Balisong Laws

[The_Iron_Joe]

And you Canadians need to form your own version and go after those laws; it can be done.

We don't have something like your second amendment which we could use as a rally cry. Remember, if I carry something with the intention of using it to extract myself or someone near me from a violent situation, I'm the 'bad guy'. We're not allowed preemptive self defense. I only say this because KnifeRights is a grassroots organization who focuses on your second amendment. Perhaps I need to review our own laws, maybe there is something we could use in a similar way, however unlikely.

The problem is that the criminal code rarely gets touched especially when it comes to "weapons." Even if we did manage to get a lobby group going, it is extremely unlikely that it will influence the Federal Government.

Which is why we'd have to press the idea that the way a knife is opened does not influence it's effectiveness as a cutting tool. For example, we'd focus on the idea that the way balisongs in particular open is more of a novelty than a deadly movement. This also brings to mind the fact that a switchblade isn't any more dangerous than a manual equivalent. The Cold Steel Ti-lite, for example, has a stiletto style blade. I can open it just about as fast as a switchblade of the same style. However, even though the Ti-lite is legal, the blade shape could prompt an officer to hassle me about it. At the same time, I could be arrested for carrying a balisong who's blade was a wharncliffe shape. That arrest would be based on how the knife opens.

I'm Canadian and a Balisong lover, but so far all I've ever had has been combs, bottle openers and trainers, nothing more.

That said though, I'm not entirely without hope; recently the long gun registry was revoked. I never thought that would ever happen, and we're starting to see people push for the removal of the CFOs, who've been stubbornly trying to instate their own backdoor registries and make up and play by their own rules. So I wouldn't say it's impossible.

The trainers are a lot of fun, but having a live blade would make it that much more interesting and useful, don't you think?

You're right about the registry... there may be hope for us yet.

 

[blade br0]

I can see why bailsongs are illegal in some states, i can open and close a butterfly knife within a second no joke almost as fast as a switch blade.

 

[glistam]

I can see why bailsongs are illegal in some states, i can open and close a butterfly knife within a second no joke almost as fast as a switch blade.

I bet I can open a kitchen knife faster.

 

[richard thurman]

it seams that all of the good knifes like Balisong, any quick opener,switchblades are not allowed in your country.

 

[JAKs Bladeworks]

yep....here in virginia balisongs were illegal.....but virginia law is mostly based on case law and in 2 court cases people who were on trial for carring balisongs were found inoccent.....and balisongs were removed from the restricted weapons list.

So balisongs are perfectly legal in Virginia? not "technically" but pretty much they are legal?

 

[JAKs Bladeworks]

I bet I can open a kitchen knife faster.

lol. 95% of stabbings are done with kitchen knives... At least that's what I've heard. 23.5% of all statistics are made up anyways though

 

[Critter]

Some states like Arizona effectively repealed all their knife laws and even added "preemption" which means the local cities can't pass any laws restricting knives that are tighter than that of the state. This seems to be a trend in the past 5 years thanks to the efforts of groups like KnifeRights.

Just to set the record straight, it isn't "groups like KnifeRights." It is "Knife Rights." Knife Rights pioneered the concept of Knife Law Preemption, passing our first-in-the-nation Knife Law Preemption bill in Arizona in 2010. We have since then passed Knife Law Preemption in 5 states and expect Alaska and Tennessee to be signed shortly.

We have also repealed switchblade bans, which have traditionally included balisongs and gravity knives, in 3 states and expect Alaska to be signed shortly.

We are working on both preemption and repeal of switchblade bans in a number of other states this year, but we have learned not to count our chickens before they hatch.

 

[glistam]

lol. 95% of stabbings are done with kitchen knives... At least that's what I've heard. 23.5% of all statistics are made up anyways though

No you are exactly right. I've talked to homicide cops all over the US and that is what they say. With only the rarest of exceptions, most rapes, robberies, assaults and murders with knives are kitchen knives or relatively common cheap utility knives. This, IMHO, proves all knife-carry legislation is #$#%ing stupid.

I will never forget the story of Brenda Feehery. She was leaving a grocery store with her infant son when a man forced her at knife point into her car, robbed her, raped her for a half hour and then stabbed her 55 times. She lived, and that SOB will never see the light of day again. What was weapon? A bowie? Dagger? Scary yet-ineffectual balisong? A switchblade with skulls adoring the handle? No. A little serrated paring knife he had just shoplifted from the store she was just in. People like this don't give a damn about carry laws or length restrictions, they will just use whatever sharp object they can get and any law on the books saying they can't carry would have done nothing to prevent this crime.