Sporting Wholesale, the Luton-based knife wholesaler and owner of the Anglo Arms brand, has announced its decision to stop selling knives and swords following its participation in a government surrender scheme. The company has surrendered over 35,000 so-called “zombie” knives, which police described as being designed to “kill and maim.”
Under the scheme, Sporting Wholesale will receive £10 in compensation for each knife handed over. These “zombie” knives, known for their aggressive design, were banned in 2016, but a new, broader definition of the ban will take effect in England and Wales on 24 September. The updated law will make it illegal to own a knife with a sharpened blade longer than 8 inches (20 cm) that also features elements like a serrated cutting edge, spikes, or more than two sharp points.
Eddy Eliaz, managing director and major shareholder of Sporting Wholesale, commented earlier this year on the rise of knife crime, stating, “Over the last five to six years, knife crime has increased.” He added, “As a result… we reduced the Anglo Arms range to cover practical and traditional knives only.”
In June, both Sporting Wholesale and its sister company, DNA Leisure, announced they would no longer sell knives, except for their existing stock. DNA Leisure, an online retailer also based on the same industrial estate and directed by Eddy Eliaz’s younger brother, Adam Eliaz, surrendered 1,542 knives under the same scheme.
Sporting Wholesale has confirmed that, moving forward, they will not be re-ordering knives from their suppliers in the Far East, with the exception of small everyday carry (EDC) knives. Additionally, the company plans to discontinue all crossbow models with draw weights higher than 80lb, along with its entire archery product line.
“We are now stopping our knife and sword business,” the company stated. “We will continue to sell through our remaining stock but will not be re-ordering from our Far East suppliers.”
Superintendent Alex House, Bedfordshire Police’s lead on knife crime, emphasised the danger posed by the surrendered weapons, he told the BBC: “There’s no other practical use for them. If you look at the design… the purpose is to kill and maim.”
Sporting Wholesale has been a major player in the UK’s sporting goods industry since its establishment in 2002, with its product lines also extending to customers in Europe, Asia, and the USA. The company’s Anglo Arms brand, known for shooting, archery and cutlery products, will undergo significant changes following the cessation of its knife and sword business.
