Here's a weapon I use daily in my line of work.
I use it to beat nails into submission. You should see 'em cower when I approach them!
Posted on 05/29/2002 5:36:47 PM PDT by tarawa
Police impound weapons sold at Cape mall
By JACK PERRY
STAFF WRITER
HYANNIS - A Cape Cod Mall business owner says the swords and knives he sells are collectible items, sold only for display.
Barnstable police say they are dangerous weapons, illegal in Massachusetts.
John Horner said he was surprised when police seized nine swords and knives from his business's pushcart earlier this month. Horner and partner Eric Anderson own Jabberwocky, located near the Holidays card and gift store.
"I would contend everything they took out of the (display) case was legal," Horner said. "If you walk down the cutlery aisle at Stop & Shop, you can find knives that are five times as dangerous as what we sell."
A mall security officer contacted Barnstable police on May 15, after a Jabberwocky employee reported that somebody might have walked off with the keys to the register and display case.
Officer Jason Laber spotted the weapons. He seized the knives and swords after conferring with Sgt. Steve McGuire.
State law says it's illegal for an unauthorized person to carry, among other weapons, a stiletto or any knife with a double-edged blade. The police characterized four of the knives as stilettos. The three swords have sharp, double-edged blades.
Among the items seized: A "William Wallace" model sword, which retails for $250 and is about 4 feet long.
Another item was described as "The Scorpion" knuckle knife. The weapon has two blades, one extending from the handle and another that wraps around the top of the knuckles. State law also outlaws possession of metallic knuckles.
Barnstable Police Sgt. Sean Sweeney said there's no practical use for such knives and swords other than to injure somebody. The owners were not charged with a crime.
Jabberwocky opened about one month ago. The business sells "New Age" items, according to Horner, including candles, incense, toy dragons, flags and suits of armor. The partners also own a store at the Taunton Mall that sells similar products and haven't had any problems there, he said.
Horner said he respects the police, but he believes they made a mistake. Collecting replica knives and swords has become popular recently in reaction to movies such as "Lord of the Rings," he said.
"We sell collectibles. We don't sell weapons," Horner said. "We don't sell these for guys who want to go out and kill English warriors.
"We're not interested in selling weapons to punks," he said.
Jabberwocky does not investigate the background of its customers except to verify their age. The store will not sell weaponry to anyone under the age of 18.
Mall management was unaware that Jabberwocky was selling anything illegal before the police brought it to their attention, said Leo Fein, mall manager. "We cooperated fully as did the tenant," he said.
Jabberwocky still had swords in its case Thursday, but Fein said those were collectibles, "not anything that could be used as a weapon."
Horner said he has called the Barnstable police about having his merchandise returned, but he hasn't heard back from them.
The items are locked in a police evidence room.
If these swords were "collectibles" then they wouldn't have had an edge on them.
A four foot sword with an edge...is a weapon.
Besides, having a dull knife is kind of like having an unloaded gun. What is the point?
No pun intended.......
Here's a weapon I use daily in my line of work.
I use it to beat nails into submission. You should see 'em cower when I approach them!
Lazy damn reporter didn't even bother to find out if owning such weapons is illegal, or even if selling such weapons is illegal. Carrying is quite different from hanging on the wall at home.
I lived in Barnstable from 1991 until 1997. The Barnstable cops are Keystone Kop Wannabees. If they had known that I had a chain saw, I can't imagine what they would have done to me.
Somebody could break in and steal all those nasty, sharp pointed lathe knives.
The "no practical use" statement gives this liberal away. Anyone taking bets on his stand with the 94' Assault Weapons Ban ?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.