Knife laws in Pennsylvania

T

Tunkx

Joined
Jun 20, 2014
Messages
3
Hi guys,

My friend (we are both european) started studying in the US recently. I thought she could order a knife from Bladehq for me, repack it and post it to Europe.
Can she legally do it?
I tried to go through some US and Pennsylvania laws, but it's a nightmare. (seriously guys European laws, are much much simpler).
If she got the parcel to the university, repacked it there and posted it, she wouldn't carry it, right?

Can anyone help me?
 
It depends on the type of knife you are buying from BladeHQ.

If it is any kind of common knife, such as a folding knife or a fixed blade, this is no problem whatsoever. Receiving and shipping do not count as carry. Most knives are legal for carry in Pennsylvania anyway.

If it us a true switchblade knife (also called an automatic knife) then it becomes complicated on multiple levels:
  1. US Federal law prohibits shipping switchblades over state lines. BladeHQ is located in Utah. It is a federal offense for them to ship a switchblade to Pennsylvania.
  2. It is illegal under Pennsylvania law to possess a switchblade. This includes keeping one at home.
 
glistam said:
It depends on the type of knife you are buying from BladeHQ.

If it is any kind of common knife, such as a folding knife or a fixed blade, this is no problem whatsoever. Receiving and shipping do not count as carry. Most knives are legal for carry in Pennsylvania anyway.

If it us a true switchblade knife (also called an automatic knife) then it becomes complicated on multiple levels:
  1. US Federal law prohibits shipping switchblades over state lines. BladeHQ is located in Utah. It is a federal offense for them to ship a switchblade to Pennsylvania.
  2. It is illegal under Pennsylvania law to possess a switchblade. This includes keeping one at home.
Click to expand...
It is not illegal to possess a switchblade if it is a curio, as in, you have it just because you are a collector. I would know, I have reviewed the law plenty of times, as I live in PA. It is illegal to carry though. Outside of that, any knife is legal to own or carry in PA, including balisongs. I will agree with you Tunkx, the law here is written in a way that is difficult to understand.

Edit: Forgot about daggers, those are illegal to carry as well.
 
Last I checked it was no autos. That's it. There is no blade length limit, you can carry fixed blades if you want, pretty great overall. However, check local laws because Philadelphia for example does not allow you to carry a blade of any type or length and the penalties are harsh. Very stupid law, I can carry a loaded gun on me but at the same time get arrested for having a leatherman on me. So statewide just no autos but check your local laws. Enjoy your stay!
 
§ 908. Prohibited offensive weapons.
(a) Offense defined.--A person commits a misdemeanor of the
first degree if, except as authorized by law, he makes repairs,
sells, or otherwise deals in, uses, or possesses any offensive
weapon.
(b) Exceptions.--
(1) It is a defense under this section for the defendant
to prove by a preponderance of evidence that he possessed or
dealt with the weapon solely as a curio or in a dramatic
performance, or that, with the exception of a bomb, grenade
or incendiary device, he complied with the National Firearms
Act (26 U.S.C. § 5801 et seq.), or that he possessed it
briefly in consequence of having found it or taken it from an
aggressor, or under circumstances similarly negativing any
intent or likelihood that the weapon would be used
unlawfully.

This is straight from the Pennsylvania law. If the item was going to be shipped to Tunkx's friend, and it was going to immediately repacked and shipped, it would fall under the underlined exception.

ak585479, the law that I am taking this from very well could be outdated. Some of the points that I am seeing seem contradictory to what I have seen elsewhere online. The one I am looking at is here http://law.onecle.com/pennsylvania/crimes-and-offenses/00.009.008.000.html
 
Honestly though, it would be helpful if we knew what University/County your friend resides at. Laws change from county to county in PA.
 
Erie is it? Erie looks to me to fall under PA's knife laws, BUT the university your friend attends yields a different story. Pulled straight out of their policy...
11. Weapons of any kind are strictly prohibited. Use or possession of any item on campus that could jeopardize the health and/or safety of the community is prohibited. The University reserves the right to determine whether a specific object jeopardizes the health and/or safety of the community. Fireworks (including sparklers), explosive materials, and weapons (knives, swords, brass knuckles, guns, rifles, hunting equipment, lawn darts, Tasers, stun guns, paint guns, pellet guns, BB guns, “Air Soft” guns, “fake” guns, other simulated weapons, ammunition, fencing equipment, etc.) are all specifically prohibited and may not be used, possessed, or brought onto campus.

Their campus, their rules. If the item is something that you really want and it is only available through this route, I would have her bring the situation to one of the individuals of authority on that campus and ask if that would be acceptable.

Why this route though? Are you looking for something on BladeHQ that is not offered by any other retailers and can not be shipped by them to your country? Trying to save on shipping?
 
Reading through the FB posts, they were holding the demonstrations and "try your hand at fencing" periods in the Student Union, which I would expect to be on campus. Exemption any one? :D
 
I grew up ~45 minutes south of Erie Pennsylvania; I used to go up there a lot for a variety of things (shopping, football games, movies, etc.) and several people from my high school went to Mercyhurst. Despite being a "city," Erie is actually still fairly rural. To be honest, depending on what it is, your friend could probably wear it around campus and no one would bat an eye. If she got stopped and asked why, she could just tell them she was going to go hunting later.
 
Regardless of the curio exception for PA law, if the knife is an auto it is still illegal for BladeHQ (in Utah) to sell it to a person in Pennsylvania under federal law. If it is not an auto then it is ok under federal and state law. I wish the OP would actually show us what knife he wants, it would make this discussion a lot easier.

Rostislav said:
That is interesting, maybe all of the fencing equipment is kept at a facility outside of campus, and students are not allowed to take it out of there.
Click to expand...

Virtually all universities have an exception for fencing equipment, specifically because it is a sporting good and because they are not real weapons considering they are blunted for the express purpose of making them safe to use. I know because I was on such a team in high school and college, and also teach fencing at schools and public parks.

There is one university I heard about that ruled fencing swords as weapons and forced the official university team off-campus. This school was subsequently ridiculed and mocked internationally for their stupidity to the point they reversed the decision.
 
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