Current New York knife laws?

2Dead said:
As for a carrying knife, I prefer a smaller slipjoint. You could get something like this GEC. Its got a liner lock but also a strong backspring/half stop and there isn't enough blade sticking out to do a spydie drop. Its a 2 hand opener and closer
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Hmm thats nice actually, might actually get one of those too to add to it for him. (maybe one for myself too just cause I like the classic of the wood.)
 
Anyway thanks for the help guys, think I have what I need now. I already got that one knife and am going to get some of those GEC that 2Dead posted. Thanks for all the help.
 
Right you are 2Dead, there is no blade length limit in the rest of the state! I don't know where I got that from, thanks for setting me straight. And you're also right about the exceptions for hunting and fishing, I actually knew those but forgot to mention them, again thanks for the reminder. I do indeed live in Northern Pennsylvania though Esav, it's fun driving around here there's so much great scenery! Makes for some fun weekends too of course when I get to go out.
 
Esav Benyamin said:
I moved out of Manhattan in 1997. Until then, I routinely carried tactical folders clipped to a pocket, used knives in public, saw people with small sheath knives in some industrial areas (garment district, post office, flower district). This brouhaha is the current Manhattan DA making a name for himself. Unfortunately, it is bleeding over into neighboring jurisdictions, as tom19176 says. Beating it, losing the DA, getting specific cases thrown out, won't make the bad attitudes go away.
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I suppose I was just left with a bad taste in my mouth when my pocket knife was confiscated in the late 90s in the statue of liberty---not only annoying, but annoying ironic. ;)
 
Next time I'm in NYC and riding the subway, I think I'm going to install a spare benchmade clip onto something stupidly harmless and carry it clipped to my pocket. Just to see their faces when their bust turns into hassling somebody over nothing.

I imagine when they find it isn't a knife, the followup will be "havvaniceday". :)
 
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DrFish said:
Next time I'm in NYC and riding the subway, I think I'm going to install a spare benchmade clip onto something stupidly harmless and carry it clipped to my pocket. Just to see their faces when their bust turns into hassling somebody over nothing.

I imagine when they find it isn't a knife, the followup will be "havvaniceday". :)
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Or their reaction could be, "So, you think youre a wise guy, huh?....how 'bout we detain you for a few hours to see how really smart you are". Please take a pic of your reaction if this happens. :)
 
Karda said:
Or their reaction could be, "So, you think youre a wise guy, huh?....how 'bout we detain you for a few hours to see how really smart you are". Please take a pic of your reaction if this happens. :)
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Really? So you think it's ok for people to be getting pulled aside for having a clip on ANYTHING? Seriously? So if I put a clip on a lighter, or a flashlight, or a pen, you think that it's grounds for getting detained for a few hours? Enjoy your police state. :) (See, I put a smiley on it.)

And Esav, thanks for editing my post for me instead of replying, but yes, I would expect that the reaction would be "Have a nice Day".
 
DrFish, Karda is reminding readers that whatever our attitude might be, the attitude of the NYC authorities is harsh. Playing games will lead to incovenience, perhaps expense.

How you could possibly read from what he wrote that he approves of this escapes me. (Cayuga Lake is not particularly close to NYC.)
 
DrFish said:
And Esav, thanks for editing my post for me instead of replying, but yes, I would expect that the reaction would be "Have a nice Day".
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Typical mistake, pushing the Edit instead of Reply. I usually catch it and correct it. Hectic day.
 
I dont know if id call the NYPD harsh? They are policing a difficult environment. NYC and its burroughs are a different world!! You should be grateful of that young officer doing his/her job and keeping knives that are illegal out of the city! Am I saying I agree with the knife laws there, absolutely not! But the law is the law. And if you wanna test some officer and potentially waste his time, thats just crap! Now the politicians on the other hand. Well.... I d better shut up now.
 
DrFish said:
Really? So you think it's ok for people to be getting pulled aside for having a clip on ANYTHING? Seriously? So if I put a clip on a lighter, or a flashlight, or a pen, you think that it's grounds for getting detained for a few hours? Enjoy your police state. :) (See, I put a smiley on it.)

And Esav, thanks for editing my post for me instead of replying, but yes, I would expect that the reaction would be "Have a nice Day".
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Thank you, Esav, That was exactly my point. But also, if someone decides to play around, they should expect that they will get played with in turn, and probably deservedly so. I don't agree with the city DA's and Mayors interpretation of the law or their actions and am thankful that kniferights has brought lawsuit against them. But i also Don't agree with some posters attitude and comments on this issue either, Especially when they Use terms such as "police state" to try to make themselve look cool at the expense of officers whom are only following orders and have a tough enough job as it is.
 
Striderco, I agree with you, however, most of the knife arrests that are not an add on charge to another serious crime, are occurring in the subway system and two of the five city boros. This is not because they officers are taking illegal knives off the streets from bad people, but they are rather having to make a certain number of arrests for performance reasons, and many of those charged have no prior record. The other issue is that many locking knives are still sold in the other four boros and may well be legal when sold ( they are tight and can not be flicked open), but after some normal use and carry they suddenly loosen up enough for a well trained officer to flick them open even if the person carrying them can not. The legal knife has now become an illegal knife due to normal use. The person possessing it may have even tested it and was not able to flick it open and therefore felt it was legal, but a officer tries it several times and gets it to flick open one of those attempts. Is that fair? No.
 
I've read on here and elsewhere that workmen wearing uniforms with multitools on their belts have been arrested as well. And this while they were working! There is something seriously wrong with that. It has been said on here many times before, in NYC if you decide to carry any knife,make sure it is completely concealed and it is under 4 inches and cannot be flicked/spyder-dropped open. I would take it to the point of carrying a non-locking folder(Swiss Army Knife/small Case knife etc) that has less than a three inch blade. There should be no ambiguity with that. The alternative is to carry no knife at all. Speaking of pocket clips, I would avoid any that appears to be a knife. Why be the focus of law enforcement unnecessarily? Wouldnt want the police to start questioning us about pens,flashlights,tightly rolled magazines,etc. would we?
 
tom19176 said:
Striderco, I agree with you, however, most of the knife arrests that are not an add on charge to another serious crime, are occurring in the subway system and two of the five city boros. This is not because they officers are taking illegal knives off the streets from bad people, but they are rather having to make a certain number of arrests for performance reasons, and many of those charged have no prior record. The other issue is that many locking knives are still sold in the other four boros and may well be legal when sold ( they are tight and can not be flicked open), but after some normal use and carry they suddenly loosen up enough for a well trained officer to flick them open even if the person carrying them can not. The legal knife has now become an illegal knife due to normal use. The person possessing it may have even tested it and was not able to flick it open and therefore felt it was legal, but a officer tries it several times and gets it to flick open one of those attempts. Is that fair? No.
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^ agreed. the problem is that people fail to realize, the law only applies to law-abiding citizens. a person looking to commit a crime doesn't care what's legal to carry, as what they're going to do with the weapon is a much more serious charge than just carrying it.

to make sure i don't become one of those statistics, i have certain knives that i carry when taking the train/in the city, and i always carry concealed.
 
Does anyone know the law for a pocketknife in new York city? I live in long island about 20 mins from the city....canvI know the law foreigner plz
 
DrFish said:
Next time I'm in NYC and riding the subway, I think I'm going to install a spare benchmade clip onto something stupidly harmless and carry it clipped to my pocket. Just to see their faces when their bust turns into hassling somebody over nothing.

I imagine when they find it isn't a knife, the followup will be "havvaniceday". :)
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I imagine they might even stuff a cheap Chinese liner lock or a bag of pot or skag into your pocket, and say "Well, well what have we here?"

The wording of the law is pretty clear that a visible knife being used for a lawful purpose is not a violation. When they're busting workmen for their folding utility knives you know there's something rotten in New Amsterdam. You should be able to take out a small (under 4") knife and slice up an apple while you wait for the next train, or certainly while up on the street waiting for the bus or just relaxing on a break. Without having this thread locked, I don't feel its too out of line to describe quota-based arresting or that kind of disregard for the law by NYPD as a "police state".
 
Cutleryaddict said:
Does anyone know the law for a pocketknife in new York city? I live in long island about 20 mins from the city....canvI know the law foreigner plz
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Officially, anything under 4" is OK. In reality, the DA has been making legal arguments that effectively classifies any locking knife as a gravity knife. Gravity knives are very illegal there. IMHO, stay with non-threatening slippies (SAKs, traditional slip joints, etc.), and expect flat out prohibition at momuments and some other public venues.
 
DrFish said:
Next time I'm in NYC and riding the subway, I think I'm going to install a spare benchmade clip onto something stupidly harmless and carry it clipped to my pocket. Just to see their faces when their bust turns into hassling somebody over nothing.

I imagine when they find it isn't a knife, the followup will be "havvaniceday". :)
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Why waste your time installing clips? There are plenty of harmless items that come with pocket clips these days. In a local hardware store, I saw a mini tape measure (6' length) designed for small jobs. It had a clip on the back of it that could be attached to a pocket as well as a belt.
 
Isn't kniferights trying to fix that because if any locking one handed opener is a "gravity knife" then it will end up like Europe I can't be alive this garbage
 
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