What makes Kershaw Speedsafe legal?

[T0RN4D0]

The switchblades being prohibited is nonsense. Not like it takes any longer to open any other knife in skilled hands.

 

[commodorewheeler]

The switchblades being prohibited is nonsense. Not like it takes any longer to open any other knife in skilled hands.

Exactly. Fixed blades are the fastest to deploy out of all knives out there. There is no good or even logical reason other than image and tradition for switchblades to still be outlawed.

 

[Edgedweapons]

An "automatic" knife is opened by pushing a button or lever on the handle. An "assisted" opening knife is only opened by moving the blade, a spring then assist the opening.

The speedsafe and other AO type knives are safe for now, but it was a close one there for a little while. Let this incident remind us all of how important it is to pay attention to issues that matter to us.

Michael hit it right on the nose.

because you touch the actually blade to open the knife makes it legal

switch blades and balisongs can be opened without touching the blade which makes it illegal.

 

[commodorewheeler]

Changes to Federal Switchblade Act

AKTI NOTE: Exception (5) to Section 1244 below was passed (as part of a manager's amendment
resulting from acceptance of Amendment 1447) by a vote of the full Senate (84-6) on July 9. It is the
language provided by AKTI that was accepted unanimously by the 2009 Texas Legislature and signed into
law by Texas Governor Perry on June 18, 2009.

This agreement was reached in the Senate among the Appropriations committee, the Finance
Committee, the Commerce, Science and Transportation committee and with Customs and Border
Protection on July 8. Senators Cornyn, Pryor, Wyden, Crapo, Hatch, Vitter, Risch, Chambliss, Corker,
Enzi, Barrasso, Graham, Merkley, Thune, Bennett, Collins, Inhofe, Ben Nelson, Tester and Roberts co-
sponsored this amendment (1447). AKTI thanks them.

This new language [(5) below], as part of the Homeland Security Appropriations for FY 2010, it was
passed in the House, approved by Conference and signed by the President on October 28, 2009.

Attorneys who have reviewed this language on AKTI's behalf or on behalf of AKTI member companies
conclude that this new language protects the importation of one-hand openers and assisted-openers
because both belong to a broad class of knives with a bias toward closure. Under their own regulations, if
this amendment becomes law, Customs can no longer argue that importing such knives is contrary to the
law. U.S. Customs cannot ban products for which there is no statutory support.

Commodorewheeler, the above statement, specifically the last paragraph is what lead me to believe the law had changed. I understand even if US Customs is alright with their import, local laws probably still prevent carry of such knives. I appreciate your input. Frank

Frank, somehow I missed your post until now, sorry for the delayed response.

I read that statement over pretty carefully just now, and I'm not seeing any changes to actual knife laws in it. The only thing that it seems to say that is new is that customs cannot create their own policies to ban the importation of one-handed manual openers and assisted openers, since those types of knives are already legal to possess and distribute in the US under federal law.

I don't see anything in there that has to do with full automatic knives at all.

 

[Apollo Cree]

People tend to forget that the federal laws usually don't make something legal, they make things illegal.

State or local laws may make a federally legal knife illegal. Or be vaguely worded. Or the locals may simply decide to prosecute people based on incorrect interpretation of the law.

Some cities, for instance, prohibit lockback knives, even if they have no opening spring at all.

 

[Per-Sev]

That is a tough question it all depends on the cop that day and what the blade length laws are in your state. In some states you can carry a switchblade some require a concealed weapons permit and you can carry what ever you want then. I have a permit to carry a gun in Michigan and that permit is only good for the gun and if I get caught carrying a knife with a blade over 3'' I could lose my permit. You have to check your local laws and your state laws where you live. Some might consider that a gravity knife if you can flick it open also. So all those easy opening liner locks could fall into that category.