OK,

[dancerjodi]

How does buying/using a sword differ from buying/using a Henkel's knife? This is in regards to this article found on the New England Rennie's LJ:
http://cbsnewyork.com/topstories/local_story_132070112.html

Any reputable business will not sell weapons to minors - so why is it wrong to be selling pointy things that are perfectly legal to adults?

People need lives, really.

Comments

[dragonvpm.livejournal.com]

People need lives, really.

I agree, but I can't help but think that this guy is running a bit of a sketchy operation. It would be one thing if he was scraping by selling cheap $5 butterfly knives or something of that sort, but if he's making and selling $1200 swords and he's doing well enough that he can discount them to $800 just because someone goes to his apartmnet (as he apparently did on the undercover footage) then he should probably consider running his operation out of a legitimate storefront or random industrial space.

Granted, he might have just been posturing a bit for a prospective client, but it sounds like his business is large enough that he should be running it in a more professional manner or at least out of a legitimate business location.

Business

[dancer.livejournal.com]

"Granted, he might have just been posturing a bit for a prospectiv client, but it sounds like his business is large enough that he should be running it in a more professional manner or at least out of a legitimate business location."

Well, to some armor making is an art form, so, how does he making swords in his garage/basement/whatever differ from my dad doing paintings in his basement? Even in Massachusetts (where almost everything is illegal) I don't think this guy would be doing anything wrong.

Re: Business

[dragonvpm.livejournal.com]

Don't get me wrong, I don't think there is anything wrong with making armor or weapons. I think it's a very cool thing to do, however based on that particular (and admittedly biased) piece it sounds like he's doing a fair bit of manufacturing in his home.

As far as the differences between how your dad does his paintings and the way this guy does the swords, I would guess that the major difference is in volume (and the resulting by-products). Based on what this guy apparently said/implied it sounds like he's a full time weapon maker and considering what it takes to work with leather, metal, etc... I would imagine that if he's making a living doing this, then he's probably generating a good deal of waste, noise, etc... in the process of making his stuff. If he's running his business in a completely above-board manner then I think he should be allowed to, but if his business is seriously non-compliant, I think he should resolve those issues and run his business properly.

I don't see a problem with enforcing existing laws about what this guy can do in the weapon making department because most communities already tend to restrict all manner of businesses (e.g. food production). If you changed his product from swords to cakes then I think most people would expect that he would jump through the appropriate hoops with the local health department and city licensing departments in order to run his business.

Keep in mind, all of this is speculation on my part, all I know is that he apparently lied to someone about what he does for a living (he either lied in court or to the "client" that video taped him) and that tends to make me a bit wary of him. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised to find out that he doesn't make any wepons at all and that he was honest when he went to court. He very well might only buy and resell them and the whole "weapon making" angle was just something he threw out for prospective clients in order to pad his prices a bit for "handmade" weapons etc...

Bottom line, I think that this particular article/story is just pandering to people's fears and it has absolutely zero journalistic value, but from what I saw in the article, I'd be reluctant to trust that specific guy and I certainly wouldn't buy a $1200 $800 sword from him.

Re: Business

[dancer.livejournal.com]

"Bottom line, I think that this particular article/story is just pandering to people's fears and it has absolutely zero journalistic value, but from what I saw in the article, I'd be reluctant to trust that specific guy and I certainly wouldn't buy a $1200 $800 sword from him."

Well I'm at work, so I haven't seen the video clip yet - so all I know is what I read.

If he's violating local zoning laws or something sure, throw the book at him. But I don't think it should matter if he's making pointy things or other things. The tone of this article is just really silly - swords are legal to own, so why all the "oooh, bad swords" stuff?

As for making food - Ken (our realtor) owns a side business making pies for Waltham restaurants. His business *is* out of his house (I swear, the man does everything) :)

Re: Business

[dragonvpm.livejournal.com]

If he's violating local zoning laws or something sure, throw the book at him. But I don't think it should matter if he's making pointy things or other things. The tone of this article is just really silly - swords are legal to own, so why all the "oooh, bad swords" stuff?

Yeah, that was basically what I was trying to say. It does sound like he might be doing something a little shady and/or illegal but that has nothing to do with what he's selling, that's just the way he comes off.

If anything that's more ammunition for the "this is a stupid article" camp. It seems that the arguement they're making is: "Look here's a shady guy selling dangerous weapons in your neighborhood. Aren't you scared that this shady guy is selling dangerous weapons near you?" and since the allegation that these are "dangerous" weapons is pretty weak (I'd like to see a kid tuck a sword into his pants and sneak it into school), they focus on the fact that the guy selling them comes off as a being a bit shady.

I don't think I explained myself clearly though because when I read this stuff I thought that it looked like he might be doing something non-legit in how he ran his business, but I more or less completely ignored the whole "Oh no! Dangerous weapons" bleeting.

As far as the food connection goes, I bet that Ken has to jump through a fair number of hoops to legally run his business and that he'd have to deal with things like the health department no matter where he ran it from. Food seemed like a good analogy since all of us are familiar with cooking and most of us are aware that places that make a business out of selling food are supposed to meet certain minimum standards that we don't worry about when we cook for ourselves. Same goes for this guy, I wouldn't care what he's making, I'd just care that his opertaion follow the relevant rules for whatever it is that he is doing.

[developer.livejournal.com]

Clearly he is irresponsible, deviant and BAD.

whatever!

(Note the sarcasm)

Freaks are everywhere, get used to it people!

[nazier.livejournal.com]

I know Steve, i worked with him years ago. And while he has some shady business practices none of those things are in this article. I wrote a comment to the writer of the article. While I may not like Steve as a person business or otherwise that article was nothing but slander.

[tiamatlady]

it doesn't help that he looks creepy. Like Rob Zombie creepy. He's just giving someone an excuse to get rid of him, if he lives so "close to a school" some nosy SUV driving mommy probably thinks he's a child molester.

You buy your OWN place, THEN make weapons. No, I haven't thought about it *grins*

[nazier.livejournal.com]

You know he used to be really cute, he was muscular but still skinny and had all his hair...I think when his wife left him he fell apart now he looks like something from a cheesy horror movie like VAn helsing