Knife Rights Releases First Annual Ratings of Worst Anti-Knife Cities

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[This post approved for General section by Spark]

In the past five years Knife Rights has significantly advanced the rights of law-abiding knife owners in the United States, passing 15 pro-knife bills in 11 states. Knife Rights Chairman Doug Ritter explains, "This first annual Knife Rights review of the worst and best knife laws in America contrasts places where law-abiding knife owners enjoy complete or substantial freedom with those places which restrict the freedom of honest citizens by imposing arbitrary and irrational restrictions. These extreme anti-knife regulations are universally ignored by criminals and serve only to harass unsuspecting citizens." The ratings were released at the National Assembly of Sportsmen's Caucuses Sportsman - Legislator Summit held in Sunriver, Oregon.

Knife Owners Beware! The 10 Worst Anti-Knife Cities in America

The ten worst anti-knife cities stand out for their outright persecution of honest knife owners and extraordinarily restrictive anti-knife ordinances, far more severe than even the state laws in those areas. All too often this results in unwary citizens being subject to arrest and prosecution, and loss of their knives, for having a knife that is perfectly legal elsewhere in the state.

1. New York, NY (majority of pocketknives will result in arrest, aggressive persecution of
knife owners, over 60,000 to date)
2. Philadelphia, PA (all knives are illegal to carry except when actually in use on the job)
3. Ocean City, MD (many common pocketknives are illegal, Catch 22 traps many citizens)
4. San Antonio, TX (all locking-blade pocketknives knives are illegal to carry except on the job)
5. Rocky River, OH (2.5-inch blade limit)
6. Boston, MA (2.5-inch blade carry limit, including in any vehicle)
7. Cleveland, OH (2.5-inch blade carry limit, registration of any sale or gift of a longer bladed knife)
8. Chicago, IL (2.5-inch blade concealed carry limit, 2-inch blade limit for 18 and under, but minor cannot legally obtain any knife)
9. Corpus Christi, TX (illegal to carry any fixed blade knife or a folder with a blade longer than 3-inches except when actually in use on the job)
10. Aspen, CO (Any concealed knife is illegal to carry in public)

More details on each of the 10 worst cities' knife restrictions can be found at: www.KnifeRights.org/10WorstBest2014

10 Best States for Knife Owners

Tied for First Place: Alaska / Arizona / Kansas / New Hampshire / Tennessee / Utah
Second Place: Georgia
Tied for Third Place: Arkansas / South Carolina / South Dakota


Law-abiding knife owners face no restrictions on the knives they can own or carry in Alaska, Arizona, Kansas, New Hampshire, Tennessee and Utah. In all these states only the criminal misuse of a knife is illegal. In Georgia, the only restriction is that knives carried are limited to a 5-inch blade.

All of the states in First and Second Place have enacted Knife Rights' model knife law preemption bills. Preemption stops local jurisdictions from passing ordinances more restrictive than state law, preventing a patchwork of local laws that can trap unwary citizens.

Arkansas, South Carolina and South Dakota have no knife restrictions at the state level. However, these states have not yet enacted knife law preemption, so towns and cities in these states are free to enact restrictions greater than state law. Knife owners need to be wary in that regard.

Know the Law – Don’t Get Arrested!

Knowledge of the law is essential to avoid an unfortunate situation. Knife Rights' LegalBlade™ App provides guidance on knife laws of all 50 states and over 40 cities, with more being added every month.

Knife Rights’ LegalBlade™ is available on the App Store and in Google Play. Details and links at: http://www.LegalBlade.org/
 
Doug,

Thank you for this information and for coordinating KnifeRight's tireless advocacy. I plan to purchase the app later today and look forward to using it in the future.

As an aside, thanks for making one of the best collaboration EDC knives, ever (Ritter Grip).
 
Great info, I live in San Antonio and the locking-blade law really doesn't make any sense to me when you can still carry a fixed blade no longer than 5.5 inch. Most officers won't give you a hard time about it unless you are doing something you are not suppose to, most people here carry them with the pocket clip visible sometimes in front of police, but there's always the risk.
Is there anything that can be done to change this law so that it can be more resonable?
 
Glad to see Arizona is on the top 10 best states. The problem is.. from the way I read it, a person must be 21 to carry a pocket knife??? so, my kid can vote and go to war but cant carry a knife?
Am I reading this wrong??
 
Glad to see Arizona is on the top 10 best states. The problem is.. from the way I read it, a person must be 21 to carry a pocket knife??? so, my kid can vote and go to war but cant carry a knife?
Am I reading this wrong??
I think you are right, same goes with alcohol. It doesn't make much sense but that's the law.
 
Tennessee passed sweeping gun and knife carry legislation earlier this year. This is probably one of the few things my state has done correctly. Autos, blades over 4", concealed knives, and open carried knives are now legal in TN. The other part of TN's legislation further extended the Castle Doctrine, and it states that loaded firearms, concealed or otherwise, may be legally carried inside personal/owned vehicles without a permit.
 
Glad to see Arizona is on the top 10 best states. The problem is.. from the way I read it, a person must be 21 to carry a pocket knife??? so, my kid can vote and go to war but cant carry a knife?
Am I reading this wrong??

Yes, and at 18 they can carry a handgun concealed or showing, but can not buy a handgun. :)
 
The Texas cities really surprised me.

I'd like to thank Mr Ritter and Knife Rights for Tennessee's high rating.
 
I remember i visited NYC about two years ago and barely got away with having my bm griptilian on me. Police told me it was a felony to own a ""gravity" knife. I just said I'm sorry and grabbed my knife and left in a hurry before I could get even more lectured.
 
New Mexico is pretty good. The only restriction I'm aware of is automatic knives.
 
Glad to see Arizona is on the top 10 best states. The problem is.. from the way I read it, a person must be 21 to carry a pocket knife??? so, my kid can vote and go to war but cant carry a knife?
Am I reading this wrong??

Yes, you are reading it wrong. The only restriction in AZ law on knives is against concealed carry of a "deadly weapon" "OTHER than a pocket knife". There is no definition of a pocket knife in AZ law and that is just the way we like it. ;-)

The under 21 issue deals with all "deadly weapons" as a whole. A person between 18 and 21 may carry any "deadly weapon" openly in AZ. AND a "pocket knife" concealed.

Here is the relevant section:

13-3102. Misconduct involving weapons; defenses; classification; definitions

A. A person commits misconduct involving weapons by knowingly:

1. Carrying a deadly weapon except a pocket knife concealed on his person or within his immediate control in or on a means of transportation:

(a) In the furtherance of a serious offense as defined in section 13-706, a violent crime as defined in section 13-901.03 or any other felony offense; or

(b) When contacted by a law enforcement officer and failing to accurately answer the officer if the officer asks whether the person is carrying a concealed deadly weapon; or

2. Carrying a deadly weapon except a pocket knife concealed on his person or concealed within his immediate control in or on a means of transportation if the person is under twenty-one years of age; or

Todd Rathner
Knife Rights
Director of Legislative Affairs
www.kniferights.org
 
I was pleasently supprised when I looked up ga's knife laws not to long ago. Thank you guys and gals for all yall are doing. Keep up the good work.
I just think its funny that you can't carry even a small pocket knife concealed in CO, but you can recreationaly smoke pot.(not that I have anything against the latter) Times sure are changing... Next thing you know we'll be buying heroin at the corner store and have to get a permit to carry fingernail clippers. In their deffense those attached files are pretty dangerous.
 
Wonder where Florida ranks. I know it's legal to open carry here while going to and during fishing and hunting
 
I'm also very surprised on the two Texas cities on the worst list!
 
SC BABY!! Wooooooooooooot! Okay just had to do that. I really appreciate all the hard work y'all have done.
 
The good Jim Bowie (May he rest in peace) would have rolled ten times over in his grave.
I am happy to have had a least worrying childhood,
It's just to bad that I can't say this for the way things are picturing for the future generations...
 
It is my understanding that the current Texas knife law is any knife with a blade under 5 1/2" is legal carry in all other areas, except the 2 cities listed. Is this not the law here? Either a fixed, or folder. Blade is measured from tip to handle.
Harold
 
Good thing I live just outside Philadelphia. Somehow I don't think the ban on knives has really helped the crime rate at all.
 
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