Talk:Switchblade

Definitions
Is a flick-knife a switchblade or a gravity knife? That is to say, is it a "flick" knife because it flicks out when the button is pushed (implies switchblade), or because you need to give it a flick to make it work (implies gravity knife)? I am grateful that I have no direct knowledge of this subject: can any experts here clarify which is the correct term? -- Karada 23:58, 9 Dec 2004 (UTC)


 * I'm certainly no expert but to me as a speaker of British English a flick-knife is a knife which opens by means of a spring released by pressing a button, intended as a weapon. OED is perhaps ambiguous but Merriam-Webster, Collins, Chambers and Longman all agree with the above. Harry 02:20, 10 Dec 2004 (UTC)

I would like to point out that "Switchblade" is a perjorative term for an automatic opening knife. That is the actual term for these types of knives, in the spirit of accuracy this article should probalby have its title changed to Automatic Opening knife, with Switchblade redirecting to it and being noted as a perjorative term. In Britain a flick knife is almost exclusively, a folding knife with a spring driven opening mechanism. The type of spring opening knife where the blade comes straight out the end is more commonly known as a stilleto.--Ykraps (talk) 15:12, 31 October 2010 (UTC)
 * Stilettos are not very common in Europe because they frequently go wrong and are difficult to fix. They are however ambidextrous whereas the side opening knife is not. The folding variety can be opened with the other hand but the button has to be depressed with the side of the forefinger as opposed to the thumb. This is much trickier to do.--Ykraps (talk) 15:28, 31 October 2010 (UTC)

Should the "Ger." behind "Sprenger" stand for German? If so, I will gladly put in a correct German word :) --dp  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 178.203.22.233 (talk) 14:19, 24 June 2011 (UTC)
 * It's more a difference in spelling of Schrade's pushbutton knife, called Springer or Sprenger based on various references. I have edited it.Dellant (talk) 16:14, 8 July 2011 (UTC)

Legality
Shouldn't there be something here about the legality of switchblades? I'm not sure what the actual laws are, but it's worth noting. Eldamorie 01:29, 1 May 2005 (UTC)
 * I agree. I had thought three was something at Knife, but it's just "Automatic knives (switchblades) are almost universally banned from civilian carry if not possession" which is better than nothing and sufficient for the entry Knife, but it would be good to have something more detailed at this more specific headword (Switchblade). Flapdragon 20:15, 1 May 2005 (UTC)
 * I'm working on an add on of the legality of switchblades in the U.S on a state by state basis: Do you all think that it would be appropriate to include in this article?
 * The legality section should probably be removed or edited down severely. Wikipedia is not an authoritative source on law and trying to keep this article current on individual state laws shouldn't be within the scope of the article not to mention could possibly open up liability issues. My suggestion is instead have the table provide links to the state departments that WOULD be the authoritative source. 69.134.162.135 (talk) 21:47, 21 December 2011 (UTC)

Legality Section needs Encyclopedic tone
Legality section seems to be written in the first person, and needs a more formal encyclopedic tone of voice. Gryffon 01:58, 24 March 2007 (UTC)

Nevada legality

 * I think that including the legality of switchblades in the US by state would be a great idea! If possible, find out the legality in other countries as well. Have at it! Boneheadmx 02:57, 31 December 2005 (UTC)

California legality
California Penal Code states that switchblades of length 2" and less are legal, however all swithcblades are banned from import, and must be fabricated in California. Also, perhaps include information on how assisted-opening folding knives (such as knives that use S.O.G.'s SAT technology) are not considered to be switchblades?  There's plenty of information here: http://www.equalccw.com/knifelaw.html#SECTION%20ONE 05:03, 17 March 2006 (UTC)

Soviet Union and Russian Federation legality
illegal —Preceding unsigned comment added by 178.184.160.85 (talk) 16:27, 6 November 2010 (UTC)

United Kingdom Legality
I've corrected the section on UK switchblade knife law. The maximum legal for a (folding, non-locking) knife to be legal to carry in public is 3", not 4". Wardog
 * "And also all knifes over 1 inch are taken out of the hands of the people as well as all blowguns and firearms.(totaly unfair)" - From the Australian legality section, really should be removed.

In the UK section it reads "although the knife would have to be pre-1959 vintage or its acquisition would be illegal." I note that neither the Restriction of Offensive Weapons Act 1959, nor the CJA 1988 explicitly outlaws the buying (or borrowing) of such a knife. How would its aquisition be illegal? I guess that buying such a knife could be regarded as the offence of inciting another person to illegally sell it...Also, I am not sure I agree 100% with "as long as it is held within the home". Certainly there are very few "reasonable excuses" for carring one in public, given that (under UK law) such knives are generally regarded as having no purpose other than as a weapon. But if you happen to own one, there are some circumstances when it might be reasonable (and therefore legal) to take it outside your home (some examples: moving house; putting your possessions into storage; transporting the knife to the police for destruction). But maybe these situations are to obscure to bother with... I agree that in general it would be a serious offence to have such a knife in a public place. TomH 01:39, 6 August 2007 (UTC) Also, I have made some minor changes to the links to UK laws. The links are now mostly to the actual legislation itself (on a government website) rather than to a third-party website which attempts to "explain" the law. I have removed the reference to the Knives Act 1997, which does not "ban" anything (it just restricts the way in which knives may be marketed). The 1959 Act does however outlaw the sale which effectively prohibits acquiring one in a legal circumstance after 1959. Perhaps it could be possible if inherited but having not looked into that angle I couldn't give any useful comment.TomH 02:03, 6 August 2007 (UTC)
 * A: The Restriction of Offensive Weapons Act 1959 (amended 1961) makes it illegal for anyone who " manufactures, sells or hires or offers for sale or hire, or exposes or has in his possession for the purpose of sale or hire or lends or gives to any other person" a automatic-opening (flick) knife or gravity knife as described in the Act, as of the date the legislation went into effect (13 June 1959). Under this law, any automatic opening or gravity knife given, sold, hired out to, exposed for sale, or lent to another after 13 June 1959 is an illegal act, and any offer of sale or hire of such a knife is illegal.  Addtionally, importation of such knives into the United Kingdom after 13 June 1959 is prohibited. Under a strict interpretation of the Act, it is not illegal to possess an automatic-opening or gravity knife as long as it the owner purchased it in the U.K. before 13 June 1959 and keeps the knife within the home or other private property, and does not transfer (sell, give, hire, lend) the knife to any other person. As the penalty provisions of the Act apply to the prior owner of the knife, not to the inheritor or subsequent purchaser, it is possible that a person living in the U.K. could acquire a automatic-opening or gravity knife made after June 1959 and keep it at home or on other private property without penalty to the new owner.  But, good luck convincing the Metropolitan Police with that interpretation.  They've even been seizing and destroying lock knives with manual thumb studs as "flick knives". Dellant (talk) 00:35, 30 October 2011 (UTC)
 * With the 2019 Amendments to the UK ROWA, this discussion is moot. Possession of a switchblade or flick knife, anywhere, including at home, is illegal within the United Kingdom. Dellant (talk) 21:17, 28 March 2022 (UTC)

Germany legality
Does anybody know when the law in Germany came into force? I was there in 1981 and purchased one with a 5.5" (140mm) blade quite legitimately.--Ykraps (talk) 16:06, 31 October 2010 (UTC)

Connecticut legality
The Connecticut law that is mentioned in the article says in no uncertain terms that switchblades are illegal to carry. The table then lists Connecticut as a state in which both possession and carrying are legal. There is something wrong, either the law is out of date or the table is wrong, I don't know which. Draganta 19:16, 30 September 2007 (UTC)
 * Second this. appears to indicate that it is illegal. Jochenroth 17:26, 23 October 2007 (UTC)
 * CT law has no restrictions on the mere possession or ownership of a switchblade, and it does not address sales or purchases. However, CT Code Sec. 943-53-206 defines certain knives as dangerous weapons and, with minor exceptions, makes it illegal to carry them on one's person or in a vehicle. Under the law, dangerous weapons are (1) dirk knives, (2) switch knives, (3) stilettos, (4) any knife that has an automatic spring release device that releases a blade from the handle longer than one and one-half inches, and (5) any knife that has a blade with an edged portion four inches or longer. Dellant 18:29 15 April 2019

Pennsylvania legality
I have updated Pennsylvania's possession column in the State table to reflect that automatic knives are legal if owned solely as curios per PCS Title 18, Chapter 9, Section 908 (Prohibited Offensive Weapons): "It is a defense under this section for the defendant to prove by a preponderance of evidence that he possessed or dealt with the weapon solely as a curio or in a dramatic performance..."

Florida legality
Thanks to Jeb Bush and Florida staute 790.225, F.S., Florida allows for people to carry switchblades.
 * http://election.dos.state.fl.us/laws/03laws/ch_2003-082.pdf
 * http://www.hsmv.state.fl.us/Bulletins/dec.pdf
 * http://www.flsenate.gov/data/session/2003/House/bills/billtext/pdf/h1227er.pdf --68.207.206.69 07:19, 9 January 2007 (UTC)
 * Switchblades weren't illegal in FL, except for a brief time after State of Florida v. Darynani set bad case law precedent for the state, on appeal. It was decided to be best to have the Legislation make 790.225 more explicit so activist judges couldn't again claim the law implied something it didn't. The original wording of 790.225 only banned possession of "self-propelled" knives (a term coined by the FL lawmakers), with a description of what are generally called "ballistic" knives. The use of the word "projectile" in the original wording would have made it impossible for a rational person to believe a common switchblade fit the description, but the appellate court obviously had a personal agenda. — Preceding unsigned comment added by WeaponGuy (talk • contribs) 23:31, 16 February 2011 (UTC)

Arizona legality
IANAL, but I seriously doubt that the Arizona courts consider a switchblade to be a "pocket knife" as meant in ARS 13-3102. If they don't, then one would have to have a concealed weapons permit to carry one concealed, as in Florida (open carry would require no permit.) 68.226.29.49 (talk) 20:56, 24 August 2009 (UTC)
 * AZ Statute 13-105 (Definitions) 15. "Deadly weapon" means anything designed for lethal use, including a firearm. Nowhere in AZ or FL statutes is a switchblade described as a "deadly weapon". This assumption by people (mostly police) that switchblades are intrinsically "deadly weapons" makes no sense. AZ doesn't require the carrier to be 21 and FL doesn't require a permit if concealed, despite the claims by many who speak from opinion rather than knowledge. Please cite any AZ law that even mentions "switchblade", a synonymous term, or some definition that describes a switchblade. Of course, there is no law that will grant permission to carry a switchblade, which is usually the required evidence of people who invent laws in their own minds. Laws don't work that way: They tell you what you must do and what you can't do; almost never what you can do if you want. — Preceding unsigned comment added by WeaponGuy (talk • contribs) 23:15, 16 February 2011 (UTC)
 * Your analysis is not entirely correct. In many states (including Arizona prior to 2010), poorly-drafted criminal statutes with broadly-defined and overly inclusive terms like "deadly weapon" (A.R.S. 13-105(15): "a deadly weapon is ANYTHING designed for lethal use, including a firearm") can easily result in a prosecution for carrying concealed in public a knife with arguably offensive features, such as a dagger or a stiletto switchblade; appellate arguments that such overly inclusive terms are unconstitutionally vague have gone nowhere in most jurisdictions.  Furthermore, Arizona case law contains numerous examples where the State Supreme Court freely borrowed commonly-accepted definitions of terms from the case law of other states or even the dictionary to determine their accepted meaning (see State v. Knapp, 114 Ariz. 531, 543, 562 P.2d 704, 716 (1977).  Given this practice, it would not be unforseeable for the Arizona State Supreme Court prior to 2010 to uphold a definition of a dagger- or stiletto-type knife such as the stiletto switchblade (a knife design with admittedly few practical uses besides that of weapon) as a 'deadly weapon.'   Fortunately, there is no need to debate this any further, since Arizona criminal statutes pertaining to the carrying of knives as concealed deadly weapons (13-3102, 13-105, and 13-3112) were changed dramatically by the passage of legislation in 2010 (S.B. 1108) authorizing the carrying of concealed deadly weapons without a permit (see: Arizona S.B. 1108).  The new law permits concealed carry of knives that MIGHT conceivably be deemed by an Arizona prosecutor or court to be deadly weapons under the very broad definition of A.R.S. 13-105(15) by those over 21 years of age.  To qualify for this exemption, the owner must be an adult and not be engaged in the commission of a serious offense, violent crime, or felony, must not be a prohibited possesssor (convicted felon or person court ordered for mental health treatment whose right to possess firearms has not been legally restored), must not carry the deadly weapon onto certain properties (schools, nuclear and hydroelectric power plants, polling places, public establishments and events prohibiting the carrying of deadly weapons, etc.), must not knowingly possess a defaced deadly weapon, must not use the weapon in the commission of any felony or in furtherance of an act of terrorism, and must accurately disclose that he is carrying a concealed weapon when asked by a law enforcement officer.  With these statutory changes the argument over whether an automatic knife or switchblade could be construed by a aggressive prosecutor as a 'deadly weapon' instead of a 'pocket knife' should largely be resolved. Dellant (talk) 14:26, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

Virginia Legality
It says "Illegal for black people" and gives a link to the section of law. However, it does not say that at all in the law cited. Methinks someone is having fun by putting that in there —Preceding unsigned comment added by BarbarianPhilosopher (talk • contribs) 04:57, 17 March 2009 (UTC)

Colorado legality
Only 49 states? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 206.53.16.70 (talk) 04:54, 12 May 2007 (UTC).

Massachusetts legality
I was just reading through the MA law, and I wonder if "illegal" is a proper interpretation as the law clearly states: "No person having in effect a license to carry firearms for any purpose, issued under section one hundred and thirty-one or section one hundred and thirty-one F of chapter one hundred and forty shall be deemed to be in violation of this section." My reading of that doesn't jive with simply saying "illegal" —Preceding unsigned comment added by 97.107.131.163 (talk) 17:19, 15 July 2009 (UTC)

South Dakota legality
The Law cited For South Dakota In This Article Pertains To Ballistic Knives, Which Are Illegal In All 50 States Under Federal Law. Switchblades Are Perfectly Legal In South Dakota And Are Sold In Many Knife Shops All Over The State. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.230.47.21 (talk) 05:04, 12 May 2010 (UTC)
 * The Article For South Dakota Has Been Changed From Illegal To Legal, Based On Review Of South Dakota Law Pertaining To This Type Of Weapon, The Ballistic Knife Is The Only Knife On Record As Actually Being Illegal In This State, Butterfly Knives, Stiletto, Gravity, OTF Knives, And Pantographic Knives Are Also Legal And Sold In The State Of South Dakota. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.230.47.21 (talk) 06:16, 12 May 2010 (UTC)

Ohio legality
The state laws table in the article says "Legal - only ballistic knives are addressed in state law - State Code: § 2923.12". However, this is incorrect. From ORC § 2923.20 "Unlawful transaction in weapons" at http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/2923.20: "(A) No person shall: ... (3) Manufacture, possess for sale, sell, or furnish to any person other than a law enforcement agency for authorized use in police work, any brass knuckles, cestus, billy, blackjack, sandbag, switchblade knife, springblade knife, gravity knife, or similar weapon...." and goes on to indicate a violation of (A)(3) is a second-degree misdemeanor.

IANAL (yet) so I'm not even going to try to interpret this. But I will say that cutlery shops here in Ohio do not sell any kind of automatic knife to civilians, but only to authorized law enforcement & military personnel. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Wabofiur (talk • contribs) 18:46, 24 July 2010 (UTC)

Why So Controlled?
Why are switch blades so controlled and in many cases illegal in the United States? A country where it is legal to purchase guns (some states are even okay wit the purchase of automatic rifles), it seems a bit strange to me. I live in California and own a 45 inch sword (with a 35 inch blade). Why would a switchblade knife be illegal when a gun and sword are fulyl legal? This makes no sense. 04:47, 22 June 2006 (UTC)
 * I guess it's because switchblades are easily hidden, unlike a sword. Unlike a gun, you don't need to load them(giving people the chance to react). But it is pretty dumb that they don't allow switchblades. I tried to buy one when I was 13(as a collector's item, not to kill someone, don't worry), and they wouldn't let me. 08:26, 22 June 2006 (UTC)
 * Well in that case they should ban folding knives since most folding knives are easily hidden. Smaller fixed blades are easy to conceal as well. Zachorious 21:41, 28 June 2006 (UTC)
 * The main reason switchblades are so restricted in the United States is for juvenile crime prevention. Look at films such as "The Outsiders," for example.  It terrifies some (mostly elderly) hoplophobes to think that there are young people who own and would like to own such things.  The mindset involved in restricting such items is similar to the mindset involved in regulating the dreaded "assault weapons."
 * It allows politicians to appear tough on crime, and in most cases, that's all that matters.
 * That's it, essentially. Switchblade laws in the US almost uniformly originate in the "juvenile delinquency" scares of the 1950's (automatic knives have been in this country since the mid 19th Century, at latest, and were originally marketed as "ladies' knives", because they could be opened without damaging one's manicure).  Movies depicted the classic Italian stiletto as the preferred weapon of the juvenile delinquent, and massive public opinion led to a well-meaning but ultimately absurd federal law prohibiting the import or interstate traffic in automatic knives, and most states passed their own bans on ownership or carrying (not all--it's still legal to carry autos in Florida, for example).  In most US states, a private citizen with no criminal record and a clean mental health record can not only own, but also carry a handgun, but even licensed handgun carriers can't carry automatic knives.  Very few people pretend this makes sense.
 * If you want the official rationale, I've been told that police groups support switchblade bans because they don't want criminals to be able to quickly open a palmed knife when the cops order them to put their hands up. In addition, we often have laws intended to restrict access to _cheap_ weapons (see the handful of US laws intended to curb sales of "Saturday night specials"), and a cheap switchblade costs less than a cheap gun.  These arguments don't look very persuasive when you consider that criminals still sometimes use expensive automatic pistols (plus the black market markup), and the fact that non-automatic one-handed knives are legal to carry almost everywhere, but remember that these laws are based on fear; weapon prohibitions rarely make sense once you get past the fear.216.52.69.217 15:33, 30 August 2006 (UTC)
 * Switchblade knives are no more sharp, deadly, or dangerous than any of the kitchen knives, steak knives, pocket knives, or fixed blade hunting knives that have been sold legally in department stores for the longest time. The only real reason that laws even started getting passed against switchblade knives is because they were used by actors in the fight scenes of movies like "Rebel Without a Cause," and these movies first came out back in 1955. People were so much more impressionable by movies and TV shows in those days. There were no statistics back then to even show that switchblades were being used in any crimes, but somehow, certain politicians back in the late 1950's felt that once switchblades were banned, this would solve the problems of teenage delinquency and street gangs. What a joke that all turned out to be!
 * Seriously - the time has come for all of the laws against switchblades to be repealed. Kepiblanc (talk) 21:55, 23 July 2010 (UTC)

Use for switchblades
Switchblades are a general term, there are weapons, and non-weapons. American military switchblades are not weapons, and are used to cut parachute lines if only one hand is free. And the womens sewing kit automatic is based on 1920's newspaper advertisements by the schrade knife company.71.126.33.251 (talk) 10:44, 23 May 2008 (UTC)
 * Many handicaped people rely on them because they lack the dexterity to open a normal pocket knife. They also have uses in sports like parachuting. My brothers best buddy's chute got tanged so he pulled out his swichblade and cut the chute free as he was falling to the ground. If he had to manualy open it he said he would not have lived to tell about it. Mountain climbers and rapellers also find them handy.--68.207.206.69 07:27, 9 January 2007 (UTC)
 * Actually, they were invented so women could open a knife without breaking their fingernails. It was movies like West Side story that cast them in a negative light and lead hoplophobes in Congress to ban them. --Mike Searson 05:32, 19 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Oh, why isn't that in the article as "Uses", and what would a women do with a switchblade, I think it would be self-defence, get the dirt out of the underneath of their nails? I think it was used like a pocket knife, and i kind of blew the kiling people thing out of proportion. Ace Fighter 19:35, 21 December 2006 (UTC)

People carry knives for many reasons, at one time many more people carried them than they do in this politically correct world we now live in. As switchblades became bigger they were used by the military as chute knives, etc.
 * Still most people use knives to cut their food, open boxes, cut rope, etc. I even used a Strider folder the other day as a pen knife to fix a MontBlanc Fountain pen for someone!

--Mike Searson 05:55, 22 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Nice! thanks for that. hey I have a pocket kinfe, similar to a swiss army knife only a cheaper make, I use it to cut paper, slice an apple, open bottles. Ace Fighter 16:57, 22 December 2006 (UTC)
 * I carry mine everywhere. Ace Fighter 16:59, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

Is this a wikipedia entry about Switchblade legality or switchblades?
Over 80% of this article has nothing to do with switchblades other than discussing the history of their legality. What about when it was invented? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.88.195.51 (talk) 20:22, 14 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Or how they work? I'm curious to know how they work (particularly double action out-the-front switchblades) and a decent search of the Internet has yielded no results for me.  I ended up buying one to disassemble and study, and I'll put my findings in the article. 69.115.160.94 (talk) 00:21, 25 February 2008 (UTC)
 * ANSWER - How they work is a big can of worms, if someone adds a paragraph describing a DA-OTF mechanism (there are two, top button and side button), then you have to show a single action side cock, single action tail cock,single action trap door, a lever action, a lockback, a picklock, a button lock, a press button, a flylock, it would get way way complicated. Before you add this stuff to this article, consider a spin off article for each mechanism.Jerryk50 (talk) 08:43, 23 May 2008 (UTC)
 * The folding type of switchblade common in Europe has a very simple mechanism. Running parallel with the spine and fixed at the butt, is a tapering steel bar which is depressed by the blunt part of the blade (ricasso) when it is closed. A pin locates in an indentation on the ricasso and keeps the knife closed. Pushing the button lifts the pin and allows the blade to flick out. The blade automatically locks in the open position because another pin on the back of the blade engages with a hole on the spine of the knife. Pushing down on the guard lifts the spine and releases the blade so it can be closed.--Ykraps (talk) 15:58, 31 October 2010 (UTC)

History of the Switchblade
This section really needs a rewrite. Having a link in the section heading seems to be against proper format, and the overall wording of the section is too conversational. Also, the link at the bottom of the section is yelling at me. If no one else can do it, I guess I can bash something out. --Farfromhere (talk) 03:47, 17 May 2008 (UTC)
 * I added to the history from 1700's to 1920, and tried to sound factual, not conversational, I hope to add illustrations of toledo knife, D'Estang knife and Campobasso knife, I edited the part about "switchblade bad reputation" to sound more encyclopedic. I took out one sales site link, but did not double check all other links..Jerryk50 (talk) 08:36, 23 May 2008 (UTC)
 * History section completely rewritten and thoroughly referenced as of August 2011.Dellant (talk) 23:09, 29 October 2011 (UTC)

Collectors terms
I added collectors terms to be specific for switchblade collectors, & UNIDENTIFIED, added ATS34 steel, damascus, teflon which are steel types, not specific to switchblades, and also added an offsite link to a sales site which I removed. which was bragging about ATS34 steel, (common 300 series cheap stainless) not the best knife steel. ATS-34 Japanese made trade name stainless considered the equal of 154CM) Its great for you to contribute, but watch the sales hype, it's supposed to be encyclopedic. If you want to know about knife steels, do not redirect to a sales site, reference a good site, like Engnaths http://www.engnath.com/public/manframe.htm  Jerryk50 (talk) 05:47, 24 May 2008 (UTC) Also, I -Jerryk50- logged on, june 8, found a section removed by Thumperward and and I did not understand his explanation found in the edit history (QuoteThumperward, "multiple issues. rm a wholly OR section on alternative names. tidy endnotes". So I -Jerryk50- tried to find where it was moved to, but could not. I will not re-insert it into the article, if someone removed it, but I will add a link to another page where collectors terms, which may or may not be limited to -alternative names- Jerryk50 (talk) 22:06, 8 June 2008 (UTC).

Title 15 USC 1244 US Law
Someone wrote a bad summary, it is still not changed, they said switchblades (USC 1244) CAN be shipped by common carrier. This is not correct, it implies commerce, the section USC (1244)says you can not send via U.S.Postal service, that there are penalties for people trying to mail though the U.S.Postal service, and penalty exceptions will be made for common carriers during the course of normal business. (summary) a Fedex or UPS employee wont be arrested if he has a truck full of automatics. although shipping to an authorized dealer is permissable, the article is slightly misleading, as if anyone can mail order via common carrier.Jerryk50 (talk) 12:47, 24 May 2008 (UTC)

Are the anti-switchblade laws still being enforced?
Switchblade knives are on sale even on amazon.com, just search amazon for "stiletto knife" or "otf knife". So how does amazon allow this if these knives are supposed to be illegal? Then there are websites like bladeplay.com which sell many automatic knives and ship them via USPS which is also supposed to be illegal. --Auspx (talk) 02:15, 9 September 2008 (UTC)
 * Switchblades are legal in many US states. The Federal ban is a very confusing piece of law to anyone who's not a lawyer, but it only bans possession in Federally-administered territories, like Washington DC. --68.32.227.91 (talk) 05:26, 14 June 2009 (UTC)

Switchblades in movies
I just saw "The Wild One" starring Marlon Brandon from 1953. (1 hour 19 minutes version) As far as I can see there is not a single scene involving a switchblade, as stated in the article. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.202.26.10 (talk) 01:29, 28 July 2009 (UTC)

Cleaned up sections of questionable relevance
There is a lot of good information here, but it seems to cross the line in spots from informing to advocacy. Therefore, I removed the sections not pertinent to the article, the majority of which are the references to "AKTI", which is apparently a knife advocacy group.CuddlySatan (talk) 02:10, 7 August 2009 (UTC)

Proposal for US State law table
I have a suggestion for the table currently in the article. I feel it is incomplete as legality within a state is more than just possession and carry. It is my observation that knife legality in general has four areas, not two. They are possession (the mere owning or having control of said knife), commerce/trade (restrictions on the selling of the knife), open carry, and concealed carry. I propose that we expand the existing table to include these columns.Legitimus (talk) 17:04, 14 December 2011 (UTC)

Austria
I have extensively revised the section on switchblade legality concerning Austria. There were numerous factual errors. I am an Austrian lawyer, and while I'm happy to discuss any changes, please do not revert without discussion. IGreil (talk) 11:57, 14 October 2012 (UTC)
 * Please do not remove referenced material from the article.Dellant (talk) 15:41, 3 June 2013 (UTC)

Russia
Hello everybody! I'm user of Russian Wikipedia. I've written information about legality of switchblades in Russian Federation, and put links to the countries in the list. If you have something to tell me: wright here. --Shtirbo (talk) 20:40, 25 October 2013 (UTC)

Update to Legality in Texas
As I'm sure you've heard by now thanks to numerous article headlines about being able to "open-carry a sword in Texas", House Bill 1935 has now officially made it legal to carry any blade over 5.5 inches in public places. Thus, the current status that states a switchblade is legal in Texas, "As long as blade is not a dagger, dirk, or stiletto or has a blade length of over 5.5 inches," is no longer valid.

Here's the link to the act itself, followed by a news source which explains it in more manageable terms: http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/85R/billtext/html/HB01935I.htm http://www.gosanangelo.com/story/news/2017/08/30/texas-open-carry-sword-law-takes-effect-sept-1/608759001/ Crossark (talk) 02:13, 2 September 2017 (UTC)

the section about Hawaii legality is wrong. It cites to H.R.S 134-51. Switchblades are illegal pursuant to 134-52 See https://law.justia.com/codes/hawaii/2012/title-10/chapter-134/section-134-52 — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.25.200.36 (talk) 02:54, 21 October 2018 (UTC)

OTF blade shapes
First, the captions on the photos on the top read like ads, or at best someone showing off their prized knives; I don't think detailed brand name, size, type, model name, blade material, etc, it necessary. Just "an example of two automatic knives, one an OTF and one a folder". The other can say "another example of a folding automatic; note the activating button". The rest is just relevant to knife fans and sounds like it was written by someone hoping to sell a few. Next, it says "Additionally, because of the way that the blade folds into the handle, side-opening knives are typically more limited in their blade shapes. " I dispute this. Why on earth would a FOLDER be more limited in blade shapes? Right above it they show a picture of a pair of folders, and it's the FOLDER in the photo that has a forward curved blade. An OTF can only have one blade shape: straight and relatively slender. It needs to slide out of a small opening in the front of the handle. A folder can be any shape that can be accommodated within the handle, which covers a wide variety of shapes, second only to fixed blade knives. It would appear that someone just mixed the two up. Also, I'm sure it varies by nation, and is all slang anyway, but a "flick" knife ought to cover any sort of folding knife that can be flicked open with one hand, which is the majority of NON automatic models sold today. You need to "flick" the knife to make it open, but it can be opened rapidly and with one hand. I wonder if someone is confusing automatic knives with the non-autos that can LOOK like autos to the layperson. Second, a "switchblade" is a specific TYPE of automatic knife. It requires, under US law, that the blade be unlocked by a switch or lever; this is why Kershaw can make and sell their "Speedsafe" knives in Walmart in most US states. There is no switch, one just starts to open the blade with the thumb stud or "flipper" like any other one-handed folding knife, when the spring takes over and flips it out much like an automatic. But under law it is NOT a "switchblade"....except in states that define them as "spring assisted knives". Under Federal Law they are legal and not switchblades. There are also "gravity knives", which like switchblades originally had a very specific meaning, referring to large, scary combat knives with heavy OTF blades that would drop out the front of tne handle by gravity when a button was pushed. Some states like NY have "imaginitivly reinterpreted" this law to make it cover ANY knife that can be flicked open with one hand, with or without springs. Meaning that 70% of folding knifes sold in Walmart in most US states will get you a felony weapons charge in VY state, in spite of them having nothing to do with the "gravity knives" the law was written for. Obviously Speedsafes are right out. So gravity knives, switchblades, Speedsafes are all types of AUTOMATIC KNIFE, but they are not all "switchblades". This article should be moved to a more suitable title. Also, a "stilletto", or "Italian stilletto" is NOT a "switchblade". While the "classic" or stereotypical switchblade was in the form of a long, slender bladed knife that was largely made in Italy and called a "stiletto", you could get the same knife in regular folding models. It's also not actually a stiletto, which is a slim, edgeless dagger for stabbing, used to penetrate armor joints and chain mail.

Idumea47b (talk) 03:20, 19 March 2020 (UTC)

Can't understand this part
"Under a strict interpretation of the Act, it is legal to possess an automatic-opening or gravity knife made before 13 June 1959 if it is held by the original owner within the home or other private place and is not transferred to any other person.[41] As the penalty provisions of the Act apply to the prior owner of the knife, and not to the inheritor or subsequent purchaser, it is possible that a person living in the UK could acquire an automatic-opening or gravity knife and keep it at home or on other private property without penalty to the new owner, though a zealous prosecutor might attempt to level a charge of abetting or facilitating an offence by the knife's former owner as a consequence of acquiring the knife in a prohibited post-1959 transaction." I'm not sure what this is trying to say. It appears to maybe be saying that a person could maybe, possibly, legally obtain a switchblade by moving into the home of a person who had retained one legally by being grandfathered in under the original law....but that the person who sold you the home and the knife could be charged with abetting a felony for selling it to you? I really can't make it out. It also sounds suspiciously like original research or opinion, and of a dangerous sort, kind of like seeing Soveriegn citizen theory advocated on a wiki page. The only citation is the text of the law itself, not any expert legal opinion or court case establishing precedent. Sounds problematic, and in any case needs to be explained better so a reader can understand it. Although now that I look at it again, maybe it's just saying "you can buy a knife off of a grandfathered person, and since the law only states penalties for the SELLER you MIGHT get away without being prosecuted while the seller MIGHT be prosecuted". I would be very wary of trying this myself, personally, and who is going to sell his precious knife he/she has kept since the law passed in 1959, knowing that THEY are the ones who take the risk? I am pretty sure that in this case the buyer would be absolutly prosecuted under the same rule that prohibits ALL other persons from owning automatic knives. Just because the knife in question was allowed to a specific person grandfathered in doesn't somehow magically mean that the law doesn't apply to that knife once it's transferred.

Idumea47b (talk) 03:36, 19 March 2020 (UTC)


 * Regardless of the exact meaning, (and whether it's correct), we WP-ers don't make up examples like this ourselves, but simply report on them if a Reputable Source has done so. Not the case here, so it's now gone. - Snori (talk) 06:47, 19 March 2020 (UTC)
 * With the 2019 Amendments to the UK ROWA, this discussion is moot. Possession of a switchblade or flick knife, anywhere, including at home, is illegal within the United Kingdom. Dellant (talk) 21:13, 28 March 2022 (UTC)

Sprenger, Springer?
If that is supposed to be another german term for a switchblade knife, I can assure you it is not. The terms "springen" and "sprengen" mean two very different things ("to jump" and "to blow up" as in "to make something explode"). The source given for that term, a book by Ragnar Benson, is american and is quoted applying the, correct, term "Springmesser". Should Benson actually have given the term "Sprenger" as a german term for such a knife, he is either misinformed or quotes a non-generalized use from local dialect. Alternatively, the term might(!) be in use in other european languages. Perhaps Swedish? Norwegian? Dutch? 2003:CA:3F0A:201C:C10B:4ED:FEC1:478 (talk) 16:53, 9 October 2022 (UTC) To make things worse, the term "Springer", as it is used by the source, refers to the family name of manufacturer Hubertus Springer used for products such as the "Springer Knife" (compare "Singer Sewing Machine"). That said, the mention of those terms might be considered unimportant.2003:CA:3F0A:201C:C10B:4ED:FEC1:478 (talk) 17:04, 9 October 2022 (UTC)