Automatic Knife Laws Research!

TheseusTheDestroyer

TheseusTheDestroyer

Joined
Nov 4, 2012
Messages
175
Hey everyone!
I'm doing a paper for school explaining why automatic knife laws are obsolete.
I was hoping to get some responses with solid reasons why YOU agree and what you could add to my thesis. I would also appreciate links of your research so that I can quote things better.

Thanks guys!

P.S. I don't want anyone to think I'm trying to cut corners and make you guys do my research for me, I just thought it would be more fun to ask all my fellow knife lovers rather than do a google search and dig through tons of articles about why knives are all evil and should be illegalized.

Thanks again!

-Theseus
 
Why are laws prohibiting or otherwise restricting automatic knife laws obsolete?

To begin with there was never, repeat NEVER a serious problem with such knives being used in crimes to begin with. There was quite literally no legal justification for the law in the first place, and there's no legal justification now.

Secondly the most commonly used knives in crimes are whatever's cheap and available, and those that are switchblades aren't among that list. If government was truly concerned then they'd introduce legislation to prevent the ownership if cheap kitchen knives.

Third is the changes to modern knife technology. Assisted opening knives can be opened just as fast as switchblades, but because of how they're designed they don't legally qualify as switchblades. Current legislation is like saying granny smith apples are illegal to sell, harvest or eat, but golden delicious apples are legal for all the mentioned purposes even though they're basically the same.
 
RevDevil said:
You need to start your search on Kniferights.org
Click to expand...

This.

Also I'm sure you could do some testing and recording of your own on how fast manual knives deployed compared to autos to show the lack of difference. I know I can deploy manuals just as fast as my Microtech.
 
My $.02, and worth what you paid for it: The switchblade, gravity, and butterfly knives were banned in 1958 because of their association with gangs and other criminal elements. They could be readily concealed and rapidly deployed making them well suited for ambushes and other sudden attacks. Outside of these three configurations, there were fixed blades, which are harder to conceal, and pocket knives requiring two hands to open without some fancy fingerwork.

Fast forward 23 years to 1981, and Spyderco produces the first non-banned knife designed to be opened using only one hand. The the C01 Worker. One handed openers became popular very quickly because their convenience and speed. This represented a major blurring of the line between two handed openers and switch blades. When assisted opener knives debuted in 1995, the line became even more blurred. There is only a small functional difference between legal assisted openers and illegal switch blades. At this point the ban is not really worth the effort.
 
Clang! said:
My $.02, and worth what you paid for it: The switchblade, gravity, and butterfly knives were banned in 1958 because of their association with gangs and other criminal elements. They could be readily concealed and rapidly deployed making them well suited for ambushes and other sudden attacks. Outside of these three configurations, there were fixed blades, which are harder to conceal, and pocket knives requiring two hands to open without some fancy fingerwork.
Click to expand...

That's a great point I hadn't thought of yet, I'm quite young I was born December 15 1993 so I was never really too aware of those three simple categories that you mentioned and made so clear. Automatic knives have been illegal since before I was born and by then there were already one handed open knives..

That's a good bit of history to add to my paper, Thanks!
 
Opinion: Two reasons automatic knife laws are obsolete are 1. the technology of assisted opening(flippers, springs, ect) have made some knives faster and more reliable than a push button blade or even a bali song in many cases. 2. Regulating a knifes method of deployment does nothing to keep people safer. Criminals will always use what's available and weather the knife they stole and intend to stab some with is an auto or manual is beside the point, at that point.

Other posts referring to "butterfly" knives and autos' being banned because of their association with gangs is true and accurate. It's also being mirrored today with firearms being the new target of "feel good" legislation that does nothing to increase public safety but attempts to convey to the public "hey we are aware of this problem and we trying to do something" while simultaneously infringing upon legal rights of law abiding citizens. So in short, legislation like the regulation of knives does nothing it's intended to do and creates the additional problems of rights infringement and public disappointment/frustration.
 
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Clang! said:
Outside of these three configurations, there were fixed blades, which are harder to conceal.
Click to expand...
Even then, for the century the overwhelming majority of knives used in crimes are fixed blades, usually culinary types. You ask almost any cop or federal agent in the US and they will confirm this.

The ban was based on association more than anything, and if you ask me there was an element of racism/ethic bias involved. The classic switchblade back in the 50s was the side-opening "stilletto" variety, which was Italian and often associated with the Italian-American mafia. Let's not forget in the 50s America was still quite aware that Italy was an Axis power in World War II, and was also quite aware of the Italian mafia's activities in the 30s and 40s. Similar, real gravity knives (now quite uncommon) were German, both the side-opening and slider variety, which were used by Nazi paratroopers. While never truly popular with criminals, think about it: If Americans disliked Italy for being an Axis power, you had better believe they despised Germany. The balisong didn't come up until later and was actually never intended to be covered by the federal Switchblade Act, but started getting the shaft legally because of its association with Southeast Asian and Latin people. Don't believe me? Look at all the state-based bans on throwing stars and nunchuku, items which I have never even heard of a crime committed with, but are feared because of their mystical "Far East" origin.
 
It's my understanding that a lot of what played into banning automatic knives in the 50s was their use in movies. Particularly their use by gang members in movies. Automatic knives were never a serious problem or issue but it's easy to attack something that is associated with gang members/criminals.

At the end of the day the focus of all weapon possession laws are misguided. They are misguided because it is not the object that is inherently bad but the unlawful use of the object.

If a woman stabs a rapist with an automatic knife, is the automatic knife inherently bad? Almost any weapon can be used for justified/lawful purposes or unlawful ones.
 
Not assisted knife related, but as an example of the use of ridiculous laws pertaining to knives to make it SEEM like the politicians are "doing sometime" about crime, a similar event occurred in San Antonio Tx back in the 90s (1996 or so).

In order to have another charge to lay on gang members, the City of San Antonio passed an ordinance making it illegal to carry a locking blade pocket knife with a blade length of LESS THAN 5.5 inches.

As Texas State law makes any knife with a blade length of MORE THAN 5.5 inches illegal to be carried in public, this ordinance effectively banned ALL locking blade pocket knives, thus making it illegal for law abiding citizens to carry the safest style of pocket knife most likely to be carried by males in Texas.

The PTB "claim" they don't actively go looking for folks carrying locking blade pocket knives, BUT they add the charges if they stop you for any other reason.
 
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