historian who practices HEMA so knowing knife and blade laws is a big deal)

TornFromTheInside · 26/12/2018 20:44

If a teenager came at someone carrying one of those, what is the victim supposed to think?

Seriously, it's no better than a replica or 'toy' gun - you run the risk of being shot carrying one if you act like an idiot with one.

Knife crime is becoming a massive issue in this country, and it's largely happening amongst young boys in the same age group.

NO WAY should any youth have these.

TornFromTheInside · 26/12/2018 20:49

Banned knives and weapons
It is illegal to bring into the UK, sell, hire, lend or give anyone the following:

butterfly knives (also known as ‘balisongs’) - a blade hidden inside a handle that splits in the middle
disguised knives - a blade or sharp point hidden inside what looks like everyday objects such as a buckle, phone, brush or lipstick
flick knives (also known as ‘switchblades’ or ‘automatic knives’) - a blade hidden inside a handle which shoots out when a button is pressed
gravity knives
stealth knives - a knife or spike not made from metal (except when used at home, for food or a toy)
zombie knives - a knife with a cutting edge, a serrated edge and images or words suggesting it is used for violence
swords, including samurai swords - a curved blade over 50cm (with some exceptions, such as antiques and swords made to traditional methods before 1954)
sword-sticks - a hollow walking stick or cane containing a blade
push daggers
blowpipes (‘blow gun’)
telescopic truncheons - extend automatically by pressing button or spring in the handle
batons - straight, side-handled or friction-lock truncheons
hollow kubotans - a cylinder-shaped keychain holding spikes
shurikens (also known as ‘shaken’, ‘death stars’ or ‘throwing stars’)
kusari-gama - a sickle attached to a rope, cord or wire
kyoketsu-shoge - a hook-knife attached to a rope, cord or wire
kusari (or ‘manrikigusari’) - a weight attached to a rope, cord, wire
hand or foot-claws
knuckledusters

showmeshoyu · 26/12/2018 20:52

There is a company that does balisong pens. I think they're called a Balipen. It's a pen with a split gravity handle/cover. Not a weapon, colourful, plastic and thus unable to be mistaken for a knife. If he wants to do flips and tricks, that may be an option.