Seems that these may be deployed in the near future?

British scientists have developed a portable microwave scanner to help police identify individuals carrying concealed guns and knives. It is small enough to be used covertly, at some distance from the subject.
The device is based around microwave radar technology and is designed to pick up the "reflections" of weapons concealed beneath clothing.
Some officials believe technology like this could help increase the effectiveness of stop-and-search.

The existing prototype is suitable for the detection of guns, but researchers say subsequent versions of the technology will be able to identify concealed knives as well.
The new device employs low-power microwaves to identify weapons, using similar wavelengths as the body scanners currently in use at a number of airports.


"This device could save lives and free up valuable policing time"

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/sci/tech/8089959.stm

Originally Posted by Ted

On the other hand, what is so wrong with trying to reduce crime in a positive note? What's wrong to find a solution to all the stabbing going on in Britain? If I had a tottler I wouldn't mind such a knife. Does every initiative has to be focused on being better armed then "the big bad criminal lurking around my house ready to kill every living thing in my house"? Try to focus on something else the fear all the time.

Sure and now you can say: tell this to the victims etc etc. I just think that living your life in fear continuously you are a victim for your whole life. And I am not ready to do that. In short: perhaps a silly thing this knife, but I like the initiative!

No we're ridiculing it because it's a stupid idea. If anyone wants to stab someone, they'll get a knife with a pointed edge and even if all knives were replaced by these models they could still slash and cut all the same.
The only person at a distinct disadvantage would be you, with the stabbing pointless knife. Odds are if someone wants to jack your house, they'll bring their own knife, or steel pipe, or something.
This knife wouldn't have the safety for toddlers or anything either. You'd need as much safety with this around kids as any other knife. Just like Rob said, POINTLESS!
The reason why we're attacking such stupidity is because they make a change because "it can be used as a weapon."

If they're going to do that, why not go all the way? Let me list a lot of stuff we can use to kill off one another:
- Steel pipe. Right, get rid of all the plumbing and we'll have to figure out a different way to get the gas into our homes.
- Pencil. Lethal and poisonous!
- Pen. Lethal and can hide its attacking tip (like a switch blade!!!!!)
- Sponge. You could stuff it in someone's mouth and make them suffocate.
- Telephone cord. You've seen the movies.
- Shoe laces. Often used for suicide, but also can be used as a garrote.
- Car. You can ram into someone.
- Light bulbs. Once you throw that onto the ground, anyone barefoot won't be able to move.
- Shovel. A fearsome melee weapon.
- Spade. A concealable stabbing weapon.
- Nail Gun. It's a GUN!!!

We can pretty much go on forever.

Originally Posted by perseus

Seems that these may be deployed in the near future?



http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/sci/tech/8089959.stm

That very well could be a good idea if the kit works the way it's supposed to.

Originally Posted by Ted

On the other hand, what is so wrong with trying to reduce crime in a positive note? What's wrong to find a solution to all the stabbing going on in Britain? If I had a tottler I wouldn't mind such a knife. Does every initiative has to be focused on being better armed then "the big bad criminal lurking around my house ready to kill every living thing in my house"? Try to focus on something else the fear all the time.

Sure and now you can say: tell this to the victims etc etc. I just think that living your life in fear continuously you are a victim for your whole life. And I am not ready to do that. In short: perhaps a silly thing this knife, but I like the initiative!

I'm armed and I don't live in fear..... I live without fear. I'm just prepared. No different then having a first aid kit. I have learned that the world isn't all peaceful and everyone is nice.

Believing that you can regulate criminals (evil) through legislation is about as stupid as stupid is. It's like me trying to stop the rain by asking nicely. There will always be evil people. I have come to accept that and that makes me a better man. I can defend myself and others with lethal force if I have to. I don't have to rely on the police (someone else) for my self protection from evil acts.

I don't think that there is someone right now outside my window trying to break in..... but I do know that it could happen. I happen to have stuff that dirtbags wants. Big TVs, Firearms, Jewelry, Money, Art, Electronics, etc.... also I know that because of that... the scumbags might try to use lethal force to get what I have. They don't view me as a kind person. They view me as an obstacle in their way and they will use force to remove me from their way.

I don't have kids yet.... but I do have a God Daughter that I love just as much.... harm her in anyway and you will face my full wrath. She is above my property. But once again..... there are sick people in this world that would love to get their hands on them.

Criminals aren't normal people. You cannot talk to them and make them see the light. They are wired differently just as Hitler was.... They are predators and animals that only understand one thing.... Brute Naked Force. Firearms, Knives, and weapons in general are part of that. They are tools and nothing more. Self Defense is a right that everyone has or should have but the UK and some States within the USA don't see at as that.

I see it all the time.... In the Public Service Announcements for women about rape protection.

They mention to use a hair pin to stab them with, carry a whistle, scream, defecate on yourself, etc.... But they never mention the two simple things. Carry a firearm and shoot him/her or carry a knife and stab him/her. They always say that the weapon will be turned on them by their attacker. Who is that possible when you use your tool for self defense. That only happens when you the victim don't intended to use lethal force for self defense or you are ambushed. Being ambushed is preventable by staying alert and keeping an eye out for danger.

You draw a knife on me.... I draw my firearm on you and shoot. You draw a firearm on me.... I draw my firearm on you and shoot. Same thing..... a knife is a deadly weapon. Hell.... you attempt to fight me with bare hands and I draw my firearm and keep some distance. I'll give verbal commands for you to back off and lay down on the ground. You advance on me and fail to hear my commands..... I shoot. It's the way we as police are trained to defend ourselves and it's the same that works for civilians.

The State should not be the only ones armed.

This disarming of the UK of knives is a problem..... They already outlawed the majority of firearms and they still have criminals with guns.... gee.... I wonder how and why? On I know.... CRIMINALS BREAK THE LAW.

You cannot regulate people's actions..... get that through your head.

The idea of "It might save one life and that's worth it" is a waste of time...... By removing arms from the public. Yes, you might save that one kid form shooting himself with a firearm that he took from Mom's room. But thousands might die or be injured because they didn't have the means to defend themselves from the criminals, rapists, murderers, and psychopaths.

This is the same mindset as telling Hitler to stop taking over Europe. Same with telling North Korea to stop building Nukes. It's been happening with NK since the early 1990s and they're still at it. This regulations crap doesn't work.... Mankind and Society as a whole is still the same as we were when we lived in the wilds of Africa as monkeys. Naked Violence and Brute Force wins.... Survival of the Fittest. You have your predators and your prey.... Which one are you?

Because I know what I am.... I don't go B'ahhhhhh like the sheeple of society.

I think some folks suffer from Hoplophobia (pronounced /ˌhɒpləˈfoʊbiə/), from the Greek hoplon, or weapon, is defined as the "fear of firearms" or alternatively, an irrational fear of weapons in general, and describes a specific phobia.

*sigh* Same song, different verse... I'm not even going to say anything because I can pull up about 10 different threads that address the EXACT SAME THING.

Either way, 5.56 has a pretty good point.
There are guns out there anyway, banning them will only affect law abiding citizens negatively.
In countries where guns can be controlled, banning them does make a lot of sense. For popular uprisings, unarmed uprisings seem to work a lot better than armed ones anyway.

Originally Posted by the_13th_redneck

Either way, 5.56 has a pretty good point.
There are guns out there anyway, banning them will only affect law abiding citizens negatively.
In countries where guns can be controlled, banning them does make a lot of sense. For popular uprisings, unarmed uprisings seem to work a lot better than armed ones anyway.

Lets assume I am a law abiding citizen and tomorrow the government for whatever reason decided to ban guns how would that negatively affect me?

My collection is almost 84 weapons in size, it is all registered and stored legally and yet if the choice was X years in prison or hand them in it wouldn't be a contest because I don't need them no matter how much I like them.

In terms of self defense I live in a relatively safe country, and I am never going to support the idea of anyone being armed on the streets short of the police force.

I enjoy shooting and hunting but then I enjoy rugby and cricket however I don't "need" to do either.

The firearms argument is cyclic and almost always misses the obvious, if you need a firearm or any weapon for safety purposes you have far bigger problems than government regulations such as the social ones that require you to be armed.

So here is the counter argument to adding more guns, solve your social issues then not only will you not have to ban firearms, knives and any other weapons you can think of but you can relax the rules on them as more people use them responsibly.

Which is the difference between 5.56 and myself, he looks at curing illness by shooting the patient I prefer to prevent the illness in the first place.

I think the 'point' of the knife is that you can carry it around without being suspected of wanting to stab anyone, yet use it as a normal knife. (the law is vague)

For a brief overview of the legal issues of carrying a knife in the UK, see Knife Law (UK). Of special note, when choosing a knife for use in the UK, is that if you intend to use it generally, rather than just for your outdoor activity, a folding knife of less than 3 inches is legal to carry in public. All knives can legally be carried for a purpose, provided they do not constitute an 'offensive weapon'. In practice this is a loosely defined term, and likely to be very subjective. As such, knives longer than 3 inches should only be carried to or from your home to the private land where you intend to use them, if possible.

http://www.goxplore.net/guides/Choosing_a_Knife

It is a good design as well because it does have a sharp point (literally) but a blunt buffer. Say when cutting the tip of an orange root out, it won't suddenly go right though the fruit.

Well how do you know whether or not I was planning on slashing someone?

Offensive weapon? Might as well ban anyone with combat or martial arts training.

Well Monty, you live in a safe country where guns are not a problem, then I guess it's not a problem. Whether or not the government decides to ban them or not probably won't change too many things, unless criminals decide that since everyone else is unarmed they'd take advantage of the situation.
Unfortunately in some countries guns in the hands of criminals are a problem therefore banning it will do nothing but endanger the public. Does that reflect issues with that particular society, yeah probably, but that's another debate.

Originally Posted by the_13th_redneck

Well how do you know whether or not I was planning on slashing someone?

Offensive weapon? Might as well ban anyone with combat or martial arts training.

Well Monty, you live in a safe country where guns are not a problem, then I guess it's not a problem. Whether or not the government decides to ban them or not probably won't change too many things, unless criminals decide that since everyone else is unarmed they'd take advantage of the situation.
Unfortunately in some countries guns in the hands of criminals are a problem therefore banning it will do nothing but endanger the public. Does that reflect issues with that particular society, yeah probably, but that's another debate.

I don't agree I think that until you address the societal problems causing this you will not make any impression on the overall problem at all, it is rather like stopping a pandemic by quarantining people only after they have contracted the virus when it is to late.

The reason we have less firearms problems is not because we don't have our share of psychotic nutjobs but because we do have them it is simply because it is incredibly difficult to build up the arsenal required to be an effective psychotic nutjob, I can almost gurantee that if I was sit out on my deck cleaning an ordinary rifle I would have a cop at my front door within an hour because a passerby had phoned it in.

The cure for gun violence is not banning guns it is fixing a society that thinks waving a gun around makes you "tough" or that there is some "god given right to own a gun" because I am prepared to bet sizable chunks of cash that there is no text in scripture that says "thou must own firearms or face eternal damnation".