Knives, Axes & Razors: Buyer & Owner Guide

Last reviewed: May 2026

Who can buy

You must be 18 or over to purchase any knife, axe, straight razor, or sharply pointed tool from Toolsmith Ltd. Under the Offensive Weapons Act 2019 we are required to take all reasonable steps to verify the buyer's age and to ensure delivery is made to a person aged 18 or over. We do this by:

  • An age-confirmation checkbox at checkout;
  • Marking every package as an age-restricted delivery (Royal Mail Tracked24 Age-Restricted, or DPD Adult Signature);
  • Instructing the courier to request photo ID — passport, driving licence, or PASS-accredited proof-of-age card — and to refuse delivery if no eligible adult is available.

Bladed items (including straight razors) cannot be left with neighbours, in "safe places", in parcel lockers, or with PO Boxes. If your address has restricted access (gated estate, secure building) please add delivery instructions for the courier at checkout.

What we will not sell

We do not stock any item that is unlawful to import, sell, or own in the United Kingdom. This includes flick knives, gravity knives, butterfly/balisong knives, push daggers, knuckle knives, sword-sticks, "zombie knives" within the meaning of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (Offensive Weapons) Order 2024, telescopic batons, and any blade specifically marketed or designed as a weapon. If you are uncertain whether a particular item is lawful where you live, please check with your local police force before ordering.

Carrying your purchase in public

Under section 139 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (England & Wales), it is an offence to have any article with a blade or which is sharply pointed in a public place without good reason or lawful authority. This includes straight razors. Equivalent offences exist in Scotland (Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995, section 49) and Northern Ireland (Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 1996). The maximum penalty is four years' imprisonment, an unlimited fine, or both.

The only blanket exemption is for a folding pocket-knife with a non-locking cutting edge of three inches (7.62 cm) or less. "Good reason" includes use at work, religious reasons, and as part of a national costume; carrying for self-defence is not a good reason in law.

If you need to transport a knife, axe, or straight razor purchased from us — for example, between home and a workshop, barber's shop, fieldcraft course, hunting estate, or trade premises — keep it sheathed, secured inside a closed bag or case, and travel directly between those locations.

Safe handling

  • Cut away from your body. Keep all fingers behind the cutting edge.
  • Sheathe the blade before setting it down.
  • Never use a knife or axe as a screwdriver, pry bar, hammer, or throwing implement — you will damage the temper, the edge, or yourself.
  • Keep sharp tools out of the reach of children. Lockable storage is recommended where minors live in the house.
  • Inspect tangs, rivets, and handles regularly. Stop using any tool whose handle is loose, split, or moving on the tang.

Care of Damascus and high-carbon steel

  • Wipe the blade dry after every use, including after handling with damp or salty fingers.
  • Apply a thin film of mineral oil, camellia oil, or food-safe blade oil after cleaning. Damascus and high-carbon steels are reactive and will spot or patina if left damp.
  • Sharpen by hand on a fine stone or strop. Avoid power grinders, which can overheat and ruin the temper.
  • Store sheathed, away from leather conditioners — some leather treatments contain salts that corrode steel.

For a deeper walkthrough of patina, rust prevention, and daily upkeep, see our Damascus Steel Care guide.

Straight razors — owner notes

Straight razors are bladed articles in UK law and sit under the same age and shipping rules as knives and axes. They have a few additional considerations specific to wet-shaving use:

  • The edge. A new straight razor is shave-ready off our bench but will lose that edge with use. Strop on leather before every shave, hone on a fine waterstone (8000 grit and above) every few months. Never paste a strop unless you understand what you are doing — most beginners over-paste and dull the edge.
  • Drying. Damascus and 1095/15N20 carbon steels are highly reactive. Rinse, towel dry, and leave the razor open to air for 30 minutes before closing it back into the scales. Closing a wet razor traps moisture against the pivot and will spot the blade.
  • Storage. Open the scales, blade horizontal, in a low-humidity drawer. A silica-gel sachet helps in damp UK bathrooms. Do not store directly in the bathroom long-term.
  • Travel. Sheathed in a closed wash-bag, packed in checked luggage when flying. Cabin baggage rules prohibit razor blades. Within the UK, treat as you would any bladed article (see "Carrying your purchase in public" above).
  • Hygiene. Disinfect with isopropyl alcohol if the razor is shared (it shouldn't be) or after a nick. Replace strop if the leather becomes glazed or cut.

For a beginner's first-shave walkthrough — kit list, the four passes, the 30° rule, and aftercare — see our Wet Shaving with a Damascus Straight Razor guide.

Shipping

  • UK addresses only.
  • Royal Mail Tracked24 (Age-Restricted) or DPD Adult Signature. Standard letter post is not used for any bladed item, including razors.
  • No PO Boxes, no parcel lockers, no neighbour drops, no "leave in safe place".
  • Photo ID is required at the door. Failed deliveries are returned to us; redelivery may be charged.

International customers

We do not currently ship knives, axes, or straight razors outside the United Kingdom. If you arrange your own forwarding from a UK address, you do so at your own risk and remain responsible for checking your destination country's import rules. Customs authorities may seize and destroy bladed articles without compensation, and we cannot refund items lost in this way.

Returns

Unused items in original packaging may be returned within 30 days under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. Sharpened, used, honed, or stropped blades — and razors that have been removed from their original packaging — cannot be returned for hygiene and safety reasons. Full details on our refund policy page.

Liability

Toolsmith Ltd accepts no liability for personal injury, damage to property, or legal consequences arising from the misuse, unlawful possession, or unlawful use of any tool sold by us. By placing an order you accept full responsibility for the lawful, safe, and intended use of the items purchased.

Questions

If you are unsure whether a product is suitable for your intended use, or whether it is lawful where you live, contact us at hello@toolsmithltd.co.uk before ordering. We are happy to advise.