This is honestly something I’d never thought I’d see:
But the modern knives sold in countless stores bear little resemblance to the knives that were the original subjects of the ban. Many people, including carpenters, construction workers and stagehands, have no idea that their knives can be made to open with a flick of a wrist — a skill many New York police officers have developed. Most don’t know that simply possessing such a knife breaks the law.
The article goes on to note that a law office that handles such cases for defendents charged under this law says of the 254 of its clients, only four were charged with intent to use it unlawfully. How much do you want to bet of those four, they were arguable self-defense cases?
If even the New York Times agrees, it’s time for this stupid law to go. This is a good time to remind folks that Knife Rights is doing good work, and succeeding even in places no one would have argued success was achievable. But the fact is that gun rights today have far greater protections than those who choose to carry knives even for reasons unrelated to self-defense.
Really really good to see that even the NYT agrees the law is bad. Knife Rights are doing yeoman’s work.
Wow, I always thought this was a city law- but it’s the state.
True, but it may be that it is enforced differently in the city.
The City actively looks for them to prosecute. But its enforced across the state.
Exactly. It is the NYPD which has pushed creative ways of discovering any innocuous folding and locking knife is an illegal gravity knife. They have gotten very good at using extreme contortions and multiple tries to flip open a folding knife with one hand.
It’s a state law, but only NYC, as far as I know, stretches the definition of gravity knife to incredulity.
The state is trying to ADD to that list, not cut it. Cause fucking NYC politicians.
And the irony is that one can legally carry a non-folding instrument with a blade of less than 4″. Add a kydex or polymer belt clip sheath and it way better for self defense carry. Or if you’re a bad actor, much easier to deploy for nefarious purposes.
Link: http://www.amazon.com/ESEE-Knives-Izula-Molded-Sheath/dp/B00W2DTJGO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464875037&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=esee+izula&psc=1
But it’s truly sad that you can legally carry a fixed blade in NYC but you can’t carry a baton, i.e., a stick for self defense.
Well, you know, opening makes it dangerous!
Not being a knife, which is why fixed-blade knives are fine.
Because “switchblades”.
Wisconsin had really idiotic knife laws before Knife Rights, the WI Congress and Senate, and Gov. Walker changed all that this year. Milwaukee had very stringent rules about length of blades (3″ or less) and it was a hodgepodge of differing regulations depending on the municipalities. We also had a state-wide switchblade ban. Knife Rights properly rectified all that. We now have state preemption, the recognition of knives as a proper defense tool, and gone is the switch-blade ban. Under Walker, Wisconsin has rapidly become a very solid 2A state.