Flipper = "centrifugal force"?

B

bls

Joined
Jun 24, 2004
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Is anyone aware of any legal precedent for considering a flipper "centrifugal force" when it comes to gravity knife law? (This is relevant in those states and locales that include knives that can be opened via "centrifugal force" as gravity knives.)

I would think that it is not centrifugal force, since you are applying force directly to the blade, because the flipper is attached to the blade. But I am not aware of any actual court decisions one way or the other.

Regards,
bls
 
I haven't heard of any. That doesn't mean that it can't happen. I would never think of charging someone, but then again I'm very pro knife. I still cant believe some jurisdictions consider assisted openers as automatics.

:grumpy:
 
If all LEOs were like you I wouldn't have to ask such questions. Too bad...
 
This probably wouldn't be the best excuse to give, but in the case of a flipper or any other folding knife, or basic physics in general, there is nothing called "centrifugal" force. Therefore no knife could possibly be illegal under that passage of law.
 
There are precedents out of Canada and I've posted about them quite abit. Sorry, I don't have the energy to do it again, but it should be easy to search them. Centrifugal force, to a physicist, is really an apparent force, but in legal terms it is unambiguous. "Gravity knife" is more ambiguous, especially up here where some appellate courts, including the SCC, have made some unfortunate rulings. Fortunately they aren't binding in your jurisdiction.

The general idea is that if you can [completely?] open or deploy the knife by hand and wrist movements alone, even if that requires considerable skill, and even if the pivot was loosened beyond spec, it's unlawful.
Anything to get these dangerous weapons off the streets, eh? Can't have these gangs fighting and singing songs from Westside Story all night long, can we?
 
The general idea is that if you can [completely?] open or deploy the knife by hand and wrist movements alone, even if that requires considerable skill, and even if the pivot was loosened beyond spec, it's unlawful.
Click to expand...
I've spent some time on this now, and I just can't get any of my folders to open at all without using my hands. Feet just don't have the dexterity, I guess. I was able to open a Benchmade 941BT by using a bit of carpet, two pieces of the Berlin wall, a bit of rope and a sort of a sneezing motion. Oh, the things I will do to comply with the law!

;)
 
techinally, if a knife law banned a knife that opens via "centrifugal force" is wouldn'd ban anything, since there is really no centrifugal force.

The wording would have to be centrepidal force, technically anyway.
 
There's centrifugal force, all right, but it's pretty rare. A rocket spiralling out of control is an example: it's always rotating away from its center.

But we'd have to pull out a white board and markers to explain why these knives work with centripetal force to a jury!
 
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