What exactly is a gravity knife?

H

Honeywell

Joined
Aug 1, 2002
Messages
57
People classify a gravity knife as one that can flicked open correct? Now are we talking just a flick of the wrist with no part of the hand touching the blade? Because on my Emerson (non-wave) the knife can't be flicked open by just holding the handle and giving it a sharp wrist flick. BUT you can easily flick it open by giving a little push on the thumb stud right before the beginning of the wrist snap. This is all done in one fluid motion so it looks like it's just a simple wrist flick.

So when people speak of a knife being flicked open do they mean they can open the blade with just a wrist flick or do they need the initial push with the thumb?
 
Actually what you are talking about is refered to as an inertial opening, which is also illegal some places. A gravity knife is one that can open solely by the force of gravity acting on the blade, usually after releasing a closed position lock.

Laws against either are kind of pointless, IMO. Especially after the the release of Emerson's Wave which allows VERY fast openings with very little practice. Balisongs are often classified as gravity knives, but if you rely on gravity alone, you'll end up with one handle in your hand and the other handle and the blade hanging uselessly. Just about any blade can opened intertially with a little practice. If not with a handle grip then often with a blade grip, using the heavier weight of the handle to get it around. What are the Legislator's going to do? Outlaw all knive's?

I think I read some where on the forums that most knife attacks (maybe it was deaths) were made with kitchen knives. Can anyone confirm this? So what next, outlaw all kitchen knives even?

Weapons Law in is so archaic! An armed society is a polite society. Don't outlaw the tools, outlaw the behavior, and make the penalties stiff. I'm a responsible law abiding citizen. I educate myself on the law, and stay with in it. If I break the law, it will be for a damned good reason and I expect to be punished.

(sorry, little rant there...........I'm done.)
 
i agree....think about it logically youre a criminal, by definition you have little or no respect for the law therefore knife laws mean nothing to you and you have a choice between taking a SAK or a cheap lock back to stab someone with or you take the 12 inch cooks knife out of the drawer which are you going to use?

second scenario is domestic disturbance, whats immediately to hand? the carving knives out of hte knife block on the windowsil...

knife laws are a joke to anyone who thinks about it reasonable but they are put in place by politicians to fit the desires of the majority of people who dont think logically about these things, of course a knitchen knife is as dangerous as any other type of knife, but by banning other types of knife they make it look like theyre doing something to 'protect' people when they actually arent as you can walk out and with very little money buy a knife big enough to stick right through someone
 
The problem with these laws being forced upon us of late is that the Minority now rules this country instead of the majority (and by minority I don't mean a race).
 
I'm not surprised that most knife attacks are made with kitchen knives because if it happened in a burglary, the burglar could've just grabbed the largest off the block and he would have a good weapon. The chef's knife would be a decent slasher, long enough to be used in a stab and reach vitals easily, and if the household actually spend the money to get some good kitchen knifes, they're full tang/almost full tang and could be quite sturdy.
I would not think a criminal would carry a kitchen knife as a weapon though.
I thought TTKK is Talmadge Tactical Kitchen Knife, design of Joe Talmadge (He's the one who wrote the FAQs under knowledge base when you first access the site), and I would think that a kitchen knife slighly modified would be a great tactical knife too.
 
As far as I understand it, although I haven't studied the law exhaustively, the federal statute against automatic opening knives (which include gravity knives) state that the HANDLE must be an intricate part of the automatic opening.

So, knives with the wave, or a thumbstud, or a zip tie, or a hole, don't count, because the entire opening in contingent on the configuration fo the BLADE. On an awitchblade or dirk, for instance, the switch is ON the handle.
 
RCW 9.41.250 says . . . Every person who shall . . . have in his possession . . . any knife having a blade which opens, or falls, or is ejected into position . . . by an outward, downward, or centrifugal thrust or movement . . . shall be guilty of a gross misdemeanor.
 
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