There was a much publicised terrorist raid in Australia where the police raided a suspected Muslim terrorist and proudly displayed an evidence bag containing a sword which turned out to be a common Shiite plastic decoration that wasn't sharp enough to cut a cucumber. Their suspect was released with no charges but it didn't give me a lot of confidence in their capability to protect the public from real dangers.

I still find it amusing when I go into a store here and use self-checkouts and there are messages aimed at people in neighboring states advising them that plastic picnic cutlery can't be purchased by people under the age of 16. I am sure the intention is good but legislators and law enforcement often seem to do things with no obvious benefit.

You have to take a kid's gell blaster down to the cop shop and register it as a class A firearm which puts it in the same category as a rifle or shotgun that isn't self loading. Now I get that you don't want people waving replica firearms at the police and getting shot for their stupidity but this isn't a lethal device. It is toy that is intended to be shot at people for fun. You would think adding a visual indication distinguishing it as a toy would be sufficient. I fully support gun control but this is crazy even to me.

There are some pretty silly weapon prohibitions out there. In Canada, the list includes some familiar ones like brass knuckles and butterfly knives... and yes, it appears that flails are on the list. Trebuchets, ballistas and catapults appear to be legal here.

https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/sor-98-462/f...

>Any instrument or device commonly known as “shuriken”

I can now walk confidently at night knowing I'm safe from Ninjas

Law abiding ninjas.

You're probably safe from most law abiding people, tautologically.

If anything, the most dangerous people, statistically, are those closest to you, rather than, say, random street ninjas.

What's silly about prohibiting knuckledusters?

They have one and only one use, are easily consealed, and very effective.

I operate a laser cutter and am not infrequently asked to cut knuckles and always politely refuse with a brief explanation why.

It's butterfly knives, nunchucks and other medieval weapons that I find to be extremely silly. They're usually more of a risk to the user than their intended, and generally limit history buffs and martial artists more than prevent crime.

I was born and raised in a place where getting a gun was as simple as putting together $100 or so and walking down to the corner. Not the corner store, mind you. In that context, any ban on melee weapons feels silly to me. But yeah, knuckledusters can really ruin your evening/face.

The flail I can understand, due to the disproportionate risk of hitting yourself in the face with it.

However, having grown up in an environment where carrying weapons is generally banned, it seems equally silly to me that people with short fuses might have them at hand.

It's one of those things I chalk up to personal values. I can understand the opposite rationale, but prefer the Canadian way.

Keep in mind this is not the American continent and there are considerably less firearms to begin with.

And yet, the US still has problems with certain knives: https://www.akti.org/federal-switchblade-act/

No federal law, but brass knuckles are banned in many states: https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/brass-knuck...

What about Switzerland?

One of the few places with high firearms ownership, raising the average higher above the median.

There's a bullet list halfway here:

https://advo-recht.be/kennisbank/strafrecht/misdrijven/welke...

Some non-firearms on the list:

* Lots of types of knives, like Stilettos

* shurikens

* Blank weapons which look like other objects, like a knife hidden in an umbrella

* Clubs and batons

* Electric shockers

* Aerosol cans and sprays for self defence

* Nunchuks

Technically, anti personnel mines, flamethrowers and laser weapons might also be considered non-firearms, but I assume even the USA forbids these.

Interesting point is your medieval flail, which is probably legal as a historical ornamental weapon. Good luck explaining that one to the cops, though

I believe landmines would be illegal in the US as destructive devices, although you might be able to get a stamp to buy one, not sure.

But flamethrowers and any power laser are legal without any special paperwork in almost all states.

Nunchuks are banned in a lot of places in the US, too (CA and VA at least). I think it's easy for people outside the US to miss what a patchwork of regulation we have here.

Knives, swords, and crossbows are pretty popular in drugs gangs -- due, I understand, to a perception that forensic analysis is harder (it isn't), the sentences may be lighter (they aren't), and that the weapons are stealthier (uncertain) or "cool" (not outside of video games!)

Nah its not for any of those reasons. Its because their quiet, drawing less attention when used and are easier to acquire. Guns are expensive, harder to get and attract a shit ton of attention when used. Its more of an economics and availability thing.

Knives have many restrictions such as opening and locking one handed or being too long. Certain kinds of flashlights and clubs are illegal for civilians in Germany so I imagine something along those lines might be applicable in Belgium as well.

> What do you reckon the 9 non-firearm prohibited weapons are

I wonder if a hand grenade would be counted as a firearm or not?

The other thing that springs to mind would be switchblades.

I'd guess grenades are more likely to be categorized as explosive devices.

In US you can sieze that many firearms raiding a random nightclub. :)