I just bought one last week and no one asked me to even though I have heard that they are "carding" for knife purchases.

I guess it  is the luck of the draw....

try what i call a 'dollar store'' , tons of cheap sharp knives, nice looking meat cleavers, small machetes,,. no ID asked. 

My GF and me bought a few days back a special curved knife to peel roots with at a local market, paid 2 Rmb for it and were never asked for ID, And it is a sharp mother, bet you I could shave with it.

I use to sell knives the best kitchen cutlery in the world. A proven fact in all of North America. I don't buy knives here they have knockoffs from the products I use to sell. None of the handles are ergonomically designed to fit your hand left or right. The knives you see are most cheap and made with poor quality. So no!

I read a follow up article to the knife purchasing/carding thing. It isn't kitchen knives being carded for. It is hunting type knives and the like because they are deemed more dangerous than kitchen knives.

The article was odd, tbh.