On the 25th of January 2024, new legislation was introduced banning ‘zombie’ style knives and machetes in the UK. Since then, the government has been urging anyone with one of these weapons to hand them in voluntarily to a knife surrender bin – without legal implications.

This scheme was announced to try and decrease the number of knives on the streets quickly, and was in effect until the 24th of September 2024, when the full ban came into force. It is now illegal to possess, sell, manufacture or transport ‘zombie’ style knives and machetes, with the offence carrying sentences of up to 4 years imprisonment.

What is a zombie knife?

A zombie knife is a bladed weapon with:

  • A plain cutting edge
  • A sharp pointed end
  • And a blade of over 8 inches long

Which also has one or more of the following:

  • A serrated cutting edge over 2 inches long
  • More than one hole in the blade
  • Spikes
  • More than 2 sharp points in the blade

Since 2019, police have taken 120,000 knives off our streets through stop and search and other targeted police action. Knife crime has gone down 5% since 2019 and hospital admissions for under 25s involved in stabbings has fallen by 25%. Violent crime is also down 51% since 2010.

In 2023, ‘zombie’ knives, swords and machetes were mentioned in more than 14,000 crimes, recorded by 32 police forces in England and Wales. There were 244 homicides that involved sharp instruments last year alone – 24 of these involved machetes, swords and ‘zombie’ knives.

Why were zombie knives made?

Overall, zombie knives are primarily used to threaten, intimidate, or harm others, rather than serving any legitimate purpose. While some have been kept as ornaments or collector’s items, and there are arguments that they can be practical for tasks like collecting tree saplings or cutting through foliage, their association with violence far outweighs any practical use.

‘I use machetes in my line of work, am I at risk of prosecution?’

Amidst the new legislation, exemptions exist for individuals with licenses who have legitimate reasons to own specialist machetes, such as for forestry work. However, it is advised that they check with local police to ensure their ownership complies with the law.