Moving to New York City. Need Guidance

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Vagabond1022

Joined
May 26, 2013
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Other than the obvious guidance I am expecting to receive: "Don't move to NYC" ;) I could use some advice from someone more familiar with NYC knife laws than Myself.

I currently live in Arizona however I have been offered an amazing opportunity in NYC that I cannot pass up. I will be moving shortly. I am going to leave the guns with a buddy in AZ while I am getting settled in the first 6 months. There are a few things I find perplexing about the knife laws there, however and want to avoid trouble.

For Carry
I know the following things are illegal:
-Blade greater than 4 inches
-Knife that can be opened with one hand or has a fixed blade
-Any knife that is visible to others

But what about locking blades? Is that okay as long as it does not also fall in one of the above categories. Currently have a tiny, 1.5 inch kershaw I have for carrying around folks who might be intimidated however that knife is almost certainly illegal in NYC since it has an assisted opening. An NY court would probably refer to that as a switch blade Lol! What about the Mackinac Hunter with the nail nick opener? That one seems to conform to the law. Does anyone know for sure?

Owning knives and transporting in a car
I wasn't planning on getting rid of my other knives. I have a Cold Steel SRK that is my go to survival knife (l am in Search & Rescue in AZ). I am planning on keeping them in my apartment and only taking them out when I travel for a climbing or hunting trip. Is this okay or is simply having them in a closet in your apartment a possible source of legal troubles?

any guidance would be appreciated, Folks. Thanks in advance!
 
The Mackinac Hunter should be fine as long as you don't use the pocket clip. And just so you know having your collection in your closet is fine, the police cannot search your place without a warrant. Plus owning the knives is not illegal only carrying them is.
 
One hand openers are not per se illegal, only flick able ones that lock open are. Fixed blades are also not totally illegal. No knife should ever be carried as a weapon. Get a small Opinel (Size 8 is good). they don't lock open automatically and most can't be flicked ( since they don't lock open it really does not matter if they flick). You can manually lock it open for safe use by turning the ring. Possession means having control over an items anywhere, but a large fixed blade is not illegal in and of itself. In your apartment is fine, but once again not as a weapon. You need a permit for every type of gun and you can go to NYC.gov and the NYPD link for permit info. Rifle/shotgun permits are easy to get, but pistol ones are another story.

What part of the city are you moving into? Beware you are leaving a state that honors the Bill of Rights for a City that does not.....
 
BenLong- Thanks for the advice! That is exactly what I was looking for. Looks like I will be getting a Mackinac and putting the recon 1 in the back of the closet.

Tom- Thanks for the input. I am well aware of the gun laws. Luckily I do not own a handgun at the moment. I will get a couple eventually, and will cross that bridge with the crazy permitting process when I get there. Not looking forward to shelling out $400 and going to an NYPD interview etc.
 
No problem man New York is not for knife people, but hey sounds like you have a good job lined up so good luck with that.
 
I was just there a couple of weeks ago. Went to the 9/11 Memorial with my Kershaw Zing (assisted opener). While they did not let me into the Memorial, they didn't confiscate it either after I told them I had served in the Marines back in 90-94. They kept it at the visitor center & I was able to pick it up afterwards. The Security Supervisor did say it was borderline as far as being confiscated...
 
There have been, as you're probably aware of, a number of horror stories regarding "Spydie Drops" and flailing around like you've got ants in your pants to get a knife to "flick" open. IMHO, and IANAL, stay away from lock knives and always deep carry.
 
Get a job in finance so you can afford to live in a good neighborhood in Manhattan. Don't try to be a walk-on creative and move to Bedford-Stuyvesant.

Just kidding!
 
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