Legality of "evil knives"

[vladtepes 1,060]

 

2C:39-3. Prohibited weapons and devices

 

e. Certain weapons. Any person who knowingly has in his possession any gravity knife, switchblade knife, dagger, dirk, stiletto, billy, blackjack, metal knuckle, sandclub, slingshot, cestus or similar leather band studded with metal filings or razor blades imbedded in wood, ballistic knife, without any explainable lawful purpose, is guilty of a crime of the fourth degree.

 

 

as the law reads..

 

switchblade + explainable lawful purpose = legal

 

correct?

[Teky0101 6]

That's what I would think! What would be considered a lawful purpose, a knive collection? I know its legal for police officers to own switchblades but it has to be registered under their badge ID.

[vladtepes 1,060]

That's what I would think! What would be considered a lawful purpose, a knive collection?

 

this is how it would go down..

 

IF they were to prosecute you.. that would mean you found yourself on the radar for some other issue..

you would have to go to court.. and explain why you a grown man feels the need to collect these weapons..

then a jury of your "peers" would decide how reasonable that is..

 

my guess is it may or may not go well..

 

I know its legal for police officers to own switchblades but it has to be registered under their badge ID.

 

what are you talking about.. where does the law say that..

[vjf915 456]

IF they were to prosecute you.. that would mean you found yourself on the radar for some other issue..

 

I understand this train of thought, but it's just not worth it to me. That's like saying "Go ahead and keep a telescoping stock on your AR. Unless you do something wrong, you won't get caught, and it's not really hurting anyone". Yes, the law is complete BS, but to me the penalty is still not worth breaking the law and losing my firearms rights forever. Not just that law, but any law. It's not that I won't fight it, there's other ways to fight it. Like supporting 2A groups, which I do. But ruining my hobby for the rest of my life isn't worth it, nor is it productive to the cause.

[vladtepes 1,060]

I understand this train of thought, but it's just not worth it to me. That's like saying "Go ahead and keep a telescoping stock on your AR. Unless you do something wrong, you won't get caught, and it's not really hurting anyone". Yes, the law is complete BS, but to me the penalty is still not worth breaking the law and losing my firearms rights forever. Not just that law, but any law. It's not that I won't fight it, there's other ways to fight it. Like supporting 2A groups, which I do. But ruining my hobby for the rest of my life isn't worth it, nor is it productive to the cause.

 

 

no no.. what I am saying is..

IF you are found out.. that means they are already interacting with you in a negative light.. "loud party" "domestic dispute" so good luck explaining the legal "weapons collection" at that point..

[Teky0101 6]

I agree with you that's its not worth the hassle of it and the risk of loosing your rights! Also I was suprised by this as well that police officers can own switchblades. They were selling them at the Just Knives store in Williamstown, NJ that's where I heard about this legal loophole.

[PK90 3,570]

I have evil knives. I collect them and I sell them.

 

One must ask themselves, why were the words "without any explainable lawful purpose" included in the statute? If they were meant to be outright illegal, there would be no reason to have that statement.

[Teky0101 6]

PK90,

Can FFL dealers own switchblades?

[PK90 3,570]

Did you read the statute? Per the law, anyone can own those knives.

[vladtepes 1,060]

I know its legal for police officers to own switchblades but it has to be registered under their badge ID.

 

what are you talking about.. where does the law say that..

[Teky0101 6]

I am not sure where the law is they just told me that they sell to police officers as long as they provide their badge numbers and some additional info. If you want to find out more you could give them a call, I am curious myself.

[vladtepes 1,060]

I am not sure where the law is they just told me that they sell to police officers as long as they provide their badge numbers and some additional info. If you want to find out more you could give them a call, I am curious myself.

 

no need to.. there is no such law..

[Anselmo 87]

as the law reads..

 

switchblade + explainable lawful purpose = legal

 

correct?

 

I'm thinking explainable lawful purpose for a switchblade is as elusive as a justifiable need to CCW in NJ.

[GRIZ 3,369]

I agree with you that's its not worth the hassle of it and the risk of loosing your rights! Also I was suprised by this as well that police officers can own switchblades. They were selling them at the Just Knives store in Williamstown, NJ that's where I heard about this legal loophole.

 

I retired seven years ago but I can tell you there is no specific law in NJ allowing LEOs to own switchblades. I have heard this myth for some time and if there were such a law it would be included as an exemption in the weapons statutes.

 

PK90 said they are legal already. This is correct, the criteria one must meet is lawful purpose according to the statute. If you have a switchblade mounted on a board with your other knives in your collection that would seem to be a lawful purpose. If the police find it in your back pocket when they pat you down after a bar fight I would say you're not going to convince anyone you have it for a lawful purpose.

 

As long as you have an explainable lawful purpose dirks, daggers, blackjacks, and even a slingshot is legal in NJ. IMO if you have it in your residence and are not using it as a weapon on anyone "collection" would seem to be a lawful purpose.

 

 

[Old Glock guy 1,127]

It's interesting that three of the first seven threads in this section are on almost this identical topic, probably since our laws are so vague.

 

It seems that we have a dilemma: We have established that by NJ law, no knife is inherently illegal, as long as one can provide "an explainable lawful purpose." (Clearly, a knife on a board as part of a collection would have an explainable lawful purpose, but since the police are extremely unlikely to enter one's house with a warrant to inspect a knife collection, this point would seem to be moot.) So this discussion is really about EDC knives. Self defense is NOT an acceptable explanation. So if one uses a knife for SD, is that a crime?

[GRIZ 3,369]

Using a knife for SD is not illegal as long as you are using it to defend yourself against deadly force being used against you. The trick is to have a knife that has some explainable lawful purpose that you can use to defend yourself with.

 

I have some lockback knives with shorter blades that are sharp enough to do some serious damage slashing. The shorter blades (2-3 inches) usually don't raise any alarms. You'd have to do a lot of slashing on exposed areas to end a fight though.

 

I have a inexpensive Kershaw with a 4" blade that has a screwdriver (a real screwdriver not just a blade) with the bits mounted on the handle which is a unoffensive medium blue color. It really looks more like a folding screwdriver than a knife. It passed the test one time when I was going into the courthouse and had emptied my pockets and the deputy noticed the knife. He commented that it was a pretty big knife and I responded that I carried it for the screwdriver and that was the end of the conversation.

 

It seems to me that a cane is more effective and easier to explain. I have a couple of black thorn walking sticks I bought in Ireland that give me the capabilities of a riot baton. These were originally used as weapons after the English disarmed the Irish. Cold Steel makes one out of polypropylene which seems attractive and practical.

[Dubhead88 1]

Couldn't you just say its a utility tool you use on a day to day basis just like your regular folder.