Europe, France : an example of evolution of the laws (and precision if traveling)

[Zagato1600]

hello, at first, please excuse my english

i always v'been surprised when reading or watching knives review how quickly came the question about 'is my knife with its 2 microns spring strictly meets the definition of a switchblade ?' or 'does my 2.1 inch auto makes me a dangerous outlaw in Dakota ?'.
I thought that - lucky americans you are - if you can carry a 9mm or a .380 with 2 mag as a daily basis to go to the park with kids or shopping, where is the problem with a 2.91 inch blade, that nobody on earth would have in hands to fight with on an emergency situation ?
i now better understand the complex question you would answer if you intend to drive 5 hours and cross part of your beautiful country, state, town reglementation mixed together.
if you are not yet dead of laughing from my english written, i add precision about he laws regulating the carrying of a knife in my country, wich have (like may be all the civilized ones) a huge tradition about knives, blades, hunting, etc...

first, as a 'not seen / not catched' basis, a policeman is not allowed to check what you have in your pocket unless :

- you happen to be in a place where a crime have been committed and police works on it
- you are in a public area where a big reunion of people is awaited (stadium, but also the streets near the stadium, for example)
- a policeman just have seen that you have a 'delictuous comportment', he see you rob, hitting someone, etc..

are illegal to carry in France 'wathever the size, any knife with a locking system, fixed blade...' the definition refers to knife able to hardly hurt someone, to give a violent knock.
so, strictly, you are allowed to carry a 5 inch corsican folder without locking system but not a Ron Lake 2 inch blade

2 aspects of this definition shows evolution these last years : the justified intention and the 'direct access' to the tool/weapon :

- cannot be followed a people proving he is in the situation to may need the blade : camping, hunting, fishing, trekking are situation widely admitted to carry even a 7 inch green beret fixed blade in the 'big green' , forest, country, far from public areas
- specially in town, are not prosecuted knives holders proving they have not direct access to their knife : it's in a pouch, in a bag, not naked in you right hand pocket...

penaltys are 3750 euros and up to 2 years in jail.

an invitation to a french hunting club, or any document stating you are going to 'the wild' may help when traveling.

these 2 last precisions shows how much the policeman appreciation is important. The airports and mainly the train station have a specific reglementation, thanks to the bastard killed last month (endless thanks to your navy seals for that !) :

- a knife travelling in a luggage (not in cabin) must stay in the luggage : if found, the custom won't take it but put it back in the luggage (unless they are thief, it sadly does exist)

there is not in France such a specific reglementation about automatics : the question is the ability to lock the blade to may use it as a weapon, not the mechanics to open the folder. But, the 'look' of an automatic don't put a policeman in the greatest disposition to listen to your argument about your passion for fishing, for example ..

From my side, i will this summer spend holidays (and all my savings) in USA , i would like to know if i can bring a knife with good luck to see it back : i arrive in Las Vegas and fly back from Los Angeles, the knife will be in the luggage of course, but what happen if found by the custom ? anyway, this long awaited travel will be a good occasion for me, be sure, to buy knives and support your economy
thanks

 

[Zagato1600]

. . . a precision : i shave myself only with straight razors (and invite everybody to try, you wont go back to multiblades i think) : there is no way for me to stop specially during holidays, and always travel with a minimum of 2 razors.

 

[Clang!]

If I understand correctly, you are asking about knife laws in the various towns and states in the USA.

The laws vary from area to area. For your purposes, federal law effectively prohibits switchblade, butterfly (balisong) knives, and ballistic (blade can be shot from the handle) knives. Knives that do not look like knives (disguised as lipstick cases) are usually prohibited as well. Below are the most restrictive law I know of for cities:

For everyday carry in public the most restrictive law I know about is Fremont, California which has a 2 inch (5 cm) limit. The most restrictive of the major cities is Boston (along with several others) which has a 2.5 inch (7.25 cm) limit. New York City has been interpreting "Gravity Knife" very loosely to the point of nearly all locking knives are considered gravity knives.

For task-specific blades, like your shaving razors, they are generally allowed if being transported to or from the specific task. It's advisable to not carry these in your pockets, but should be packed away with the rest of the supplies (shaving soap, bristle brush, etc) and not readily accessible while transporting them.

Some stadiums and other venues, and ALL grade schools have a strict no-knife policy. NYC metro (subway) have been known to do random bag searches for "dangerous weapons" and has been a sore point for knife carriers. CNN has a strict no-knife policy if you decide to visit.

The police are allowed to search you for the reasons you stated and with "reasonable suspicion", they think you are about to do something illegal. Look up the term "Terry Stop" for more details. They are required to give you a business card and a receipt for anything they confiscate.

My advice - Carry a sub 2.5 or 2 inch slipjoint deep in your pocket or pack. Either a traditional folder like a peanut, a Swiss Army knife, or a multi-tool. Nothing that looks remotely "tactical", so no blacked out blades, skulls on the handle, etc.

Caveat Emptor - I'm no lawyer and don't play one on TV.

 

[Zagato1600]

Thank you very much for the infos !

 

[Jesse B.]

the justified intention

There is a comparison between this aspect of knife laws in some parts of Europe, and gun laws in some parts of the United States. If you can explain a valid reason why you need the knife, or the gun, then you are allowed to carry it. This is true in my area (in California): to carry a gun, you must explain to the Sheriff the reasons for it, then he or she will say yes or no. Usually they say no, so it's very rare to receive permission to carry a gun in this area and you won't see people carrying guns. But you go to a different state and the rules are much less strict; maybe you will see people having dinner with guns on their belts.
^(I'm sorry that doesn't respond to what you were saying; it's just an observation.)

Bonne chance dans les Etats-Unis!