Overturning of Knife Restrictions

[Bodog]

Malum prohibitum laws need to go, plain and simple. Unfortunately, power once gained is never voluntarily relinquished.

I'm in law enforcement and i absolutely agree. The question is when is stops being malum prohibitum and starts being malum in se. And applause for knowing that term to begin with. Most don't.

[M4Life]

Hi Dave,

Australian laws recently outlawed everything that could be flicked open. Even a Ladybug.

sal

Flick open a ladybug, impossible!

All jokes aside, I do get that maybe there are some places where carrying a pocket knife should be prohibited like in a school, but I think it's ridiculous to do things like prohibit anything that can be flicked open or prohibit all locking folders throughout a whole country, because while a school might be the wrong place for a pocket knife there are lots of places and times where having a good pocket knife is super helpful like: construction sites, camping, home improvement, breaking, down boxes and opening packages, literally anytime scissors are not near by, while fishing, to cut rope or string, hunting trips, for food prep, I'm sure I could come up with more those were just of the top of my head.

The point is there are lots of times when a pocket knife is really useful so there is no reason why they should be prohibited throughout whole countries.

[fanglekai]

Anyone can buy a 10 inch chefs knife at Walmart. Seems incredibly silly to ban pocketknives when the more dangerous item has no restrictions at all.

[Daveho]

Hi Dave,

But, How would you feel about being arrested for an irrational law? simple question. The question is about your feelings.

sal

Obviously bad, but that is a leading question.

[sal]

A leading question and an honest answer. Thanx.

sal

[curlyhairedboy]

The thing that amazes me is that literally (yes, literally) everyone who is scared of fast-opening pocket knives has used and appreciated a good sharp knife in the kitchen.

It turns out that when you have stuff to cut, having a good cutting tool is entirely uncontroversial.

I think there's a lot of people who haven't experienced how nice it is to have a good cutting tool OUTSIDE the kitchen, so the concept of a quickly opened and closed knife doesn't appear to have a use besides aggression. Knife Rights and AKTI have done a good job of trying to fill that vacuum through education. Turns out a whole lot of people lose their fear of pocket knives when you hand them a Spyderedge for gardening, or a Tasman for opening packages, or a PM2/Shaman for doing any kind of home improvement. (I can personally testify to how nice the Shaman is when trying to fit up a slightly skew quarter-round trim corner.)


From my experiences, I've also seen fear due to a person's own lack of dexterity, or their lack of confidence in their dexterity. A fixed kitchen blade is easy to handle and predict where the edge will be. Unless a person has had a decent amount of experience with a folding knife, the necessity of changing grips and keeping your hands out of the blade's path can be terrifying.

For many, it's like a Bop-It that cuts you unpredictably if you miss your cue and grip it the wrong way at the wrong time.

There's a reason why two hand slipjoints are considered the most people-friendly folders. Slow moving, the blade never swings freely, and closes by reversing your steps to open it.

It's similar to the intimidation that non-bali knife knuts feel when watching a bali expert work. Odds are, if you aren't experienced, you don't even want to pick up something that has a free swinging blade AND handle.

The various locking mechanisms on the market also add to the complexity for the layperson. I think the comp lock is an especially good compromise in terms of keeping your fingers out of the path of the blade, but also allowing free-dropping action. Even friendlier is the back lock. Constant tension and slower movement like a slipjoint, but easy to grasp how it works.


That's why I think it's so important for knife knuts to do outreach. The dexterity issue is real, the 'uses outside of aggression' issue is real. If we can pass along something like the Pingo to a friend or acquaintance who is not a knife fan, that makes a real difference.

[Woodpuppy]

Great post CHB.

[me2]

I can't believe I'm saying this but when I was in school, many people carried knives, particularly in college. It helps it was a school founded to educate farmers and supply engineers to the state.

[Woodpuppy]

I used a butterfly knife to carve soap in sculpture in high school.

[lonerider1013]

Sal, I don't know about him, but I don't think there should BE irrational laws, so I'd be a mite peeved myself.
About knives at school... I commuted by bike for much of college, carried a pocketknife as a tool... No one cared. In fact, I recall few classmates in high school carried knives as they worked in the theatre. Little Buck-type folders. No one cared. Of course (regarding H.S.) this was suburban NJ in 1995.

Lonerider

[lonerider1013]

...That's why I think it's so important for knife knuts to do outreach. The dexterity issue is real, the 'uses outside of aggression' issue is real. If we can pass along something like the Pingo to a friend or acquaintance who is not a knife fan, that makes a real difference.

I gifted a Benchmade North Fork (s30v) with axislock to a good friend I've known since childhood. I don't think he ever had a knife except a swiss army. But he was moving and at his new house was gonna need a knife. You should seen his eyes light up when he flicked it open.

I don't know if he'll use it much, but I set example by using my Spydie during the move when four of us were carrying out furniture to cut cordage for tying stuff to his truck bed. Hopefully it caught on.

Gave an inexpensive flipper linerlock (don't even remember what kind) to another good friend who runs a local cycle shop. I don't think he carries it outside the shop but its on him all the time there, and he uses it often to open boxes...like every shipment!
Lonerider

[Slash]

Good cases, lawyers, Judges and jury's ultimately decide law and can override or defend certain precedents when need be.