There are loads of pages out there on the internet about knife laws. But so many of them are complete hearsay or conjecture. If you find that source, please let me know if it has a citation to the statute. No statute, no law.
Here ya go. Verbatim from... The Philadelphia Code. Or go to http://www.phila.gov and look on the right side of that web page under "Quick Hits", City Code & Charter to get to the same source.
** § 10-810. Weapons and Dangerous Devices.
(1)
Discharging Firearms. 168 No person shall fire or discharge recklessly and without reasonable cause any rifle, gun, pistol, or other firearm.
(2)
Water Pistols, Electric Canes, and Miniature Cannon. 169
(a) No one shall sell or offer for sale water pistols, electric canes, miniature cannon, or similar articles. 170
(b) No one shall use water pistols, electric canes, miniature cannon or similar articles in any street or public place.
(3) Spring Guns, Air Guns and Bows and Arrows. 171
(a) No person shall sell, offer for sale at retail, or use, or possess with intent to use, any air gun, spring gun, or any implement not a firearm which forcefully impels a pellet of any kind.
(b) No person shall sell, or offer for sale, at retail, any bow and arrow, to any person under the age of twenty-one (21) years unless the seller first obtains written evidence of parental consent to the proposed purchase by the minor. 172
(4)
Switchblade Knives. 173 No person shall sell, offer for sale or carry any knife with a blade which is released by a spring mechanism including knives known as "switchblades".
(5)
Incendiary Paper. No person shall manufacture, sell, offer for sale, carry or store any incendiary paper that has been chemically treated to vanish at the touch of a flame, including paper known as "flash paper". 174
(6)
Penalties. Whoever violates any provision of this Section or Section 10-821 shall, in addition to other penalties provided, forfeit the weapon, contraband, or dangerous device giving rise to the violation of such Section. 175
(7)
Confiscation. Police officers shall seize and deliver into departmental custody any air gun, air pistol, spring gun, switch blade knife, incendiary paper, contraband weapons, accessories and/or ammunition or other implement which shall be used, discharged, possessed, offered for sale or carried in violation of Section 10-810 or Section 10-821. 176
** § 10-820. Cutting Weapons in Public Places. 189
(1)
Definition.
Cutting Weapon.
Any knife or other cutting instrument which can be used as a weapon that has a cutting edge similar to that of a knife. No tool or instrument commonly or ordinarily used in a trade, profession or calling shall be considered a cutting weapon while actually being used in the active exercise of that trade, profession or calling.
(2)
Prohibited Conduct. No person shall use or possess any cutting weapon upon the public streets or upon any public property at any time.
(3)
Penalty. The penalty for violation of this Section shall be a fine of not less than three hundred (300) dollars and imprisonment of not less than ninety days.
** § 10-833. Possession of Weapons on School Property. 202
(a)
Definitions.
"Weapon." For purposes of this Section the term shall include, but not be limited to, any firearm, shotgun, rifle,
knife,
cutting instrument,
cutting tool, nun-chuck stick, and any other tool, instrument or implement capable of inflicting serious bodily injury.
(b) Prohibited Conduct. No person shall knowingly possess a weapon or knowingly cause a weapon to be present, whether openly or concealed, in the buildings of, within one hundred (100) feet of, or in any conveyance providing transportation to or from any elementary or secondary publicly-funded educational institution, any elementary or secondary private school licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Education or any elementary or secondary parochial school.
(c)
Exceptions. The prohibitions set forth in subsection (b) shall not apply to:
(1) The lawful performance of official duties by any full-time officer, agent or employee of the United States, the Commonwealth or a political subdivision who is authorized by law to engage in or supervise the prevention, detection, investigation or prosecution of any violation of law.
(2) The lawful performance of official duties by a school official.
(d)
Penalties. The penalty for violation of this Section shall be a fine of not more than three hundred ($300.00) dollars, or imprisonment of not more than ninety (90) days, or both. The fine may be imposed through the confiscation of the illegally possessed weapon by the City of Philadelphia Police Department, said weapon to be melted down or rendered inoperable thereafter.
