Butterfly knife laws in Ohio

[outdoorsman78]

just wondering what the butterfly knife laws were in ohio?

 

[glistam]

According to the court decision Colmbus v. Ohio (1986), the balisong (aka butterfly knife) is considered a deadly weapon and therefore cannot be carried concealed. They arrived at this decision because balisongs are designed to be weapon knives, as opposed to tool-knives.

Open carry of a balisong is technically legal, though often risky for both judicial and social reasons.

 

[outdoorsman78]

thanks

 

[AmericanPatriot]

According to the court decision Colmbus v. Ohio (1986), the balisong (aka butterfly knife) is considered a deadly weapon and therefore cannot be carried concealed. They arrived at this decision because balisongs are designed to be weapon knives, as opposed to tool-knives.

Open carry of a balisong is technically legal, though often risky for both judicial and social reasons.

What do you mean risky?

 

[glistam]

What do you mean risky?

A lesson often overlooked in knife culture is that "legality" is not always a simple Yes/No.

When you open carry any knife or anything perceived as a weapon, even if it's "legal", you also face two other tiers of judgement: The public and the police.

For other civies, depending on the circumstances, it may or may not be appropriate to openly carry a balisong. People can't arrest you, but they can for example not let you hang around their kids, not want you dating their daughter, ask you to leave their business, give you nervous glances, or even call 911 if your appearance (i.e. you look like a thug) and location seems out of place.

Police officers, while they may not make an arrest for a weapon, may still stop you and ask you a bunch of uncomfortable questions, and even cite you for breach of peace or causing alarm. Heck, some don't even know knife laws all that well and may think something is illegal when it isn't.

It all comes down to the culture of the people you expect to encounter and the situation that you would encounter them.

 

[thedmasterr]

Not to resurrect a really old thread but didn't Columbus v. Dawson make all knives ok to carry as long as utility can be shown?

 

[glistam]

Not to resurrect a really old thread

Too late

but didn't Columbus v. Dawson make all knives ok to carry as long as utility can be shown?

No, it said no such thing. For that matter the case was on city law of Columbus, not the whole state. Second, the case established that the opinion of that specific officer as an expert witness on martial arts was valid to testify to the matter that "the knife was designed or specifically adapted for use as a weapon or, in the alternative, that the defendant possessed, carried, or used the knife as a weapon." Third, the conviction of the defendant was upheld (not reversed) as a result of this case.