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Showing 1 of 11 conversations about:
Skipppppp
3
Nov 25, 2018
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You'd get arrested and likely sent to jail for carrying this knife on you in NYC.
MManalang
189
Feb 25, 2019
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SkippppppI don’t know, I live in NYC and I’ve read every iteration of city knife laws and spoke to a few cops. So, no folding knife over 4”, no spring assisted, and no gravity knife. Knife laws here are pretty vague but in terms of folding knives, cops seem to agree this guideline. I’m not a lawyer so I can be completely and utterly wrong.
Notsurewhyibother
1200
Feb 25, 2019
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MManalangUnfortunately, the way that NYC interprets "gravity knife" includes pretty much any locking folder.
If a police officer can open the knife using a wrist flick and/or centrifugal force and it locks in place, it's an illegal gravity knife. It doesn't matter if the owner can do it, if the knife was designed to do it, just if a police officer can. There is literally no way of knowing if your knife is legal or not, because you don't know how strong/skilled at wrist flicks the arresting officer will be.
My favorite part, is that the officer doesn't have to be able to do it consistently. In one case the officer could only flick the blade out I believe 2 out of 10 tries and they still convicted (the knife "malfunctioned" 8 of 10 times).
The New York State legislature has tried to overturn/replace the law twice in the last three years and passed with wide bi-partisan support (conservatives like the 2nd amendment angle, the liberals don't like that a disproportionate number of arrests and convictions are minorities) but Cuomo has vetoed it both times.
Long article in village voice from a liberal standpoint:
https://www.villagevoice.com/2014/10/07/how-a-50s-era-new-york-knife-law-has-landed-thousands-in-jail/
Video featuring Doug Ritter (designer/knife rights advocate) for a more conservative standpoint:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2S_4G103Ik
MManalang
189
Feb 26, 2019
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NotsurewhyibotherYeah, knife laws suck in NYC. But, a bit of good news I few close friends who are police officers tell me that people who get arrested for carrying knives are either using it for illegal purposes or arrested for an unrelated charge and weapons charges is tacked on. I’m sure there are some exceptions. I work as an electrician and always have a folder with me. I sometimes forget that at any moment I could be stopped and arrested for a weapons charge. Unbelievably sad but true.
Kavik
5531
Feb 26, 2019
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MManalangThat may be the case with decent cops... but the ones who are fishing for arrests/tickets/excuses to target someone will use an exposed pocket clip as a primary reason to stop and search. I've seen it happen once, but have heard plenty of stories about it happening (not just internet tales, I have an ex who lived in Brooklyn for many years)
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