Quoted: I believe anything with a blade longer than 3.5 inches is considered illegal to carry. I think double edge knives are also illegal - like a boot knife.
It isn't illegal though, to have switchblades, swordes, butterfly, stillheto, and other "illegal" knives. It's just illegal to carry them on your person in public. You can collect them, but not transport them. So, it is ok to buy one, but you can't take it home legally.
Stupid eh? |
Mostly wrong, important parts in red. This is state law, some municipalities/counties may have stricter laws.
(720 ILCS 5/24‑1) (from Ch. 38, par. 24‑1)
Sec. 24‑1. Unlawful Use of Weapons.
(a) A person commits the offense of unlawful use of weapons when he knowingly:
(1)
Sells, manufactures, purchases, possesses or carries any bludgeon, black‑jack, slung‑shot, sand‑club, sand‑bag, metal knuckles, throwing star,
or any knife, commonly referred to as a switchblade knife, which has a blade that opens automatically by hand pressure applied to a button, spring or other device in the handle of the knife, or a ballistic knife, which is a device that propels a knifelike blade as a projectile by means of a coil spring, elastic material or compressed gas; or
(2)
Carries or possesses with intent to use the same unlawfully against another, a dagger, dirk, billy, dangerous knife, razor, stiletto, broken bottle or other piece of glass, stun gun or taser or any other dangerous or deadly weapon or instrument of like character
From 720 ILCS 5/33A-1:
A Category II weapon is any other rifle, shotgun, spring gun, other firearm, stun gun or taser as defined in paragraph (a) of Section 24-1 of this Code,
knife with a blade of at least 3 inches in length, dagger, dirk, switchblade knife, stiletto, axe, hatchet, or other deadly or dangerous weapon or instrument of like character. As used in this subsection (b) "semiautomatic firearm" means a repeating firearm that utilizes a portion of the energy of a firing cartridge to extract the fired cartridge case and chamber the next round and that requires a separate pull of the trigger to fire each cartridge.
The "at least 3 inches" only matters if you are being charged with Armed Violence.