Knife for NYC

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razorsdescent

Joined
Jan 16, 2005
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Im taking a trip to new york city this summer.

Long story short I want to carry a knife primarily for SD but also for utility.

As i understand it anything above 4 inches is a go, however fixed blades are frowned upon.

While i have knives that would fit the bill I never pass up the opportunity to get a new knife.

So I was thinking about the Benchmade Bedlam.

Is this an acceptable choice?

Also I have heard that it is illegal to use a pocketclip in NYC is this true?

Thanks for any info, i really appreciate it.
 
Sorry to bear the bad news, and it may have changed recently, but a bedlam in NYC would be a bad idea in my opinion. A year or two back DA Vance tried to classify the husky box cutter as a gravity knife, thus switchblade, thus automatic, thus evil.... When I am in the city I dont carry a locking knife.. locking blade, even under four inches, will not fly, especially with a pocket clip. A pocket clip is considered intimidation apparenty... I may be wrong, but am pretty sure a bedlam wouldn't be okay unless you are a LEO. I recommend the spyderco ukpk, especially the discontinued g 10 version, or the spyderco urban perhaps.. They don't lock and it is not a self defense blade, but with a choil that stops the blade, a solid lockup, and a halfstop, it is a great knife. I switched between my benchmade onslaught and 710 for a few years, but ow I just carry that ukpk. It does everything you really need. and it is a much lighter, more discreet carry. If you want to be really safe in NYC, a case swayback jack or other sub 3 inch slipjoint would be even less "aggressive". If you really want that locking blade, and I get that indeed, I would use a lanyard and no clip, and keep a very close eye on the local laws. You might carry a 6 inch rajah for years, or a judge could call your mechanical pencil a shank... Better safe than sorry, and no pun intended, that cuts both ways... - hayes
 
Once more, this should have been in the last post - google New York District Attorney Cyrus Vance, there was an article in Blade or Knives illustrated a year or two ago... Anyway, knife law in NYC went crazy. A couple of google searches will probably provide better info than me.. NYC knife law has been a subject of much interest in the knife community recently, as far as I can see. Best city in the world, but I don't trust my keychain SAK classic for SD either. - hayes
 
razorsdescent said:
Im taking a trip to new york city this summer.

Long story short I want to carry a knife primarily for SD but also for utility.

As i understand it anything above 4 inches is a go, however fixed blades are frowned upon.

While i have knives that would fit the bill I never pass up the opportunity to get a new knife.

So I was thinking about the Benchmade Bedlam.

Is this an acceptable choice?

Also I have heard that it is illegal to use a pocketclip in NYC is this true?

Thanks for any info, i really appreciate it.
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Here's the short of it

- any knife inside NYC MUST BE CONCEALED AT ALL TIMES. Folks have been busted for having a small SAC on the end of a chain fob. No pocket clips. Fixed blade is legal.

- blade length must be under 4"

- any knife that locks open and can be snapped open with one hand, no matter how ridiculous the amount of effort required, is considered a "gravity knife" (a small fixed blade or slip joint might be the best options).

- NYPD has a long and well-deserved reputation for stopping and frisking anybody they want to, with or without cause. By some reports if they find ANY knife on you it will likely be taken and charges may or may not follow - they operate under heavy pressure from the upper ranks imposed in a quota system. Hard to believe they'd pass up an arrest for CPW even if it gets thrown out in court.
 
If you're coming here as a tourist , leave the locking knife at home.

If you want to carry something, then I'd suggest a small slipjoint carried in the pocket.
 
As a resident of NYC.. i want to say.. it SUCKS to live here if you want to carry a knife haha.. and heres why:

1) NO locking blades
2) NO gravity knives (able to be flicked open)
3) NO auto-matic knives
4) NO blade over 4 inches in lenght
5) NO blade that looks threatening! -- I.E. a knife made for SD.. and if you TELL the cop you carry for SD get ready to be arrested buddy!... You MUST tell them you are carrying so you can use it for a utility task or your job.. but thats the thing.. your a tourist so that won't fly..
6) NO knife clipped to your pocket, this is the top reason cops find the knife on you..
7) ALL RULES CHANGE WHEN YOU STEP INTO THE TRAIN-STATION... NO KNIVES ALLOWED AT ALL IN TRAIN-STATIONS!

Im not a lawyer and just a few things that ive been able to conclude due to alot of research..

anyway soon i hope it'll be a little less risky to carry any illegal knife in NYC and the reason is because soon they MIGHT do away with the "stop and frisk" policy.. because they are mainly targeting minorities.. and its being fought in the Supreme Court as i write this... so then the only way the cops can catch you with a knife is if you clip it and they see it.. they then have "probabal cause" to stop and search ya.. but if its buried in your pocket and they cant see it.. and they did away with "stop and frisks" well.. ZERO possiblity of you getting caught ;)..

Anyway take it easy..
 
I've carried large locking folders with pocket clips for years in NYC and never had a problem. Usually my shirt covers my pocket, but you just need to be careful around cops. Usually they wont bother you about it unless you are doing something else suspicious. Since I can't carry a gun in NYC I have found it necessary to carry large folders as well as a 21'' ASP baton depending on where I'm going. If you are clever about concealment you shouldn't have any issues, even on the subway. When the cops do random searches in subway stations they are looking for bombs so they will only search bags, they don't have metal detectors or do pat-downs. Good luck, I'ts risky to carry but in my opinion it's riskier not to.
 
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JPD1998 said:
If you're coming here as a tourist , leave the locking knife at home.

If you want to carry something, then I'd suggest a small slipjoint carried in the pocket.
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I agree. Nothing but horror storied regarding knives in the city
 
You'll risk getting arrested for having a knife on you. Jonahernst risks being charged double for having that baton. Definitely do not pocket clip it. I guarantee you that the bedlam (as I own one) will be considered a weapon by appearance alone - and ANY benchmade axis lock is so easy to flip that it'll have fallen under the gravity knife rule without a problem. I have always carried regardless. It helps that I don't make trouble, commit crimes, act suspiciously, and am not a minority. Simply being a minority will cause you to occasionally have a problem with the NYPD. Keep that in mind if you are considering some concealed carry. Also realize that there are so many zones (like the subway) and other nested areas throughout the city that you cannot really account for exactly which laws you could be breaking at any given time. My advice is conceal it and never let anyone see it for any reason. Don't use it for utility unless that utility is absolutely critical.
 
razorsdescent said:
Im taking a trip to new york city this summer.

Long story short I want to carry a knife primarily for SD but also for utility.

As i understand it anything above 4 inches is a go, however fixed blades are frowned upon.

While i have knives that would fit the bill I never pass up the opportunity to get a new knife.

So I was thinking about the Benchmade Bedlam.

Is this an acceptable choice?

Also I have heard that it is illegal to use a pocketclip in NYC is this true?

Thanks for any info, i really appreciate it.
Click to expand...

I can second just about all the other posts. But one especially, DO NOT CARRY A KNIFE IN NYC FOR THE PURPOSE OF SELF DEFENSE. It is not legal to carry a knife in NYC for the purpose of self defense. That said, its very simple to fix this. You DO NOT carry it for self defense.

My EDC in the suburbs is a 3" lockback. But when I'm in the city I only carry a small slipjoint. IMO anything else might land you in trouble, especially if you are a tourist.

Don't even think about carrying a liner lock, you will be arrested if you get caught with it.
 
Go with an early GEC slipjoint...one of those with nail-breaker springs, which absolutely cannot be opened with one hand.
 
jdm61 said:
Sub 4 inch fixed blade TOTALLY concealed.
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Fixed blades are stronger than folders, without doubt. The only problem is that often the sheath gives its carrier away first. Unless you find a way to do inside the waistband carry, the sheath will still have to be fastened to the belt somehow. Folders are much more compact and concealable. Greater concealability means less chance of the knife "printing" through clothing.
 
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