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Legality of Automatic Knives?

What's the scoop on the legality of carrying an automatic knife in most of the states in the U.S.? My impression is that they are illegal, but I'm not sure if that's true or just urban legend. If it's true, can you carry one legally if you have a permit to carry a concealed weapon?
 
More variables on that issue than combinations on a Rubik Cube.....

Generally speaking though, your Southern and/or Western States are more lenient when it comes to carrying "weapons" than are the Northeast and some Midwestern locales. Just be sure you're right...and go ahead.
 
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Sadly, it looks like a no-go almost everywhere. I guess I will look at spring-assisted knives, where you have to manually start the process of opening the blade, and then the spring takes it from there.
 
As with health issues, an internet forum is usually not the best place to get expert and accurate legal advice.
Consult your State, County and Township officials as it may vary across all 3.
 
FWIW I have non assisted knives that open just as fast as an auto. In fact, I prefer them to auto knives ( less parts to break ) and I can carry any auto, any size I want.
 
On multiple occasions When someone needed a knife, I've pulled my EDC out and opened it so quickly that people have been sure that it's an auto knife. None of mine are even spring assisted.
 
As with health issues, an internet forum is usually not the best place to get expert and accurate legal advice.
Consult your State, County and Township officials as it may vary across all 3.

+1. If you travel much, the laws on knives will drive you crazy. I believe in some parts of NY, ANY knife with a locking blade is illegal. This makes almost every knife I own illegal. The idiocy of such a law defies logic - the locking blade is a SAFETY feature. In some jurisdictions the law is based in part on intent. If you tell a police officer you carry a knife for protection it's a crime, if you say it's strictly a cutting tool you are ok. Unlike firearms, you can't obtain a carry permit. You have to research the laws in the jurisdictions where you live and travel and educate yourself and make sure to keep up with any changes.
 
Can you point me to some links? TIA.

The list would shut down the server :001_smile

Here's a video of one of the cheaper knives I have that flips well ( zero assistance of any kind ). Skip to 3:00

In general, you can surf YouTube and watch different knife reviews. Most all of them will involve someone trying to show how fast they can deploy it.

 
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On multiple occasions When someone needed a knife, I've pulled my EDC out and opened it so quickly that people have been sure that it's an auto knife. None of mine are even spring assisted.

+1

I'm not a fan of auto openers. A good knife with a thumb stud can be opened easily and quickly - and as alluded to above, most can be opened lightning fast with a flick of the wrist. Legal issues aside, for defense purposes a fixed blade is probably best.
 
Hope I'm not too off topic with a reminiscence, but . . .

When I was in junior high school in Florida in the early 60s, the school principal decreed that, henceforth, switch blade knives would no longer be permitted on school grounds. Several of us boys were discussing this when I volunteered that I didn't know for sure what a switch blade knife was. Right there on the spot, two of the boys in the group pulled out their switch blades in order to show me.
 
I believe in some parts of NY, ANY knife with a locking blade is illegal.

This one is news to me, having lived and traveled the state all my life, so I'm as sure as I can be that is not the case. It is true in the UK however, no locking blade knives allowed for EDC. A lot of states are starting to relax the laws on auto and gravity knives since the invention of the thumb stud and spring assist have made the arguments against auto/gravity a moot point now.
 
This one is news to me, having lived and traveled the state all my life, so I'm as sure as I can be that is not the case. It is true in the UK however, no locking blade knives allowed for EDC. A lot of states are starting to relax the laws on auto and gravity knives since the invention of the thumb stud and spring assist have made the arguments against auto/gravity a moot point now.

When I looked up NY knife laws a few years ago I found the prohibition on locking blades, think it was NYC. Unfortunately it is pretty difficult to research the laws, you have state law and then all the various smaller justifications can have their own codes.
 
When I looked up NY knife laws a few years ago I found the prohibition on locking blades, think it was NYC. Unfortunately it is pretty difficult to research the laws, you have state law and then all the various smaller justifications can have their own codes.

The state law is very concise about knives in it's complete ambiguity. I tried to read and research for the state restrictions. It didn't really clearly define anything except automatic and gravity knives,and butterfly/balisong as illegal. Everything else was left open to interpretation on "intent" in the eyes of the law enforcement person. I know they didn't even blink at my locking pocket knife at various places where they check your pocket contents but let you through with them.. Empire state building, statue of liberty.. that sort of thing. *shrug*
 
The state law is very concise about knives in it's complete ambiguity. I tried to read and research for the state restrictions. It didn't really clearly define anything except automatic and gravity knives,and butterfly/balisong as illegal. Everything else was left open to interpretation on "intent" in the eyes of the law enforcement person. I know they didn't even blink at my locking pocket knife at various places where they check your pocket contents but let you through with them.. Empire state building, statue of liberty.. that sort of thing. *shrug*

Yes, been awhile since I read it, but that is my recollection of NY state law. The city codes are more specific. Best not to violate any laws, but I imagine there is little chance anyone is going to make an issue of a knife unless one somehow attracts negative attention to themselves.
 
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