Is the Squeak ACTUALLY legal in NYC?

[d.2.the.p]

My apologies if this has already been discussed. I found a few threads that touched on the subject matter, but nothing specifically answering my question. Does anyone know if the Squeak is legitimately legal in NYC? As I'm sure a lot of you know, Cyrus Vance, the DA of Manhattan, has been waging war against pocket folders for some time now for his own personal political gain. If you haven't heard, simply google "Knife Rights sues Vance NYC" or something to that effect and you'll see how he's been extorting knife retailers in the city while violating our rights. Essentially, the knives that most of us EDC completely legally are now being classified as gravity knives due to their one-handed-opening nature and therefore dubbed illegal.

Anyway, I live in VA outside of DC, but I travel quite often to NYC because my girlfriend goes to law school there. Most of the time when I travel anywhere, I just carry my FRN Dragonfly 2 with me since it's small and is legal in the vast majority of places in the US. I carried it all last year in my visits to NYC without a problem before I found out about what is going on with knife law in the city. But now that I am in the know, with my luck I'll get in trouble somehow for carrying that tiny little knife. So this has had me on the lookout for something that I might be able to EDC for utility while visiting up there.

In researching the details of Vance's madness, I have found a couple variations on his interpretation of knife law. Some people seem to think that he has only been targeting one handed opening knives whose blades lock into position thereby requiring the pushing of some sort of button to release the blade. Others seem to think that he is targeting ALL folding knives that can be opened with one hand. I tended to find more literature leaning towards the latter of the two schools of thought.

So that being said, does anyone have any insight as to whether the Squeak, though it is being marketed by Spyderco as NY legal, is actually legal for carry on the island of Manhattan? Or is it not even worth chancing it?

 

[Esav Benyamin]

If it does not lock open, it is not a gravity knife by NYC definition.

I am moving this thread to Knife Laws.

 

[The Deacon]

It's legal, but you're up against a District Attorney who has already ignored the accepted definition of a gravity knife and substituted his own perverted version. While the odds are probably good that it won't happen, there's no guarantee that a Squeak, or a SAK for that matter, won't get you arrested there tomorrow, next week, or next month. What is illegal in NYC is carrying a knife so that any part of it is exposed, so ditch the clip and just carry it loose in your pocket.

 

[MH13750]

At first glance,the Squeak appears to be completely legal for carry in NYC. But with the current atmosphere of ant-terrorism patrols and checkpoints, one might have to re-think their EDC habits. Personally, I would'nt chance carrying anything other than a Leatherman Micra or Victorinox Classic while out and about in the confines of NYC. There is always the possibility that the Squeak, and other knives similar to it, MAY be viewed as a dangerous instrument. Even the Micra and Classic would be forbidden in certain venues,but would generally be acceptable in all but the most restricted areas.

 

[d.2.the.p]

I'm strongly considering leaving a folder out of my EDC for all of the reasons that have been mentioned by everyone above. I do carry a Leatherman Squirt PS4 on my keychain (although small, the pliers, scissors, and screwdrivers have served me surprisingly well), so I have a small blade on me if I need it... to open really really thin envelopes or perhaps to butter very small pieces of bread .

If I do decide to EDC a blade, though, I think I'll just skip out on the Squeak and use my cheap-o Spyderco Kiwi SS Slipit. It's less threatening looking (Not that the Squeak is threatening AT ALL, but you know what I mean.), can't be opened with one hand even with the spyder hole (well I can't anyway, and I have medium hands), and is cheap enough to get ditched if needs be. That, and as Deacon suggested, it already doesn't have a clip, so I won't find myself clipping it to a pocket out of habit.

Just a thought, though. Not carrying a blade, though a tough pill to swallow, might be the best bet.

 

[JPD1998]

I work in NYC and take the subway everyday , I carry a small- med multi blade slip-joint. I alternate between patterns , but mostly I carry a Rough Rider reverse gunstock, the main blade is a sheepfoot , which is very handy for office work, it cost less than $12 if it gets confiscated.

I've been down here for almost a year and it took some time to get used to not having a locking knife. But I won't take any chances because the risk of being searched is very high. I was stopped by the police in Penn Station on Friday for a random bag search (although they used explosive detecting machines and didn't actually go through my bag). The point is I won't carry anything that can be considered a gravity knife, I carry locking folders on weekends when I'm back home. I won't even carry small locking slipjoints , midlocks or lockbacks in NYC.

 

[d.2.the.p]

Thank you for the inside perspective, JPD1998. I'll definitely leave anything with a lock at home. I'll just stick to the non-locking Kiwi which was only $18, so no big loss if it gets taken or I have to toss it. From what you and others have said, even the Squeak, with it's more contemporary look and black handle, might be a little suspect in the eyes of law enforcement.

That being said, I guess I should leave behind my Leatherman Charge TTi that I usually keep in my backpack as well. I'd hate to be subject to a random bag search and have them find that with it's locking outside-accessible blades.

Isn't it ABSOLUTELY INSANE that I have to consider leaving behind a freaking multitool for fear of being arrested??? Maybe it's just me...