Spyderco ATR "dagger style blade"=dagger?

B

bls

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Jun 24, 2004
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Hi, guys. Does anyone know if a Spyderco ATR is illegal in those states that prohibit carrying "daggers, dirks, stillettos..." because of the "dagger style blade"?

Regards,
bls
 
I would doubt it. Firstly, those terms are outdated and archaeic. They were included in the law because they generally refer to a knife that has no utilitarian purpose; the knife is inteneded as a weapon and only a weapon. There are still of course modern knives that might be considered a "dagger or stilletto", but these will have double edges (or at the least, a well defined false edge) or resemble the old "weapons". For example, I might be apprehensive about carrying a Cold Steel Ti-Lite in such a state, but wouldn't worry about the ATR. The ATR has neither a double edge, nor the classic lines of a dagger or stilletto.

This is just my opinion, and my interpretation of the laws and descriptions.
 
Thanks for your input, Planterz. I would tend to agree with you. On the other hand, I am wary of potentially giving ammunition to an agressive prosecuter who is looking to make life miserable for people that carry knives.

Regards,
bls
 
I think this is the reason the Spyderco version of Fred Perrin's "Street Bowie" is just called the "Perrin". Too many states have vague laws forbidding "bowie knives".

IIRC, they _did_ advertise the Chinook as a "bowie-style blade", though. Maybe they think it's less of an issue with folders?
 
Grover_Cephas said:
I think this is the reason the Spyderco version of Fred Perrin's "Street Bowie" is just called the "Perrin". Too many states have vague laws forbidding "bowie knives".
Click to expand...

Hmmm, and it's only a 5" blade, under the Texas length limit! :D (Case law has established that it has to be over 5.5" to be an illegal Bowie, under 5.5" it's apparently Bowie-like.)

Matt in Texas
 
In many of the states that composed the South and the old Southwest of the 1840s & 1850s, the Bowie Knife caused the kind of panic among the hoplophobes and the media of the day (called "Penny Dreadfuls") that the switchblade caused in the 1950s and the "assault weapon" causes today. It was the weapon that was going to "end society as we know it" and it was, therefore, banned in many states. Included in those states are such unlikely ones as Texas and Arkansas. Virginia and Maryland are also included, FYI.
 
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