I know that in most states a switchblade is considered illegal. I am a collector, therefore I can buy them in my state, but of course they are illegal to carry in public.
I carry one anyway. Some years ago, I was in an aircraft crach, and had to cut my pilot out of his seatbelt. Since I was hurt as well, getting my legal knife open was a mother. Since that time I have always carried, and never been questioned by the law about a knife.
The cops I talk to tell me that the reason they like autos is for emergency situations..ie auto crashes, etc.
It is my feeling that if a LEO can carry a switchblade to save a life, then why cant I?
I can carry a handgun legally, but I cant carry a knife with a spring in it? I do have my CHL.
What is your feelings as LEOs on this?
I have made it a point all my life to ignore stupid laws. And I aint been put in prison yet!! Thanks for your input.

Let me start out by saying iam a knife person.
I usually have two or three on me.On the flip side I have put people in jail for switchblades.
Like it or not most of the good citizens think
knves are hoodlum weapons,especially switchblades (or any other automatic knife).
1st off carrying one may be ok as long as you
never get stopped by the police. When you do
get stopped a switch blade may make it a very
uncomfortable situation. You may not go to prison, but very likely will loose the knife and face fines. If you must carry an automatic
i would use one that used hidden switches and
pray the officer is not knowledegable. Why
risk it. Most one handed designs are nearly as
fast. Some say the ken onion design assisted
knives may be faster. I carry a emerson commander, it opens automatically every time
you pull it out of your pants the right way...
it is faster than a switchblade.

Here in North Carolina even the LEOs cannot carry automatic knives of any sort. NOBODY can have them short of the Armed Services. Sad but true.

CRC

That is sad!
Here in Arizona us "Civilians" can buy, own & Carry Auto knives! "No permit or collector title needed" AZ CCW covers any legal weapon. So I can carry an auto-knife or double edged dagger concealed if I wish to do so....


Later,
John

Used to be that way in Florida, too (I, too am a collector with a CHL).  790 F.S. stated that the kind of knife prohibited was one that propelled a blade as a projectile through the force of a spring.

Recently (last year, I think) some dingleberry prosecutor down south in the Enlightened State of Miami decided to split hairs on the definition of that prohibition, and the resulting case law has now made all "autos" illegal to possess, carry, and/or own (except of course by military or LEO).

I've dealt with LEO's a lot in my past.  Most of the time they thought the knife was pretty cool (we ended up a show-and-tell...a lot of officers carry 'em down here) and most never gave me a hassle because 1) I usually was on duty, wearing a badge of some kind, security or Bail, and 2) I was wearing a gun.  Used to be, the GUN is your weapon, the knife is a rescue tool.  Especially in Armored, where you only have one hand free, the other holding your liability.  I was never harrassed about it.

But after that case...my switchblade collection?  Gone.  Put away.  Never to be seen again until either I move to another state or the case law changes.

In many cases, one-handed thumb-stud openers, lever-assisted, loose gravity-folders, thumbhole openers (Spyderco) are all fine and dandy...but when you're INJURED, or in a confined space, or other weird circumstance most likely encountered when you will NEED that one-handed seatbelt- or clothing-cutter, I'd rather have a positive spring popping that blade out for immediate use.

But hey, that's just me.  Especially front-openers...they take MUCH less space to open than any side-opener, auto or otherwise.

I realize this is splitting hairs, but my tools are for specific purposes, and the "parachutist's knife" fit my requirements exactly, and up until I guess last year, it was legal.


Panz
[bounce]

I own a benchmade auto that I love a great deal. I don't normally carry it because I usually carry a Cold Steel Xlg Tanto Voyager. I use a wrist flick motion during presentation and with practice have developed great speed with it. No button to push and no problem with legality. I've drawn along side another LEO with an auto and beat him. It's all in the practice.

I think the restrictions on auto knives are stupid. It's a knife, that's it. I too have come across people with auto knives and have let people go and arrested others depending on their activity and why I made contact with them. The standard auto knives have shorter blades than manual knives (not that it makes them less dangerous) so I don't like the limited reach.

Nice to know about AZ, I'm thinking about moving there in a year or two.

I have a Kershaw "assisted" knife, not sure if it is a Ken Onion, but I have actually found it to be better than an Auto, in many circumstances, except that I had to carry a piece of paper showing I was allowed to own it while I was in Canuck land [pissed]

I bought a Kershaw Ken Onion model at a funshow. The dealer had full autos and would only sell them if you showed him an LEO badge and ID. He said the Ken Onions were legal so I bought it. Later I found out it was illegal. I carry it any way. Fuck it.

I carried a Benchmade Elishewitz Mini Stryker auto for quite some time. I am now carrying a Microtech Mini SOCOM. I have yet to find one instance when i could not open the Microtech and could open an auto. Most all of the good tactical knives are now made for one handed operation (both opening and closing). I personally cant see what the big problem with switchbaldes is, the new stuff is just as fast to open even without the spring.

In Missouri auto knives are illegal to carry unless you are LEO.  However, you can purchase them for "collecting."

However, I do not have a problem with people who carry auto knives.  Some of the thumb open type knives now open just as fast or faster than an auto knife.

medcop