Safety first…

To be absolutely honest with you, writing about ‘offensive weapons’ was never really on our radar – we sell tools for people to make, mend and grow things. These are generally positive activities that people undertake because they enjoy them and doing them is usually good for their wellbeing. 

So we don’t really consider any of the tools or kit we sell to be ‘offensive’ in any way. But, of course, we understand and appreciate that any bladed item that is in the hands of the wrong person can cause terrible damage. So any measures to stop this from happening can only be a good thing for society generally.

Back in 2019 the Government passed the Offensive Weapons Act – which was to be brought into effect in two stages. Firstly customers’ have to prove they are 18+ in order to purchase bladed items (and other offensive or dangerous items). We therefore verify ages at any events we attend and for online purchases of penknives etc.

However, the second part of this act is coming into fruition on the 6th April.  This changes the rules and regulations about how bladed items can be delivered to customers who buy them online. The new legislation requires an age verification of the person who receives the bladed item (e.g. to whom it is delivered). This means that any bladed item that we send out to customers now need to be sent by a special Royal Mail service which verifies the age of the recipient.  Of course, there is an extra cost for this service.

We know that costs of living are rising everywhere – we feel this acutely as both business owners and as consumers too. As much as we’d like to absorb yet another cost increase, rather than pass it on to our customers, we just can’t afford to (putting it bluntly - we are a small independent husband and wife team – we have to pay our mortgage). So – we’re sorry but as of Monday 4th April the prices of our bladed items will increase to absorb the additional postage costs that we need to now legally incur. The costs have been added into the price of each bladed item that is affected – e.g. Opinel penknives, Hori-Hori, Leatherman multitools. This is because this is the simplest way for our website to managing this change – as we can’t have differentiated postage costs due to the sheer range of (usually quite bulky) tools we sell.

If you want more information and details about how this may affect your purchase of penknives or bladed items from Tinker and Fix – please do just read here. And if anything isn’t clear – please do just get in contact and we’ll try to explain or help further.

Finally – we’re sorry that the world is such that extra costs and logistical hoops such as these that need to be jumped through. We understand the frustration people feel when they have to provide evidence of their age – now at purchase and at delivery - when they are just buying a garden knife to cut their twine, or an axe to chop up kindling wood. But, as they say, ‘good things come to those who wait’ – and that’s certainly true – we know you will love using your tools and kit in the workshop, garage or garden once it’s arrived.


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