Are neck knives illegal in NYC?

C

cichlid

Joined
Mar 2, 2008
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Greetings, I have possessed a smith and wesson neck knife for about 3 years. Someone told me they are illegal but I tell them it's not because it's under 4 inches and it's concealed. I'm not sure though so any help would be appreciated I only carry it because I ride the subway through The Bronx at night sometimes on my way back home and it can be pretty, amusing.. ty
 
That is a good question as it is not illegal in size or opening method, and you are carrying it concealed. The only issue you may have it the dangerous knife/dirk/stiletto charge. Most NYC Officers would not look at the knife as a useful tool since it would seem to them as you are carrying it for self defense, and that would help them to state it is a dangerous knife that you intended to use as a waepon....NYC has some anti knife laws for sure. All that said it seems like it is more legal than not, and two months back the train conductor who used a knife to kill two of his attackers used a sheath knife to do so and was not charged in any way including weapon possession ( although two knives were recovered from the seen one folder that was a gravity knife and one small sheath knife).
 
tom19176 said:
That is a good question as it is not illegal in size or opening method, and you are carrying it concealed. The only issue you may have it the dangerous knife/dirk/stiletto charge. Most NYC Officers would not look at the knife as a useful tool since it would seem to them as you are carrying it for self defense, and that would help them to state it is a dangerous knife that you intended to use as a waepon....NYC has some anti knife laws for sure. All that said it seems like it is more legal than not, and two months back the train conductor who used a knife to kill two of his attackers used a sheath knife to do so and was not charged in any way including weapon possession ( although two knives were recovered from the seen one folder that was a gravity knife and one small sheath knife).
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Since fixed blades under 4" are legal in NYC what about carrying a folding knife open (and of course concealed) as if it was a fixed blade? Would this be illegal?
 
I know that in California ( from postings here) that a folding knife carried open is considered a fixed blade. NY has no such definition. The knife would still be looked at as to wheter or not it was a gravity knife or switchblade, and I must say I think even a more knife friendly officer may feel that a dangerous knife charge was valid since the knife was carried open and therefore quickly accessable as a weapon.

I was in Times Square yesterday in front of one of the properties I over see, and I spoke to a few rookies who were on post. After telling them I enjoyed my time in the uniform, I discussed a few things with them, and I asked why I noticed none of them were carring a knife. The answer in stereo from all three of them was that there were told not to carry any "offensive" knives and they must carry a small knife or multi tool out of sight. Gravity knives and switchblades are forbidden by the Patrolman Guide ( the NYPD rule book) even though the Penal law allows them to be carried by officers. This is what you will be dealing with in NYC in reguards to knife law enforcement. They all felt a weapons arrest ( read knife there) was second only to a robbery or murder arrest, so be very careful.......
 
tom19176 said:
I was in Times Square yesterday in front of one of the properties I over see, and I spoke to a few rookies who were on post. After telling them I enjoyed my time in the uniform, I discussed a few things with them, and I asked why I noticed none of them were carring a knife. The answer in stereo from all three of them was that there were told not to carry any "offensive" knives and they must carry a small knife or multi tool out of sight. Gravity knives and switchblades are forbidden by the Patrolman Guide ( the NYPD rule book) even though the Penal law allows them to be carried by officers. This is what you will be dealing with in NYC in reguards to knife law enforcement. They all felt a weapons arrest ( read knife there) was second only to a robbery or murder arrest, so be very careful.......
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It doesn't sound as if that law is universally followed by NY's finest. I spent some time there late last year and nearly every LEO I saw carried some kind of edged tool. Most I saw looked like some kind of Spyderco, but I did see one with a fixed push dagger in a sheath near his sidearm.
 
Getahl the guys that I spoke to were all "new leather" just one month on the street....as I said they were rookies, I was streesing what they are being taught....
 
Along the same lines, do you think that a HideAway Knife carried concealed would be "illegal" as a dirk/stiletto/dagger? The blade is just under 2 inches, and the two-finger grip is not really a brass knuckle. I'm talking about the utility blade version, which is straight and one-sided, not the double-sided or curved versions.
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PV29, that is a hard one to say. If it could be explained that there as a special purpose for the design other than self defense, then maybe this knife is ok. The issue always is why do you carry it, and how beliveable your reason is. Honestly to me it looks some what weapon like. I am at the point that in NYC unless you are going fishing you are better off carrying a small non locking knife.....
 
Yeah, I see your point. Especially mine, which is black coated and has paracord wrapping on the handle. However, they're marketed as "utility" knives, which can be used for box cutting and other tasks and do not require you to drop the knife while using your hand for other chores.

Bottom line, I don't carry this in NYC, just too risky. If reasonable minds such as yours (not so much mine) can have a question about legality, then it's not worth it. In NYC the only thing I consider are a Spyderco Ladybug or a Boker Subcom folder. And neither is going to be of much use for SD situations, so they're strictly tools for chores.
 
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