Kershaw Spec Bump, legal in New York City?

3

3rdMusketeer

Joined
Mar 24, 2006
Messages
142
OK.....just played with my Kershaw Spec Bump AO changing the pocket clip and I realised that if I were to carry this folder and were searched for some reason and the officer would use the "centrifugal" law, he could quite easily flick this folder open.....However, this folder has a lock on it to lock the blade in the closed position...so, if I were to carry this in the locked condition then the officer could not flick it open unless he found the little screw and moved it to the unlocked position, only then he could flick it open.

So, where would I stand carrying this folder in the "locked" condition in NYC?
 
AOs in NY are an interesting topic, and there is no case law at the moment. They are sold in many stores in NYS, but I have not seen them in NYC yet. The AO part is OK as it gets around the wording of the switchblade definition, but either you have read my other posts, or you realized on your own that if it can be flicked open, it is a gravity knife, and it does not matter if it has a thumb stud or is a AO. The fact that you have to move a safety lever off at the bottom of the knife is not as strong a defense as I would like to see. The officer need only to testify that the safety was off at the time he removed the knife from you and he was able to flick it open without having to disengauge any device. There was an knife collector who carried a switchblade with the spring removed under the impression that you HAD to press the button before the blade could even be attempted to be flicked open. Since he has never had this put to the test it is hard to say, but don't forget if an officer truly feels an AO is a "bad weapon type knife" NYS Penal Law has the old "Dangerous knife" charge ......
 
i dont know of laws anywhere that specifically address assisted openers.

however i would count on laws catching up eventually. just speculating, but i imagine they will be considered switchblades.
 
There are a few states that refer to the blade opening via a spring being illegal, and they do not have the "button in the handle" wording so in those states AOs would be illegal. In NYS you would most likely not have an issue, but in NYC all knives are viewed as weapons, and a quick opening one will be deemed all the more dangerous by the NYPD.
 
tom19176 said:
There are a few states that refer to the blade opening via a spring being illegal, and they do not have the "button in the handle" wording so in those states AOs would be illegal. In NYS you would most likely not have an issue, but in NYC all knives are viewed as weapons, and a quick opening one will be deemed all the more dangerous by the NYPD.
Click to expand...

very true, california being one that has various descriptions of autos in the section.

but it seems the laws have not been applied to ao's, at least not that i am aware of, and published as case law.

i anticipate assisted openers will be specifically mentioned in future laws, and will probably include the 'unassisted' kershaws with the finger flick thing (cant think of the correct term right now).
 
I think you are thinking of the "liner action" by Kershaw which I happen to like because they are not truely AO, can open slowly and don't need a safety. ( Model 2420, 15, 10.....)

I some what agree that there maybe laws banning AOs sooner or later, but I hope the laws are not redone as I feel we would lose more than we would gain as knife collectors. The states that want to go after a person with a knife most likely have vague enough laws on the books right now to do so.
 
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