The Karambit knife is a curved bladed weapon of Southeast Asian origin, primarily used in combat as a slashing or hooking device to cause ripping flesh wounds — it’s a deadly melee weapon that’s made appearances on Fargo, True Detective, The Raid 2 and dozens of other shows, films, and video games.
As badass as it is, it’s clearly not meant to be in the hands of a 12-year-old boy.
Hako — one of those the “box shop” deals that sell various novelty items — has since stopped stocking the knives in its stores at Bedok Mall and Tampines 1 after a kid managed to purchase it. To no one’s surprise at all, his mom was livid when he brought it home.
But perhaps what’s more outrageous is how Hako was said to have defended its sale. Appalled by how easy it was for a primary school student to buy the “shockingly sharp and lethal weapon” (she tested it on a thick piece of cardboard), the concerned mom called the Tampines 1 outlet to confront the workers.
“After calling the Hako shop, the retailer there answered confidently that the weapon is allowed by the Singapore Police Force to be sold to any aged individual,” she wrote in a Facebook post, pledging to pursue the matter thoroughly.
In response, Toy Outpost — which manages the Hako shops — made an announcement this morning about having made the “conservative move” in asking the merchant to stop selling Karambit knives in its stores at Bedok Mall and Tampines 1. It did, however, point out that it initially put up a note stating that the knives should not be sold to minors aged 14 and below.
It also denied that laws were infringed — due diligence had already been made by making queries to the Singapore Police Force before the knives were imported. According to the company, the Karambit knives were sold as part of camping supplies and they’re usually used for “trekking, hiking and any other survival activities”.
“We would strongly urge members of public to exercise caution and discretion, and instill awareness of risks when comes to purchasing of items with such ubiquitous presence.”
Reactions were… mixed. While some agreed that it was common sense for the knives not to be so easily available in stores popular among the youth, others thought the blame should lie with parenting.
Nonetheless, the public outcry prompted an police investigation. The New Paper reported spotting plainclothes police officers making a friendly visit to the Hako outlet earlier today, but it’s unclear for now what action they’ll be taking.
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