got a knife question

[HypnoToad]

ok this may be a stupid question,but ive always wondered what makes a butterfly knife illegal while the knives u flick open not.

now im sure there are fast ass people with butterfly knives,most 99% of the time the flick ones can come out faster.

since i thought that is what makes switchblades illegal was being spring action and being able to bring out the blade so fast.

or maybe im just missing something right in front of me.

[Truegiant]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balisong_(knife)

There is your answer for butterfly knives.

Switchblade knives are illegal because they come straight out the end if I remember correctly. Spring assisted knives are not illegal, atleast in GA. Anything that comes straight out is considered a projectile if I remember the class I took 10 yrs ago.

Anywho.. Just my input. Might not be 100% correct and that is why i am not the knife subject matter expert.

[Total_Blender]

Switchblade knives are illegal because they come straight out the end if I remember correctly. Spring assisted knives are not illegal, atleast in GA. Anything that comes straight out is considered a projectile if I remember the class I took 10 yrs ago.
.

Switchblade knives do not only come straight out the end, the blades can come out either way. The ones that come Out The Front are called OTF knives.

The difference in what seperates a switchblade from an assisted opening knife is an AO takes a bit more effort, all the ones I have seen you have to move the mechanism a distance equal to about 20% of travel before the spring kicks it out. On a full auto knife, the blade comes out with much less "push".

Basically, switchblades and butterfly knives are illegal because in the 1950's politicians who were shocked by Rebel Without a Cause and West Side Story saw them as symbols of gang violence and juvenile delinquency.

By the time people realized you could just flick out the blade with a thumbstud, people also had sense enough to know that:

1.) Knife fighting is not really that big of a social problem anymore thanks to the increased availability of handguns.
2.) People who are going to fight with knives are probably going to fight with knives no matter how said knives open.

Maybe the laws will change, maybe not. There are exemptions for military, first responders, and the disabled to use auto knives. The rest of us have to wait the extra .002 that it takes to deploy the blade with a thumbstud or assist. Changing laws about weapons is almost as hard as changing laws about drugs or sex, so auto knives will certainly be prohibited for a while longer.

[DieselNuts]

Butterfly knives are illegal? I bought one from the Army Navy Surplus store years ago...

[Total_Blender]

Butterfly knives are illegal? I bought one from the Army Navy Surplus store years ago...

Not quite sure what the laws are but I think they are legal for open carry (kinda defeats the point of having one?). There might be something having to do with blade length too... I think the real deal Filipino butterfly knives have blades about 10" long.

And the way it is around here, you can get real switchblades at Army surplus stores and flea Markets no questions asked. I remember seeing a lot of these:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K24aaoU6_1E

Cheap shitty $19.95 Taiwan knife... no big deal if they get seized. A Benchmade of the same design (Infidel 3300) is like $400

[Truegiant]

Thanks for the clarification. I dont claim to be the subject matter expert!

I never found the butterfly knife to be anything more than a "show me" knife! To fancy for my taste. I prefer a fixed blade sheathed knife or a folder to a show knife

[Total_Blender]

I never found the butterfly knife to be anything more than a "show me" knife! To fancy for my taste. I prefer a fixed blade sheathed knife or a folder to a show knife

I'll cosign that statement, every one I have ever held has felt kinda flimsy. Regular folding knives are bad enough with one joint, a knife with two joints and no locking spring, no thanks.

If I were in the market for something with a quick opening, a regular thumbstud would be fine. Or an Emerson Wave that has the little hook above the thumbstud that catches on your pocket when you draw and pulls the blade out.

[Truegiant]

I'll cosign that statement, every one I have ever held has felt kinda flimsy. Regular folding knives are bad enough with one joint, a knife with two joints and no locking spring, no thanks.

If I were in the market for something with a quick opening, a regular thumbstud would be fine. Or an Emerson Wave that has the little hook above the thumbstud that catches on your pocket when you draw and pulls the blade out.

See I dont like the pocket open knives. I mean they work but I have had more problems with trying to pull them out of my pocket with my gloves on when I am at a range or whatever. It usually gets caught on something and just opens. Anywho..

[Total_Blender]

See I dont like the pocket open knives. I mean they work but I have had more problems with trying to pull them out of my pocket with my gloves on when I am at a range or whatever. It usually gets caught on something and just opens. Anywho..

Yeah, I never tried one myself, they look like they can be pretty effective from some of the youtube videos I've seen, but if you are like me and like loose fitting jeans, it might not be so smooth in operation.

[Friggintitsman]

Butterfly knives or "balisong" are a flailing knife. There is only one intention you can use it for and that is to harm someone. That and they are concealable to the point that someone may not know what it is if you have on your person.

There are a laundry list of stupid laws when it comes to knives, but guns are ok to carry around.

[Echonova]

This is the knife I carry everyday. Ken Onion "Blur". Speed safe tension bar... If you just touch the thumbscrew it pops open. Love this knife.
http://www.kershaw-knives.net/Kersha...onstration.htm