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As a former NYC LEO, I can tell you it is a mixed bag for sure as to legal carry of a fixed blade. By the letter of the law, in NYC, if it is not exposed, under a four inch blade, and not carried with the intent for use as a weapon ( including self defense), then it should be legal. There was a transit worker who used a small fixed balde to kill an attacker and was not charged. That said, I am personally aware of two recent arrest for steak knives carried for self defense, and a construction worker charged with a weapons charge for a clearly designed carpenter's knife. NYC is very,very knife unfriendly. A small SAK or nonlocking folder will always be your best bet.
 
In the case of the staek knives, there were 4 young men (20s) in a car that was pulled over by the Queens North Task Force for a traffic violation. The officer noted a open box of staek knives and asked why they had them in the car. The men stated they had been harrassed by another group of men and had them for protection. All four were charged with CPW. As for the other SD case it was in all the papers about 8 months back. It was a small sheath knife.
 
glistam said:
1962? Could be a simple case of Walking While Black.
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Unfortunatley, Bernard Levine didn't include any citation(other than the year) for the case when he put it on his website. I tried to find any documents pertaining to it on both Westlaw and Lexis Nexis to no avail. The only mention of that case is on his site, and in various places that quoted his site.

It would be interesting to get more background on this one. It is a case where some more info will really help give those words more meaning.
 
I would have to think the paint brush was some how sharpened or the painter threated someone with use of it as a weapon? Lets not forget this was the early 1960s, where a judge would not allow someone to be convicted for a simple threat made while waving a paint brush ( today they would call in SWAT!). As for the race thing, any thing is possible, but those cases usally were played out in a unjust beating and a arrest for loitering, dis con and resisting.....Things have gotten both better and worse these days. You will now get arrested for a pen knife and shot with a tazer for no reason, but the beatings and raceism are rare, or so it seems....
 
I live in Suffolk County and regularly carry fixed blades. I suggest you look at the NYS Penal Code (Article 265) to find out more about the legal aspect of knives in NY. You can view the penal code online at http://public.leginfo.state.ny.us
 
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Wolf8020, I surpose by living on "Long Island" you mean that you live in Nassau or Suffork county? Don't forget Brooklyn and Queens are on "Long Island" also. When I offer advice, I find it better to say this is the law and it is often enforced this way. Then the person reading it can determine what they would like to risk, and if they have the free time to spend in jail, and if they would like to learn metal crafts (making license plates upstate). Never tell someone you should be ok. What if they are not? Will you bail them out and pay their legal fees? I agree that in Nasau and more so Suffork County, the LEOs are more forgiving about knife law enforcement, but most of the knife laws enforced in NYC are State laws and can be enforced anywhere in NY State. I hate to see good people get in trouble because they thought what they were doing was OK when it infact was illegal.
 
tom19176 said:
Wolf8020, I surpose by living on "Long Island" you mean that you live in Nassau or Suffork county? Don't forget Brooklyn and Queens are on "Long Island" also. When I offer advice, I find it better to say this is the law and it is often enforced this way. Then the person reading it can determine what they would like to risk, and if they have the free time to spend in jail, and if they would like to learn metal crafts (making license plates upstate). Never tell someone you should be ok. What if they are not? Will you bail them out and pay their legal fees? I agree that in Nasau and more so Suffork County, the LEOs are more forgiving about knife law enforcement, but most of the knife laws enforced in NYC are State laws and can be enforced anywhere in NY State. I hate to see good people get in trouble because they thought what they were doing was OK when it infact was illegal.
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He feels protected by his cop buddies. This is fine, but what if he gets arrested in another jurisdiction or even in the same jurisdiction by a cop that does not know him or is not his friend? The Ka-Bar U.S.M.C. knife (if this is the same Ka-Bar that Wolf8020 is carrying) was designed, manufactured and marketed as a combat knife. A DA would have no problem scoring a quick conviction in court for illegal carry/possession. I have seen some very small sheath knives with blades about 3" long and a know a fly-fisherman who routinely carries one on his belt. Even then, with the sheath and all, it is larger than even a 5" folder, while being much less convenient and much harder to conceal. If a cutting job cannot be handled by a 3.5" or 4" folder, it probably should be handled with a hatchet.
 
i would think a spiderco uk-pk would be legal since it is less than 4. " and does not lock. It can be opened with one hand though
 
i was actually wondering if something like the cold steel mini tac tanto kneck knife would be ok
 
ok, ny. NOT nyc. I don't give a damn about nyc which when ever i look for knife laws it always ends up to nyc. so for a response leave nyc 100% OUT of it. i own a sog seal pup elite satin finish with nylon sheath it will have the sog power lock in the pouch. is it legal?
 
Moon Doggy,

I don't think that anyone's dodging the question, it's just that the law is open to interpetation. If someone can argue that the knife is "dangerous", then according to Section 265.15 of the NYS penal code, then "possession...is presumptive evidence of intent to use the same unlawfully against another." So, what makes a knife "dangerous"? You see - it's not a black and white issue.
 
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