The government trusts me carry a gun or register a SBR but not an automatic knife?
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boredelmo
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I think it depends on city/state.
Jorg Nysgerrig
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What do you mean no possible way? Join the military or cut off your arm and then move to a state wth no further restrictions than federal law.
You can carry one in Oregon, you just can't conceal it, very strange law.
How quick you can get one out or open should not be regulated by law. I can flip open an Gerber Air Harsey Ranger knife as fast as the assisted Kershaw's by Ken Onion.
Just my opinion, but I see where you are coming from.
How quick you can get one out or open should not be regulated by law. I can flip open an Gerber Air Harsey Ranger knife as fast as the assisted Kershaw's by Ken Onion.
Just my opinion, but I see where you are coming from.
Jorg Nysgerrig
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Neither of those are automatics...
markk
Member
They are legal here in Florida.
I have yet to find a dealer that will sell to anyone who isnt active duty military or LEO. I dont even want one of these knives, I am just wondering why on earth they would be harder to get then a gun...it makes no sense to me. If I am judged as being responsible enough to carry a gun, why wouldnt I be responsible enough to open an automatic knife...I just dont get it thats all.
Jorg,
I do own a switch blade, but I can flip open the Gerber without touching the blade or thumb-stud, just as quickly as the Automatic.
So I just carry around the Gerber, because it is less to me if I lose it. That was the point I was trying to make.
I do own a switch blade, but I can flip open the Gerber without touching the blade or thumb-stud, just as quickly as the Automatic.
So I just carry around the Gerber, because it is less to me if I lose it. That was the point I was trying to make.
Join the military, they are allowed on post, or here in the sandbox. My benchmade does multiple duty, opening mail, cutting rope or whatever. I realize it only takes a moment longer to open the other types of knives but you also have to consider the tacticool factor!!
Monkeybear
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Because the word "automatic" is a bad and scary word. Things shouldn't happen "automatically"; that just makes them so much more dangerous. Imagine all the crime that would happen if knives were ever so slightly easier to open. All thats left is to get rid of the automatic cars out there running over people. I don't even understand who would want one of those when its obvious that shifter cars are much safer.
230RN
2A was "political" when it was first adopted.
Irks the heck out of me, too.
Browsing around in Bernard Levine's articles at
http://www.knife-expert.com/
will reveal a listing of state-by-state knife laws. (I do not know how current these are.
The following is a quote from KNIFE WORLD magazine on the history of switchblade knife laws. I trust the respective copyright (1990) holders will forgive me for posting it in its entirety for educational and historical purposes.
Gun Owners, especially reloaders, will make special note of the remarks about the "Commerce Clause" of the United States of America's Constitution. This, in light of the recent attempts to excessively regulate reloading components. To my mind, it is the most fearsome clause in that Constitution because of the potential for interpretational abuse.
Browsing around in Bernard Levine's articles at
http://www.knife-expert.com/
will reveal a listing of state-by-state knife laws. (I do not know how current these are.
The following is a quote from KNIFE WORLD magazine on the history of switchblade knife laws. I trust the respective copyright (1990) holders will forgive me for posting it in its entirety for educational and historical purposes.
Gun Owners, especially reloaders, will make special note of the remarks about the "Commerce Clause" of the United States of America's Constitution. This, in light of the recent attempts to excessively regulate reloading components. To my mind, it is the most fearsome clause in that Constitution because of the potential for interpretational abuse.
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MaterDei
Member
So what makes a knife 'automatic'? According to the Knife World article a Ken Onion assisted opening knife seems to be prohibited by the law passed in 1958 yet they are legal in many states.
230RN
2A was "political" when it was first adopted.
Mater Dei
Hail!
I don't know. Check with Levine's site -- he has a Q&A section as well as a knife-question-answering section.
I had to rework that post a dozen times to get it right and I last added a reference to his site at
http://www.knife-expert.com/
which may have been added after your post.
I also added a remark that individual state laws, which vary quite a bit, may be found on that site.
Also, as I understand it, the only authority the US Government had was to pass a law prohibiting the interstate commerce in switchblades. The rest was up to the individual states to make them legal or illegal to possess.
Hail!
I don't know. Check with Levine's site -- he has a Q&A section as well as a knife-question-answering section.
I had to rework that post a dozen times to get it right and I last added a reference to his site at
http://www.knife-expert.com/
which may have been added after your post.
I also added a remark that individual state laws, which vary quite a bit, may be found on that site.
Also, as I understand it, the only authority the US Government had was to pass a law prohibiting the interstate commerce in switchblades. The rest was up to the individual states to make them legal or illegal to possess.
Your question begins with a faulty premise....
No they don't. They never will. They will continue to ban, restrict, fee into unffordability, and license anything and everything they can that could in any way be used against them. And it would be so dang easy if it weren't for that pesky second amendment.
Governments are an organism. They grow, devour, move, and reproduce. A cursory examination of congressional byproducts also indicate copious amounts of high temperature respiration and shovelable levels of excretion. It's no surprise then that self-preservation is also evident.
No they don't. They never will. They will continue to ban, restrict, fee into unffordability, and license anything and everything they can that could in any way be used against them. And it would be so dang easy if it weren't for that pesky second amendment.
Governments are an organism. They grow, devour, move, and reproduce. A cursory examination of congressional byproducts also indicate copious amounts of high temperature respiration and shovelable levels of excretion. It's no surprise then that self-preservation is also evident.
unrealtrip
Member
Hell in CA you can't have a blowgun, that's a misdemeanor. I mean really... when was the last time someone was killed by one of those?! And how do you outlaw a piece of tube? So if I have a section of PVC pipe and bamboo skewers I'm going to jail?? And automatic knives... a spring loaded knife is illegal because you can deploy it too quickly, but a gravity fed knife that opens even faster is not.
Another classic one, throwing stars, or any "ninja" weapons for that matter, pretty much all outlawed here. I mean really, when was the last time someone killed someone with a throwing star. I think some legislators saw too many ninja movies in the 80's. So a throwing star is illegal, but a throwing knife is not? riiiiight.
Another classic one, throwing stars, or any "ninja" weapons for that matter, pretty much all outlawed here. I mean really, when was the last time someone killed someone with a throwing star. I think some legislators saw too many ninja movies in the 80's. So a throwing star is illegal, but a throwing knife is not? riiiiight.
damien
Member
IANAL
There is a discussion of the federal law, and state laws, here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switchblade
P.S.:
http://www.switchblade-knives.it/
"Under Italian law governing the manufacture and export of automatic knives, AB is able to ship your order anywhere in the world. It is solely the client's responsibility to check their area's laws concerning possession and carry of any product prior to making their order."
Worst case scenario, according to them:
"You should also be aware that US customs will only seize the package and send you a seizure letter. You won't be arrested or have other legal problems."
There is a discussion of the federal law, and state laws, here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switchblade
P.S.:
http://www.switchblade-knives.it/
"Under Italian law governing the manufacture and export of automatic knives, AB is able to ship your order anywhere in the world. It is solely the client's responsibility to check their area's laws concerning possession and carry of any product prior to making their order."
Worst case scenario, according to them:
"You should also be aware that US customs will only seize the package and send you a seizure letter. You won't be arrested or have other legal problems."
mike101
Member
Very Stupid Laws
There are a lot of dealers who will sell you an automatic knife. They all have a disclaimer on their websites, that says the buyer, not the seller, is responsible for obeying local laws. Only the ones who require a copy of a military, or LEO ID will not. Most don't require an ID.
I was reading a little about the history of these ridiculous laws. They started as a result of a lot of politicians becoming hysterical after West Side Story came out. They thought if they didn't ban switchblades, every kid in the country would become a Puerto Rican gang member.
Guess which state was the first to outlaw automatic knives. Survey says...............................New Jersey!!!
There are a lot of dealers who will sell you an automatic knife. They all have a disclaimer on their websites, that says the buyer, not the seller, is responsible for obeying local laws. Only the ones who require a copy of a military, or LEO ID will not. Most don't require an ID.
I was reading a little about the history of these ridiculous laws. They started as a result of a lot of politicians becoming hysterical after West Side Story came out. They thought if they didn't ban switchblades, every kid in the country would become a Puerto Rican gang member.
Guess which state was the first to outlaw automatic knives. Survey says...............................New Jersey!!!
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
I think it is because You might Poke Your Eye Out!
Seriously, the interstate commerce law is the stopper.
It's legal in many states to own one, but against federal law to ship them across state lines except for police, military, and maybe one-armed folks with a Dr's slip!
I really don't know what the big attraction is anyway, other then the "WoW", and "You Can't Have One" factors.
I own, or have owned, several Benchmade & other Autos.
One broke a spring which put it out of action, because Benchmade would not risk shipping repair parts to me.
They are all more sensitive to sand & dirt then manual openers.
And has been said, they are no faster, if as fast, then a well broken in manual like a hole-opener AFCK, or any of the AXIS-Lock Benchmades.
rcmodel
Seriously, the interstate commerce law is the stopper.
It's legal in many states to own one, but against federal law to ship them across state lines except for police, military, and maybe one-armed folks with a Dr's slip!
I really don't know what the big attraction is anyway, other then the "WoW", and "You Can't Have One" factors.
I own, or have owned, several Benchmade & other Autos.
One broke a spring which put it out of action, because Benchmade would not risk shipping repair parts to me.
They are all more sensitive to sand & dirt then manual openers.
And has been said, they are no faster, if as fast, then a well broken in manual like a hole-opener AFCK, or any of the AXIS-Lock Benchmades.
rcmodel
Crunker1337
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If you get a deadly weapons permit I think you can carry one.
DoubleTapDrew
Member
They think that extra .2 seconds of opening time will make the difference between using it and not? Maybe they just don't want greasers around 
Neo-Luddite
Member
It's a silly law--especially since most auto's are little more than gadgets or "fun" pocket knives. I wouldn't have believed it, but the Carson 'flipper' actuated knife I got from a pal for my birthday is very fast-at least as fast as the few auto knives that I have never owned here in the state of Illinois. Once more, it is a very strong little knife.
Justin
Moderator Emeritus
Because you might be tempted to wear a leather jacket, slick your hair back and engage in musical dance numbers?
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
I forgot to mention the time a pre-safety 3000S Benchmade opened in my pocket and cut me, as well as it's way out of a brand new pair of jeans!
After they started putting the safety lock on them, they are much slower then almost any manual knife to get into action.
rcmodel
After they started putting the safety lock on them, they are much slower then almost any manual knife to get into action.
rcmodel
As said previously, knife laws are regulated state-to-state.. The Fed's only banned their import and let the states take over.
Oddly enough in California you can own an auto as long as the blade is under 2" or there-abouts. Check out Piranah knives, they make several Cali-legal switch blades.
In Florida they are mostly unrestricted and as such where most quality auto's are made.
Here in Ohio, you can own one but you cannot carry it or try to sell it and you cannot buy one. But they are sold at every gun show without anyone coming down on them. The one exception is if you only have one arm, then you are allowed unrestricted carry.
I have one (Microtech Scarab) and I use the heck out of it around my house and in my shop, nothing beats a good OTF for utility use - a true one handed knife.
Oddly enough in California you can own an auto as long as the blade is under 2" or there-abouts. Check out Piranah knives, they make several Cali-legal switch blades.
In Florida they are mostly unrestricted and as such where most quality auto's are made.
Here in Ohio, you can own one but you cannot carry it or try to sell it and you cannot buy one. But they are sold at every gun show without anyone coming down on them. The one exception is if you only have one arm, then you are allowed unrestricted carry.
I have one (Microtech Scarab) and I use the heck out of it around my house and in my shop, nothing beats a good OTF for utility use - a true one handed knife.
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