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Posted: 3/12/2009 9:46:09 AM EDT
| Who in your state would you call to see if it is legal to carry a spring assist knife(not a switchblade). |
| If your talking about assisted opening and not an automatic. There is no problem, with assisted openers you have to phisically over power the spring inide for it to open, so the do not consider them automatic. Thats why they call them "assisted" because the spring just assist you in opening, not open it for you. And if you have any questions im sure your local Sheriff could help. |
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Quoted:
If your talking about assisted opening and not an automatic. There is no problem, with assisted openers you have to phisically over power the spring inide for it to open, so the do not consider them automatic. Thats why they call them "assisted" because the spring just assist you in opening, not open it for you. And if you have any questions im sure your local Sheriff could help. Yeah that's what I'm taking about. I've read they are perfectly legal, but that doesn't mean some d-bag cop isn't going to think it's not. |
| Spring assist knives are legal in all 50 states. California has a law specifically legalizing spring assist knives and making them exempt from switchblade laws. Your state may have a similar law. There's a link in the Blades forum FAQ to state knife laws. The thread is tacked at the top of the forum. |
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Many states are banning assisted knives. Maine has a law against any knife that can be opened with an assisted device or by any flick of the wrist.
" Maine 17A ยง1055. Trafficking in dangerous knives 1. A person is guilty of trafficking in dangerous knives, if providing he has no right to do so, he knowingly manufactures or causes to be manufactured, or knowingly possesses, displays, offers, sells, lends, gives away or purchases any knife which has a blade which opens automatically by hand pressure applied to a button, spring or other device in the handle of the knife, or any knife having a blade which opens or falls or is ejected into position by the force of gravity, or by an outward, downward or centrifugal thrust or movement. " Yes it is enforced. Don't believe the hype that they are legal in all 50 states. Many have been charged with a misdemeanor thinking the same thing. |
| Even Texas has a law similar to the Maine law, it was added about 2 yrs. ago its found at the state Texas Legislator website. I've been carrying two Emersons and a Kershaw Leek for 6-7 yrs. and law enforcement has never given me any problems (yet). I really think they dont know about the law or they are only looking for switchblades because where I'm at it seems like every third person you see has a Kershaw on them! Of course that same statuate or the following one also says Bowie knives and swords are illegal too, but walk into any Army Navy store or gun store, gun show and you have cops walking right by people with these items. |
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Here is my states knife laws:
. No person, other than a law enforcement officer, may carry any firearm or dangerous weapon concealed unless the person is licensed to do so or exempted... - 12.1-01-04... 6. "Dangerous weapon" means, but is not limited to, any switchblade or gravity knife, machete, scimitar, stiletto, sword, or dagger... - "A straight razor, unsuitable for shaving and altered in such a fashion as to enhance its effectiveness as a weapon, is a dangerous weapon that may not be carried concealed without a license or exemption." (1988) What do you think? |
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Quoted:
Many states are banning assisted knives. Maine has a law against any knife that can be opened with an assisted device or by any flick of the wrist. " Maine 17A ยง1055. Trafficking in dangerous knives 1. A person is guilty of trafficking in dangerous knives, if providing he has no right to do so, he knowingly manufactures or causes to be manufactured, or knowingly possesses, displays, offers, sells, lends, gives away or purchases any knife which has a blade which opens automatically by hand pressure applied to a button, spring or other device in the handle of the knife, or any knife having a blade which opens or falls or is ejected into position by the force of gravity, or by an outward, downward or centrifugal thrust or movement. " Yes it is enforced. Don't believe the hype that they are legal in all 50 states. Many have been charged with a misdemeanor thinking the same thing. Read your quote again. it does NOT refer to assisted knives, but auto knives. opens automatically by hand pressure applied to a button, spring or other device in the handle of the knife
A button fixed to the blade does not fit this definition. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Many states are banning assisted knives. Maine has a law against any knife that can be opened with an assisted device or by any flick of the wrist. " Maine 17A ยง1055. Trafficking in dangerous knives 1. A person is guilty of trafficking in dangerous knives, if providing he has no right to do so, he knowingly manufactures or causes to be manufactured, or knowingly possesses, displays, offers, sells, lends, gives away or purchases any knife which has a blade which opens automatically by hand pressure applied to a button, spring or other device in the handle of the knife, or any knife having a blade which opens or falls or is ejected into position by the force of gravity, or by an outward, downward or centrifugal thrust or movement. " Yes it is enforced. Don't believe the hype that they are legal in all 50 states. Many have been charged with a misdemeanor thinking the same thing. Read your quote again. it does NOT refer to assisted knives, but auto knives. opens automatically by hand pressure applied to a button, spring or other device in the handle of the knife
A button fixed to the blade does not fit this definition. I have first hand experience on how it is interpreted in a court of law. It wins every time here. |
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Take a look at this thread:
Supposedly, there have been Texas residents arrested carrying assisted open knives. It caught my attention BC I carry a Kershaw Blur. |
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Interesting that those people would file a class action lawsuit in Texas, of all places. FWIW, here's the text of California's switchblade law. The underlined part was amended to the law in 2001 to exempt spring assist knives from being called switchblades. 653k: Every person who possesses in the passenger's or driver's area of any motor vehicle in any public place or place open to the public, carries upon his or her person, and every person who sells, offers for sale, exposes for sale, loans, transfers, or gives to any other person a switchblade knife having a blade two or more inches in length is guilty of a misdemeanor. For the purposes of this section, "switchblade knife" means a knife having the appearance of a pocketknife and includes a spring-blade knife, snap-blade knife, gravity knife or any other similar type knife, the blade or blades of which are two or more inches in length and which can be released automatically by a flick of a button, pressure on the handle, flip of the wrist or other mechanical device, or is released by the weight of the blade or by any type of mechanism whatsoever. "Switchblade knife" does not include a knife that opens with one hand utilizing thumb pressure applied solely to the blade of the knife or a thumb stud attached to the blade, provided that the knife has a detent or other mechanism that provides resistance that must be overcome in opening the blade, or that biases the blade back toward its closed position. Ebay has more good info, also explanations why spring assist knives are allowed on ebay and and how paypal was forced to allow the sale of spring assisted knives. http://reviews.ebay.com/The-California-Penal-Code-Knife-Law-amp-Legal-Definitions_W0QQugidZ10000000003504505 |
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