# NY state knife laws



## karatekid3681989 (Feb 25, 2008)

Hey I've been training FMA along with a multitude of other martial arts for about 13 years now. Within that training I picked up guidance under Sayoc Kali as knife training. I was curious about the knife laws about carrying knives in public in New York State, or even on the federal level.

Unfortunately, everything I found online was in convoluted legal language. Can anyone tell me, simply, what the laws are for carrying blades on you?

Thanks,
Tanay


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## arnisador (Feb 25, 2008)

I'm afraid to say that if you carry regularly--and esp. if, as is common for Sayoc pratitioners, you carry multiple blades--consulting an attorney is a _good investment_. You can get in trouble with a legal knife if your intent is misconstrued.

That having been said, typing _knife laws_ into Google brings up lots of advice, e.g.:
http://home.netcom.com/~brlevine/sta-law.htm
http://www.thehighroad.org/library/blades/knifelaws.html
http://www.donath.org/Rants/StateKnifeLaws/


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## Carol (Feb 25, 2008)

For legal advice, find a well-qualified defense attorney licensed to practice in NYS. Your best bet would be to find one with an interest in firearms laws and other aspects of personal protection.

Many offer low-cost or no-cost consultations.


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## MarkBarlow (Feb 26, 2008)

karatekid3681989 said:


> Unfortunately, everything I found online was in convoluted legal language. Can anyone tell me, simply, what the laws are for carrying blades on you?
> 
> Thanks,
> Tanay



Unfortunately, knife laws are never simple and straightforward.  If you ask 6 cops in any given town/city if a particular knife is legal you'll probably get half a dozen different answers.  I'm not just talking about NYC, it's the same all over the country.  At seminars from California to NYC, I've asked LEOs about the legality of carrying a Spyderco or CRKT folder and it's amazing how varied and confusing the answers have been.

I still choose to carry but I've had to accept the fact that should I be forced to use a knife for self-defense, the spotlight will be on me as much as on my attacker.


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## Bodhisattva (Feb 26, 2008)

MarkBarlow said:


> Unfortunately, knife laws are never simple and straightforward.  If you ask 6 cops in any given town/city if a particular knife is legal you'll probably get half a dozen different answers.  I'm not just talking about NYC, it's the same all over the country.  At seminars from California to NYC, I've asked LEOs about the legality of carrying a Spyderco or CRKT folder and it's amazing how varied and confusing the answers have been.
> 
> I still choose to carry but I've had to accept the fact that should I be forced to use a knife for self-defense, the spotlight will be on me as much as on my attacker.



Very True!

The real problem is that if you are carring it "for defense" then it is often construed automatically as a "weapon."  So even if it is a legal blade length and legal blade type, because you carry it with the intention of self-defense, it is now a concealed weapon.

Scary and ridiculous!


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## Doc_Jude (Feb 26, 2008)

Bodhisattva said:


> Very True!
> 
> The real problem is that if you are carring it "for defense" then it is often construed automatically as a "weapon."  So even if it is a legal blade length and legal blade type, because you carry it with the intention of self-defense, it is now a concealed weapon.
> 
> Scary and ridiculous!



Who says that you're carrying for SD??? *YOU* are the only one that can shoot yourself in the foot on that one.* Don't sell yourself out! 
*
Myself, I used to carry either a 5" or 6" Cold Steel Voyager as an EDC. Now I carry a CS Recon1 or sometimes a Ti-Lite. I also carry a Victorinox SwissTool for utility, but my go-to is 90% of the time a Recon 1.

Now, if some knucklehead suffers an error in soft target selection, and he fits the criteria, he's going to be in trouble. "Good thing I had that nice sharp knife, your honor!"


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## jks9199 (Feb 26, 2008)

MarkBarlow said:


> Unfortunately, knife laws are never simple and straightforward.  If you ask 6 cops in any given town/city if a particular knife is legal you'll probably get half a dozen different answers.  I'm not just talking about NYC, it's the same all over the country.  At seminars from California to NYC, I've asked LEOs about the legality of carrying a Spyderco or CRKT folder and it's amazing how varied and confusing the answers have been.
> 
> I still choose to carry but I've had to accept the fact that should I be forced to use a knife for self-defense, the spotlight will be on me as much as on my attacker.


A knife is lethal force.  Anytime you defend yourself, most especially with lethal force, you will find your actions closely scrutinized.

That's why I strongly encourage everyone to learn the basic issues of self defense law.


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## MarkBarlow (Feb 26, 2008)

jks9199 said:


> A knife is lethal force.  Anytime you defend yourself, most especially with lethal force, you will find your actions closely scrutinized.
> 
> That's why I strongly encourage everyone to learn the basic issues of self defense law.



Always good to be informed of self defense laws.

If a woman hits an attacker with her purse, by legal definition, the purse is now a weapon.  Let's say she has a kubotan and pops him in the temple and kills him. Given identical circumstances, same attacker, same location, if I use the most innocuous pocket knife imaginable, I'm still going to be viewed differently. 

Anything used in a lethal manner is a lethal weapon whether it's a 2x4 or a Bic pen.  The problem is that a knife is seen by the average public and LE as something only bad guys use.  Just the way it is.


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