suggest a "non" gravity, spring assisted knife

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paul brown

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Apr 19, 2021
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My local ordinance prohibits knives that can be opened with a wrist flick, as I have no experience with spring assisted knifes, could a kershaw knockout or sog flash at xr be thrown open with enough force? I would like to try a spring assisted knife, if you have other suggestions or can comment on the two knives I've mentioned I would be thankful.
 
Hi Paul, any restriction on blade length? Price range?

I know people don't like to give out their locations but it might help if knew where you lived.

Also, the nature of the AT-XR lock *might* be considered a gravity knife. You can pull back the lock and open it with a wrist flick. I would think the AT-XR, axis, ball bearing type locks might be a no-no for you based on the info you provided.

Since you don't mind a metal handled knife, I would pick the Kershaw Link over the Knockout. The Link has a premium 20CV blade steel for the same price as the Knockout.
Linked from BladeHq for easy reference.
https://www.bladehq.com/item--Kershaw-Link-Drop-Point-Knife-Olive--105987
 
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I can wrist flick my Kershaw Blur and Leeks open. Can't speak for other brands. The Leeks have a safety slider, and I know Benchmade's assisted knives do (some of them, at least). I don't know if that makes any difference with your local ordinances (can't wrist flick if it's locked closed, right?).
 
Ontario Rat1A
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no length restrictions, san diego. thats the whole deal, I can't make sense out of the law as written. My understanding is If you have to touch any part of the blade to open and it can't be flicked open, its legal.
 
I can't wrist flick my Kershaw or ZT knives without pushing on the thumb stud or flipper tab.
 
paul brown said:
My local ordinance prohibits knives that can be opened with a wrist flick, as I have no experience with spring assisted knifes, could a kershaw knockout or sog flash at xr be thrown open with enough force? I would like to try a spring assisted knife, if you have other suggestions or can comment on the two knives I've mentioned I would be thankful.
Click to expand...

I'm a 51 year resident of San Diego, and San Diego doesn't have any local laws regarding folding knives. Both San Diego county and city follow state knife laws.

As for California state law, the fact that a folder can be wrist flicked open does not make it illegal to carry, as long as the knife is designed to be opened by pressure applied to the blade using a thumb stud, thumb disc, opening hole, flipper spur, etc, and as long as it has a detent or other mechanism that creates a bias towards the closed position that prevents the blade from moving out of the handle under it's own weight.

Here is the specific statute in the California penal code that describes what I am referring to. This is a link to the official California state legislative website- https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=17235.&lawCode=PEN

Prosecutors in California used to charge and prosecute people for possession of "switchblades" (gravity knives) if their folder could be wrist flicked open, but in 2003 the California Supreme Court ruled that knives with features I've described here do not qualify as "switchblades", and the penal code statute that I linked was changed to include language regarding thumb studs, detents, etc, directly from the courts ruling .
 
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I dunno the difference of flipping a knife open with a flipper, or auto opening it with a button, or flinging it open with my wrist.

Or opening it with two hands lol..ill never agree with these stupid laws.

At anyrate..I dont like spring assisted knives but they seem to be legal in most places now..maybe look at the law little closer
 
I love this ZT0770CF with reground M4 blade.
It outslices absolutely everything, no exaggeration.
Pretty sure the model meets your specs as well.
 
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gazz98 said:
Hi Paul, any restriction on blade length? Price range?

I know people don't like to give out their locations but it might help if knew where you lived.

Also, the nature of the AT-XR lock *might* be considered a gravity knife. You can pull back the lock and open it with a wrist flick. I would think the AT-XR, axis, ball bearing type locks might be a no-no for you based on the info you provided.

Since you don't mind a metal handled knife, I would pick the Kershaw Link over the Knockout. The Link has a premium 20CV blade steel for the same price as the Knockout.
Linked from BladeHq for easy reference.
https://www.bladehq.com/item--Kershaw-Link-Drop-Point-Knife-Olive--105987
Click to expand...
That Link with 20cv steel is a good suggestion and a good price. I have the Link in m390 and it s a pretty nice knife.
 
I'm down to one assisted knife, the Kershaw Blur (which is an option here) and I can't just "wrist it open". I need to use the thumb stud. YMMV.

Paul, don't hesitate to call your local Police Department or Sheriff and ask some questions about what is legal to carry.

A few other resources which you probably saw but worth linking imo.
https://knifeup.com/california-knife-and-balisong-law/
https://www.akti.org/state-knife-laws/california/

If something changes and the parameters of what you can carry change, post it here and we can give you some new suggestions.
 
killgar said:
I'm a 51 year resident of San Diego, and San Diego doesn't have any local laws regarding folding knives. Both San Diego county and city follow state knife laws.

As for California state law, the fact that a folder can be wrist flicked open does not make it illegal to carry, as long as the knife is designed to be opened by pressure applied to the blade using a thumb stud, thumb disc, opening hole, flipper spur, etc, and as long as it has a detent or other mechanism that creates a bias towards the closed position that prevents the blade from moving out of the handle under it's own weight.

Here is the specific statute in the California penal code that describes what I am referring to. This is a link to the official California state legislative website- https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=17235.&lawCode=PEN

Prosecutors in California used to charge and prosecute people for possession of "switchblades" (gravity knives) if their folder could be wrist flicked open, but in 2003 the California Supreme Court ruled that knives with features I've described here do not qualify as "switchblades", and the penal code statute that I linked was changed to include language regarding thumb studs, detents, etc, directly from the courts ruling .
Click to expand...

FWIW, as a retired LEO, who was born/raised and served in the SF Bay Area, allow me to add that CA LEOs have way more important things to do than spend time specifically devoted to enforcing any laws pertaining to the possession/carrying of knives . . .

UNLESS a the knife is being brandished or used in a way that THREATENS public safety, which means that if you are carrying a folder "concealed" in your pocket and are NOT doing anything else that legally justifies the LEO doing a "stop and frisk" on you, no one will ever know that you are carrying a folder of any kind (not even if illegal to carry) and are at no practical risk of criminal liability for doing so.

However, if you are engaged in some other illegal activity and are "stopped/frisked" and/or arrested for "other charges," an illegal knife possession charge could be added on to the other charges.

The chances of you being arrested for an "illegal" knife charge alone is a possibility after a "stop/frisk" but usually only if the LEO is just being a A-hole (which happens but comes at a cost to him if he has to arrest/book you and write a report which takes him off the street where he'd rather be) or if he thinks it can lead to allowing him to search other things (like your car/house, if there's probable cause to do so) which can lead to greater charges.

Usually what will happen if an LEO finds a "illegal knife" (as opposed to gun) on your person during a "stop/frisk" is that the LEO will seize the knife and let you go, provided there is no other reason to hold you.

After that, what "should" happen is that the LEO should write an incident report regarding the seizure and deposit the knife in the property room in case you contest the seizure and attempt to get it back but, if the knife is "illegal" there's no chance that you're going to do that.

So you can easily guess how often that happens and what happens to the knife thereafter. LOL! ;)
 
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