PA knife laws

B

Bookworm

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Jan 6, 2008
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http://pweb.netcom.com/~brlevine/pa.txt

I'm presently a senior in high school, and my soon-to-arrive bump is a legal knife to carry in LA, but next year I'll be headed off to Pennsylvania for college, and their knife laws are very confusing. For sure any knife under 2 1/2 inches is ok, so I'll get a chive or something for edc at school (unless its against school rules of course). But can someone clarify if the standard kershaw AO folder is legal?
 
As far as i know the AO is legal, pretty much everyone i know who has a decent knife has one. There is no length limit on knives legal to carry mentioned on any of the articles i have found on the subject. You seem to be in the clear with a chive or a bump depending on school rules. You should check the school rules when you decide which knife to purchase and/or carry. I hope this was helpful
 
As far as I know, autos are the only knives that are illegal to posess in PA. Check the rules of your University though, don't wanna get expelled!
 
burf151 said:
As far as I know, autos are the only knives that are illegal to posess in PA. Check the rules of your University though, don't wanna get expelled!
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This is correct.

What college will you be attending?
 
right now, I'm not sure (acceptance/rejection letters come in april)

In PA, I applied to Carnegie Mellon (Pittsburgh), Bucknell (somewhere in the middle, I don't remember the city), Lehigh (Bethlehem), and Lafayette (somewhere south of Bethlehem).

I also applied to Vanderbilt (Nashville, TN), and Santa Clara (Santa Clara, CA)
 
Can anyone post a good straightfoward link pertaining to knife laws in Pa? I'd really apreceate it if anyone has a good realiable source that they could help me with.

And to Bookworm, best of luck!
 
I haven't been able to find any blade length restrictions or anything limiting you to a folding knife, but there do seem to be some specifics about opening methods:

Definition.--As used in this section "offensive
weapon" means... any... dagger, knife, razor or cutting
instrument, the blade of which is exposed in an automatic
way by switch, push-button, spring mechanism, or
otherwise...

Where opening knife required lock to be released, and
once lock was released blade could be exposed by flip of
wrist, knife did not have blade which could be "exposed in
an automatic way"... by "otherwise" legislature referred
to knives that were opened by some sort of mechanism which
is not a "switch," "push-button," or "spring" mechanism
but still a mechanism... (1979)

I'm absolutely not a lawyer but, I'd be careful with an AO personally because of the vague wording in the statutes. Seems like AOs could go under the "otherwise" section if the LEO was inclined to be a prick. Just like balisongs (in my opinion) would fall under the "flip of wrist" bit.

Overall it seems kinda hard to pin down exactly what is allowed in PA. But dats lawyerin' fer ya. :jerkit:

Joe Nelson
 
KnifeGuy07 said:
Is there any law against the concealment of knives in PA?
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i don't think so, though if there was 99 of edcers would be lawbreakers.

The catch on the AO knives is the "automatic" wording. Automatic means capable of initiating motion on its own, not continuing motion on its own.

Then there's the flick clause, if I snap my arm I can pop the blade open, but it's not close to a flick, and far less stealthy, controlled, energy efficient, and practical.
 
i go to college in PA. ive been carrying a knife everyday since i started going here. no problems yet. I know several police officers who have seen and asked about knives i carry and they never have had any problems with them.
 
Don't know about specifically around the campus, but I grew up and lived in PA around the Pittsburgh area until I joined the Navy about 10 years ago. Never had a problem anywear I went. Of course in those days I was carrying a large SAK, wanna say Adventurer or something like that then briefly a gerber ez out. Never had a problem. I grew up in an industial town worked in a mill and did construction on the side. Guess I just always looked like I needed a knife...if that makes sense. Alot of guys where I live carried knives...Trust me as long as your not a trouble maker and don't get stupid with it you will be fine.
 
I carry an AO, but I still be careful when in public. I have lived here all my life and have never really heard of any big hasle over knives. I know with mine, SOG Flash II, even with flailing my arm around the knife will not pop open. Although, I have dropped it a few times and it opened up, but that happens VERY rarely when I drop it. I always thought, but am now having second guesses about, the knife can't be bigger than the palm of your hand, side to side.
 
Cauldra said:
Also I believe balisongs are illeagal to carry. That's why I stopped carrying mine.
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It seems everytime I do research on the subject of balisongs I end up with maybe as an answer, lol...I even bought a book ojn knfie law for all 50 states! in that it sais than for PA, you cna carry any folding knife or fixed blade with no blasde limitations (but you have to justify carrying a monster blade) but as far as balisongs go this is what it states...Balisongs can be woned by PA residents, but not carried to use, but there were 3 different court cases where the balsiong was ruled NOT an automatiuc knife and was now legal to carry in the counties in which the trials were held, I dont remember off ahnd which oiens they were, but its kind of up to the officer your dealign with, but if it goes to cvourt you have a good chance it will NOT be considered an illegal item, but not guarrenteed...So all that beign said, I carry my balisong from tiem to time, but I still feel like Im doing somethgin wrong, lol...Oh wlel, never had a problem with it...yet, got my fingers crossed...:rolleyes:
 
No autos...that's about it. You can walk into any gun or knife show and buy AO or balisongs. A few vendors have tried to sell autos at shows that resulted in their arrest.
 
I just sent my county sheriff an email askign more about the legality of the balisong in PA, my county anyway, well see what the response is...Ill post it when it arrives...
 
morrowj 98, I know of a guy about 6 or so years back that sold two switchblades to an undercover officer in PA and as you stated was arrested, however the judge threw the case out and returned his knives. This dealer is an actor named Steve and has been in several movies. I am not sure which show he was doing in PA, but it does seem that the courts ( at least a few years back) did not seem to think too much about it....
 
tom19176 said:
morrowj 98, I know of a guy about 6 or so years back that sold two switchblades to an undercover officer in PA and as you stated was arrested, however the judge threw the case out and returned his knives. This dealer is an actor named Steve and has been in several movies. I am not sure which show he was doing in PA, but it does seem that the courts ( at least a few years back) did not seem to think too much about it....
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For the most part knives are a joke in the court system, unless you commit a crime with them or are a big dealer...I think they focus on guns more than anything else...But at the same time if a LEO (law enforcement officer) wants to bust your chops about your pocket knife he has the right to do so and ask questions later...I could understand that knives are threatning to cops, but what difference does it make what kind of knives they are? Is a automatic knife really more dangerous than your buck folder? Or is a balisong gonna hurt you anymore than your 7" fixed blade...NO...but it gives the bad cops a reason to bust your balls...I woudl rather a no knife law than a "well let ya know what kidn of knives you cna use" law...at least then you could easily foll0ow or break the law and know your doing it...
 
That is weird that they got arrested for selling autos. It is legal here to own autos as a collective, but you can't carry. I would think they would let him be.
 
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