Texas Knife Laws

[mathnerdm]

Hi, I just had a quick question regarding the Texas laws on knives, and any Texas resident who can chime in would be greatly appreciated! I'm looking to buy a Benchmade 51 bali and wanted to double check that they are legal now. I remember around a year ago that they legalized switchblades, and I believe that applied to butterfly knives. Can anyone confirm? When I check the penal code online, I see nothing mentioning switchblades or butterfly knives in any way. Am I correct in thinking balisongs are now legal? Thanks!

[psychophipps]

I don't see anything state-wide that disallows a balisong. Local ordinances are in effect as the preemption law failed to pass so you will still have to be aware of those. The big ones to watch out for is the ban on locking blades in San Antonio and the 3-inch maximum blade length in Corpus Christi. Pretty sure these would just be an add-on to other charges in most instances, but they are on the books there.

Most other places just default to the over 5-1/2" blade being unlawful to carry.

[mathnerdm]

Thanks for the reply! I am aware of the locking blade law, but have talked with local law enforcement who all agree that it's basically like you said; something to add on to more serious charges