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Why is there so much vagueness and why are there so many restrictions? In my state (FL) switchblades are legal, but in others they are not. Why are there so many restrictions on a blade?
A family member got harassed because he got searched while being stopped for traffic and the officer decided that his fishing knife is a concealed weapon.
IMHO - The point of restrictive knife laws is to disarm people too poor to afford a gun. Most of these laws we put in place during the late 1800's to keep "crime" in the immigrant ghettos under control. Some states, like Massachussetts, even forbid any double edge balde. I guess NYC would restrict a Swiss Army knife. IIRC New Hampshire removed all the knife restrictions a couple years ago but I would check before carrying a swithchblade.
IMHO - The point of restrictive knife laws is to disarm people too poor to afford a gun. Most of these laws we put in place during the late 1800's to keep "crime" in the immigrant ghettos under control. Some states, like Massachussetts, even forbid any double edge balde. I guess NYC would restrict a Swiss Army knife. IIRC New Hampshire removed all the knife restrictions a couple years ago but I would check before carrying a swithchblade.
I'm not too sure how poor one must be to not be able to afford a basic lockblade. They sell them at Wal-Mart for as little as a $1.00. Granted, it's not much of a knife but, for a $1.00??? Look for them in the camping section...cheap black plastic handle, so-so metal blade. It does seem laughable that modest knives (3-4" or less) with smaller blades are deemed a concealed weapon.
I always carry one as a backup to a concealed firearm as they can at least help to level the playing field in a fight. Trick is just to keep the blade razor sharp. It may be small but, it will do some damage to tendons and thicker muscle areas. They are cheap, never run out of ammo and can't jam sooooooo, it seems prudent to have one? Also handy if God forbid, you ever had to cut you, family, or a stranger out of a seatbelt in an accident. You don't need a bowie knife, just a 2.5-3 inch blade to do all of the above.
If the blade is 6" or more I can see some sort of concern but, simple lock blades? Hardly. But, to your point, it might be just the only thing someone of modest means can own to help protect themselves. They can wait til x-mas and grab a few "better models" ($10 or less) and sometimes get 2 for 1. My friends tease me about them but, I was able to get a fairly decent lock blade set from them when the market was way, way down. Good stainless quality badged under the Winchester name. Just need to sharpen it and I can tell you first hand, you wouldn't want to mess with it....it would carve someone up fairly well if called upon.
Pretty discreet. Just clip into the right corner of my jeans front pocket and it's out in a snap. Not bad if that's all you have.
I'm in Mass. and used to collect fantasy knives bought through catalogs many years ago then the state got wise and stopped allowing the catalogs to ship double edged, easily concealed like lipstick tubes or canes or pendant type knives. I guess their thinking to ban the double edge blades is to somehow reduce the damage done by them in case someone stabbed a victim. Usually if someone gets stabbed it is a repeated thing not just a one time jab. It is either that or the nanny state of MAss.was concerned that the user of the double edged blade could also be cut when defending themselves with it.
You should look up your states codes so you don't fall into trouble if you carry a naughty knife.
Why is there so much vagueness and why are there so many restrictions? In my state (FL) switchblades are legal, but in others they are not. Why are there so many restrictions on a blade?
A family member got harassed because he got searched while being stopped for traffic and the officer decided that his fishing knife is a concealed weapon.
Similar to firearms, a lot of people who are uneducated seem to think that knives with certain features are more dangerous than knives without those features. I'm not sure why people seem to think switchblades are more dangerous than other types of knives, or why they're mostly illegal in the first place (while things like assisted-opening and thumb studs and other features are completely legal.) I personally find it ridiculous that switchblades and butterfly knives are mostly illegal when I can flip my regular pocket knife's blade out in a demonstrably fast or faster manner.
Once you start looking into things like this, laws become nonsensical. Arbitrary blade length/knife size laws are ridiculous. Laws against double-edged knives are ridiculous. It's against the law to carry a Bowie knife in most states as well. I personally believe that it's the uneducated/uninitiated that pass these laws rather than people who know what they're talking about- people who see a gun with certain features or a knife with a double-edged blade and assume they're more potentially more dangerous or lethal when it's really got a lot more to do with the will of the user behind the tool... never mind that offensive or defensive use of a knife (because that's the only reason those laws get passed) requires FAR more skill to do well than other forms of offensive or defensive actions. The user is often at just as much risk of injury as the person they're scuffling with.
(Mighta gone a bit off topic there, but whatever.)
It's the old divide & conquer, or more precisely single out & conquer. Like any other predator gov't & police seek to peel off one of the herd and have their way with them. Most people can get away with carrying whatever knife they feel meets their needs, but woe unto the one who is peeled off, arrested, and locked up. Everyone else just watches and says "glad that wasn't me."
Play their game. In most states you can get a concealed handgun permit now, so get one and carry one, or two, or three big guns. And a really small knife.
Why is there so much vagueness and why are there so many restrictions? In my state (FL) switchblades are legal, but in others they are not. Why are there so many restrictions on a blade?
A family member got harassed because he got searched while being stopped for traffic and the officer decided that his fishing knife is a concealed weapon.
All the vagueness is intended to give the cop who stops you the right to protect himself against ANY type of weapons even a small pocket knife. If the knife you carry is considered a threat then (and all knives can be threats) then it a weapon.
Most single blade knives to day have advanced well past the switch blade of old to make them easy to open. These single blade one hand openers are primarily intended to be used as weapons not tools. This makes any cop nervous when one if found on a suspect. That and the fact that the traditional multi blade pocket is no longer favored for pocket carry for many middle age to younger people with the older guys like me still love our traditional pocket knife.
A knife is man kinds first tool and his first weapon. So it is today...........
Last edited by Grandpa Pipes; 05-14-2013 at 03:42 PM..
It does seem to be a fading tradition for a man to carry a pocket knife. I have my late grandfathers pocket knife that he carried everyday of his life. It is really worn out but it as his. I don't carry it but hold it now and again to remember him.
It does seem like the knife laws are vague to give the cops the upper hand in seizing (the weapon) and detaining the owner of it. I am sure the police profile a knife depending on who is carrying it be it a 18 year old gang banger or a 68 year old man.
It is funny how folks here have posted that they carry a gun instead of a knife. Of course who wants to bring a knife to a gun fight. Would it be better to get stabbed or shot? Of course it depends on where. If someone pulled a knife on me I would rather have a gun so I wouldn't need to get close to the fight.
In todays day when it comes to weapons anything can be considered one if the police want to give you a tough time.
New Hampshire law backed by Knife Rights and AKTI, among others
Quote:
Originally Posted by GregW
IIRC New Hampshire removed all the knife restrictions a couple years ago but I would check before carrying a swithchblade.
New Hampshire law includes statewide preemption and no restrictions on adult non-felons. Changing the law in New Hampshire took a lot of work by Jennifer Coffey and many others, including Knife Rights, Inc and AKTI.
Quote:
I have considered joining Knife Rights Dot Org but I don't know what impact they make nationally.
The two organizations I mention above were instrumental in passing statewide preemption in New Hampshire, and in changing the laws in several other states.
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New Hampshire law backed by Knife Rights and AKTI, among others
