![]() The official text of the Switchblade Act ( U.S.C. Virgin Islands, the American Samoa, the Northern Marianas, and on Navy vessels and government aircraft. The Federal Switchblade Act only outlaws the possession of switchblades and automatic knives on Native American reservations and territories including Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Q: Are Automatic Knives Illegal Under Federal Law?Ī: Federal law does not prohibit the possession of automatic knives and switchblades in the U.S. This is often called a “bias-toward-closure” or “assisted-opening” knife. Once the tension is overcome by the user, the spring steel will reverse the direction of its curve and suddenly apply tension against the blade, assisting with its opening action. The user must push on the thumb stud to overcome this spring tension. A small piece of curved spring steel in the handle keeps pressure on the blade when closed, preventing accidental release. The SOG Flare Folding Knife is a great example of this not-a-switchblade. If a spring-assisted knife requires the user to open the blade by overcoming spring tension (rather than by merely releasing stored spring tension) then it the knife in question is neither a switchblade nor an automatic knife. Some spring-assisted folding knives are incorrectly called switchblades or auto knives. There are other terms used to reference an automatic knife, including “switch knife,” “pushbutton knife,” ejector knife,” “flick knife,” “Stiletto,” and “spring knife.” (Not All Spring-Assisted Knives are Automatic) Q: Are Switchblades and Automatic Knives the Same?Ī: Yes, the terms “automatic knife” and “switchblade” are used interchangeably in casual conversation, and in state and federal laws. To close the knife automatically, the same mechanism works in reverse, creating spring tension until the plunger disengages and snaps the blade back into the handle. Once the plunger is disengaged, the stretched spring snaps forward and releases its tension, pulling the blade and launching it out of the handle. When the user presses the mechanism forward, tension builds in the spring by stretching it, until the mechanism releases a plunger. Instead, the blade slides on a rail, with a spring that is tensioned by the user pressing on two-way push mechanism. When the blade’s button is pressed, the plunger releases the blade, and the spring’s tension forces the blade out the front of the handle.ĭouble-action OTF knives can be opened and closed automatically, without the user having to manually close the blade to recompress its spring. Like a side-opener, the single-action OTF blade is held inside the handle by a plunger, with a compressed spring resting against the bottom of the blade. OTF knives are single-action or double-action. How an OTF Knife Works Pictured: Microtech “Ultratech” OTF Automatic Closing the blade compresses the spring, making it ready for the next release. When the knife’s button is pressed, the plunger disengages, allowing the blade to to be pushed open by the spring, releasing its tension. The blade and spring are held in place by a plunger. The spring’s tension is always pushing against the side of the blade, ready to force it out of the handle into the open position. ![]() The spring is compressed when the blade is closed. In a side-opening auto knife, one side of the blade rests against a spring. How a Side-Opener Works Pictured: Kershaw Launch 4 Side-Opening Automatic ![]() Automatic knives either open from the side of the handle, or out the front of the handle (“OTF”). When the blade’s button is pushed, the lock disengages and the blade opens in the blink of an eye. The blade in an automatic knife is under constant spring tension, with a lock keeping the blade held inside the handle. Q: Did Pennsylvania Legalize Switchblades?Ī: An automatic knife deploys its blade under its own power when the user pushes a button. ![]() Q: Which States Have Banned Automatic Knives?.Q: Are Automatic Knives Illegal Under Federal Law?.Q: Are Switchblades and Automatic Knives the Same?.If you’re not sure whether automatic knives are legal in your state, contact a local attorney. Congress even sought to restrict their manufacture and sale with the Federal Switchblade act in 1958. The Stiletto is an Automatic Knife, a type of spring-loaded pocket knife that was criminalized by newspapers in the 1950s. ![]() You’ve probably seen the Italian Stiletto switchblade being wielded by a bad guy in a Hollywood film. ![]()
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