thinwater
Well-Known Member
Luddite.
D.I.Y Tools by post
- Thread starter Graham376
- Start date
Luddite.
Praxinoscope
Well-Known Member
Yet again it seems the poor old law abiding citizen is going to be inconvenienced because of the minority lawless scumbags in our society who have cottoned on that the police are more interested in catching someone ‘wolf whistling’ rather than go after real crime.
Daydream believer
Well-Known Member
If it had not been for the internet there might just have been a tool shop a lot nearer than 30 miles away with a bloke that knew what he was selling you & could offer some advice & service- along with a friendly smile (well sometimes !!!!!)
I support my local yachting chandler at Burnham as much as I can simply because I really do like to be able to walk in & browse , have a friendly chat & get what I need within a couple of hours.
I still go to the local tool shop on the Dengie (& have to tear myself away) rather than use the internet. I really hate the thought that one day it might not be there.
Last edited:
ShinyShoe
Well-Known Member
I agree. Although I suspect a 100,000 signature petition before a bill becomes law is enough to make someone in government at least think "have we got something wrong".
There are basically two groups of criminals that this law could have been aimed at:
- Terrorists etc. So far in the UK we haven't had an under 18 commit a serious act of terror as far as I know. So the under 18 thing doesn't help. Postal delivery is probably not a big concern there either. To be honest none of this is going to affect the over 18's. AND we know being over 18 doesn't mean you wont commit a crime.
- Youth Street Crime. Typically a 15 year old inner city kid says he carries a knife to protect himself from the other 15 year old inner city kids. They carry a knife to look "big" and manly. They feel they have no choice. They almost certainly haven't thought through he consequences of using the knife. If you simply say a shop needs ID to sell it, but anyone can buy it online - these kids are smart enough to buy online. If you say only 12" machetes - these kids will buy a stanley knife. The AIM of the law is to avoid these kids buying a knife which has a snowball effect of others not feeling they need a knife etc. I remain sceptical - 15 year olds seem to manage to buy fags and booze. I sailed as a 15 year old. I did outdoor activities. Both gave me a "need" for a knife. My parents would have bought me one. If I wanted a "blade" I could have nicked a kitchen knife like Richard says or more likely the stanley knife from Dad's tol box might have gone missing.
The acid bit - I don't quite know about... ...but I guess it would be harder to repeatedly get acid supplies. BUT there is less explanation of "I carry a litre of acid for protection. I wouldn't really use it"...
You really need to fix the underlying culture that means people would ever consider throwing acid at someone acceptable. I think knife crime is the same TBH.
davidpbo
Well-Known Member
Great if they happen to have the precise tool you want at a price you can afford.
Graham376
Well-Known Member
Agreed. I grew up in an era where kids playing with sheath knives and WW2 bayonets was the norm, as was making our own explosives but we weren't looking to maim anyone. This new Act isn't well thought out and, as some mentioned above, what about retailers based outside the UK or, UK retailers posting to those of us outside the UK? Many people buy from China. Also, what about postal blade sharpening services, will that be illegal as well? Virtually all my cutting tools for home workshop come via post, we don't have suppliers within many miles. I also do business from a residential address so, how will that be categorised?
Praxinoscope
Well-Known Member
You can’t blame everything on the internet, try looking at the exhorbitant business rates that local councils place on businesses, parking restrictions, shed-loads of legislation that governments of all colours keep loading on to small businesses. Yes I still like to ‘pop’ in to my ‘local’ chandlers, but again I have to have a pretty good reason to drive the 120 mile round trip to my nearest chandler,to pick up a tin of boot-top or a couple of stainless steel shackles. In a lot of areas there aren’t enough potential customers to provide a chandlers, tool merchant or other specialist retailer to make a living. Even a small retail business needs a turnover of more than about £150,000 a year to be viable. There have for years been mail order companies, most of what the internet has done is make mail ordering easier and more efficient for those of us not blessed with a wide variety of retail outlets on our doorsteps. If I had a chandlers nearby I’d use them, but I don’t.
Fr J Hackett
Well-Known Member
Ooo yes please, I think they have been content because their mail service is so good any disruption to that would be a problem for them.
A while ago I was in the UK and went into one of their branches to buy stuff and they were having difficulty finding me on their PC system so invited me around the counter to check my details. When we put the correct ones in up I popped with several pages of others in the Grenoble area. Apparently they have a huge amount of people in Europe that use them on a regular basis.
DownWest
Well-Known Member
There is a pop up now that recognises that I am in France and reminds me that they post to here. So, if it is addressed to a place out of the UK, does that count in the new law?
Thought... contact some of the other clients around Grenoble and set up an entreprise so you can recieve goods as commercial?
Fr J Hackett
Well-Known Member
They were a bit disturbed that I saw that and changed the screen very quickly, perhaps they thought I might set up some sort of rival business.
The amazing thing is that I can buy Bosch tools manufactured in Europe even with the postage and exchange rate cheaper than anywhere that I can find in France also the Leigh Dovetail Jig I bought recently was miles cheaper at Axminster than the French stockist who hadn't even got it in stock. Have you seen the sawhorses on offer with the 10% discount?