Spyderco knives illegal in New York City?

A

auspx

Joined
Aug 13, 2007
Messages
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Apparently any knife that can be flipped open, even by holding the blade by the thumb-hole and flipping the handle open, is considered a gravity knife which is illegal to carry. But here's the stupidity in NYC law, the knife can flip open but it's not considered "dangerous" as long as it doesn't lock open.

Who knew that my Byrd Crow with its sub 2.5" cutting edge is a "dangerous illegal weapon" in NYC. Oh well there goes my $25.

So, does Spyderco make non-locking versions of its entry level knives like the Byrd series? Or is there any way to remove the linerlock? I mean it's a useful little utility knife but I don't feel like going to prison for 1 year because of it.
 
Take the knife apart and bend the liner in the opposite direction. Then tighten the pivot.. So the blade will stay open enough yet not do the gravity drop. That way the pressure is excerted into the handle, and you wont have to destroy the knife.... Ive done that with a Afck that had a broken liner.... Or you can sell me your byrd some time....
Matt
 
Just to be on the really safe side.This is all I carry when I visit NYC.
Byrd_Firebyrd_200w.jpg

The blade doesn't lock & it's got a handy bottle opener too.:thumbup:
under $20
 
Sad sad sad:grumpy: Gimme a break for cryin' out loud. These stories get worse all the time. LOL, soon the government will take away so much from us that people will be able to safely rob the local 7-11 with a limp piece of celery because they know that nobody's got a knife, a firearm, or even a rock to defend themselves with. I'm moving to Iran where people have a lot more civil liberties!!;)

Sorry you can't carry your new knife.

Cheers,
Jon
 
What happened?

You might want to consider carrying a UKPK or Urban, and not carry your knife clipped. There are also more non-lockers on the way from Spyderco.
 
Just purchased the Byrd Crow yesterday and at least it can't be opened by holding the handle and flipping the blade. But I can easily grab the blade by the thumb-hole and flip the knife open that way. So can any NYC cop if I'm ever stopped and searched. So that's $25 down the drain. :grumpy:
 
jonnymac44 said:
Sad sad sad:grumpy: Gimme a break for cryin' out loud. These stories get worse all the time. LOL, soon the government will take away so much from us that people will be able to safely rob the local 7-11 with a limp piece of celery because they know that nobody's got a knife, a firearm, or even a rock to defend themselves with.
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Hmmm ? that sound just like somewhere i used to live :rolleyes:
 
Assuming your information is 100% accurate, then any locking folder with enough blade exposed to grasp, and a light enough action/heavy enough handle to allow it to be flicked open by grasping the blade, would be illegal to own there, not just Spydercos. That's because, under NY State law only LEOs and the Military can possess gravity knives. So, if true, that would make probably 75% of the folding knives that will be shown at the ECCKS later this month illegal weapons, since damn near every liner and framelock made can be opened that way.

Paul
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Hey look at the bright side you can still carry a 4 inch fixed blade as long as it is concealed in NYC
 
Geez, you guys really need to read the law before you go into a panic. :rolleyes:

http://pweb.netcom.com/~brlevine/ny.txt

Spydercos are not considered "gravity knives" as defined by NYC law because 2 additional steps are needed to lock it.

Thumb on the hole, (step 1) movement of blade into position, (step 2) lock engages.

Gravity knives require 1 step to release and lock the blade. Read the case law in the link provided.

The only restriction is that the blade is not over 4 inches and it must be concealed.

I travel into NYC regularly. I carry a Delica or an Endura at any given time. In the winter it's covered by a shirt or coat half the time. In the summer I wear cargo shorts with the clip exposed and I have spoken with cops and all the while my knife clip was in view of said LEO's. Never once hassled or questioned.
 
New York City..........definitely one of the entries on my personal top ten list of places I have no desire to ever go to.
 
Ken C. said:
Geez, you guys really need to read the law before you go into a panic. :rolleyes:

http://pweb.netcom.com/~brlevine/ny.txt

Spydercos are not considered "gravity knives" as defined by NYC law because 2 additional steps are needed to lock it.

Thumb on the hole, (step 1) movement of blade into position, (step 2) lock engages.

Gravity knives require 1 step to release and lock the blade. Read the case law in the link provided.

The only restriction is that the blade is not over 4 inches and it must be concealed.

I travel into NYC regularly. I carry a Delica or an Endura at any given time. In the winter it's covered by a shirt or coat half the time. In the summer I wear cargo shorts with the clip exposed and I have spoken with cops and all the while my knife clip was in view of said LEO's. Never once hassled or questioned.
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I wish that was true but check out this horror story.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=473779
In NYC it's also illegal to carry any knife with the clip exposed.
 
auspx said:
I wish that was true but check out this horror story.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=473779
In NYC it's also illegal to carry any knife with the clip exposed.
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Did you read the whole thread? Do you understand the situation as it was presented to you? This was a case of a cop being an a-hole. GB got jacked for his knife. I know GarageBoy personally and he is a good kid. He did nothing wrong. This was a case of an a-hole cop who needed a new knife.

At any given time there are thousands of people walking the streets of NYC with a knife clipped to their pocket...the NYPD themselves even. I've seen cowboys, bikers, truckers, the average citizen...you name it wearing a Buck 110 in a sheath on their belts out in the open. A knife clipped to your pocket does not make it exposed. It can be a pen for the cop knows. And unless your acting a suspicious manner what do you have to worry about?

So I will tell you this...if you want to be paranoid go right ahead. I will continue to carry...clipped and or otherwise. I'm sorry about GB's situation but one person's misfortune is not going to sway me to not carry. Hell, 10 people's stories are not going to sway me!

auspx said:
Just purchased the Byrd Crow yesterday and at least it can't be opened by holding the handle and flipping the blade. But I can easily grab the blade by the thumb-hole and flip the knife open that way. So can any NYC cop if I'm ever stopped and searched. So that's $25 down the drain.
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You need to be doing something that gives the cop a reason to search you. How old are you BTW? I'm betting you're under 18.
 
A LOT of it is how you present yourself. I carried openly for 5 years in NYC (pre 9/11) with zero problems. I even had a necker fall down the back of my jacket as I was walking up the stairs leaving a subway platform w/ 3 uniformed NYPD transit officers right behind me- no problem. A LOT of it is the discretion of the individual officer. You have the bad luck to get the eye of a jerk cop & you're done. Good thing that the law (as Ken illustrates- thanks Ken) is on the side of the public. My take on this is that this gives the NYPD the opportunity to get blades away from skells who are up to no good.
 
Did these cops happen to know you were a Firefighter?

IMO, it should not matter who you are or what you look like, the law should be applied evenly, not set aside or twisted to infringe the rights of whomever they decide to target.

By defining a gravity knife as whatever they say is one, laws don't matter if they can and will screw you over whenever they choose to. Putting my freedom in the hands of dirty cops, hoping they give me a pass is not acceptable.
 
Rat Finkenstein said:
Did these cops happen to know you were a Firefighter?
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I have not nor will I ever announce to a cop that I am a firefighter unless it is in an emergency situation. The less they know about me the better. I don't wear anything outside of work that shows anyone I'm a firefighter. I do not make it a point of flashing my badge either.

I agree that ones social standing should have no bearing on whether or not you get the shaft or a pass. But let's face reality...if you look like skell and act like a skell chances are the cops are going to see a skell.
 
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