Why are knife control laws so strong in the United States as opposed to gun control?

I was realizing it would be nice to have a knife with auto opening for boxes, etc., basically a switch blade or similar, and I found out that they are super illegal in my state (and/or there are length restrictions, or both sides of the blade can’t be sharp, etc), but I can go into a sporting goods store and buy a pistol and ammo in under 30min.

Shooting open an Amazon box seems inefficient. What is up with restrictive knife-control laws??

  • wildbus8979
    91·
    4 months ago

    The corrolary is that there’s essentially no knife control in Canada. There’s no length limit or anything. The law just states that you can’t carry a weapon. But if you have a reasonable reason to be carrying a machete (like going bushwacking) you’re good.

      • wildbus8979
        1·
        4 months ago

        Yeah you’re right, that is one limitation. The rational is that it has no purpose other than being a weapon.

        • WoahWoah@lemmy.worldOP
          4·
          4 months ago

          I think the difference between “assisted open,” which is almost always legal, and “automatic open” (e.g., switch blades") is very minor. They are both just ways of freeing and locking the blade for use. I don’t think either of them implies they will be used as a weapon. I would guess the laws are just stupid and, as another user pointed out, related to a historical “moral panic.”

          Damned greasers and their switchblades and leather jackets. When you’re a Jet, you’re a Jet all the way, from your first cigarette to your last dying day!

    • Em Adespoton@lemmy.ca
      2·
      4 months ago

      There are also length laws and switch laws. I know, because I once had a hunting knife that was slightly over the length limit. The RCMP insisted I grind it down and submit it for inspection.

      However, such restrictions are use-based; you can have a set of steak knives that are over the limit, because their intended use is obviously not against humans. But if someone pulls a steak knife on someone in public, they’ll run afoul of the knife laws.

      I once sat on a jury for an attempted manslaughter knifing that took place in a kitchen with a steak knife, where both participants were drunk at the time; lots of interesting arguments were made by both sides.

      • wildbus8979
        1·
        4 months ago

        Unless there’s some provincial law, RCMP was fucking with you. There is no length law.

        What is the maximum blades size one is allowed to carry in Canada?

        There is no specific blade size restriction for carry in Canadian law. However, the larger the size of the blade, the more difficult it would be to identify it as a tool for everyday use. For example; if you are hunting, then a large fixed blade knife on your side is generally acceptable. However, carrying the same large fixed blade knife on your side while walking downtown in a major city would be a different matter. If you have specific questions, please contact your local law enforcement agency

        https://www.bladescanada.com/FAQ-Frequently-Asked-Questions

        The only reference to knives in the criminal code concerns so called automatic knives:

        https://laws.justice.gc.ca/Search/Search.aspx?txtS3archA11=knife&txtT1tl3="Criminal+Code"&h1ts0n1y=0&ddC0nt3ntTyp3=Acts

        There is no law banning the carrying in public knives with sheaths, knives that take both hands to open and any knife with a fixed blade and certain non-prohibited folding knives, assuming they are not carried for a purpose dangerous to public peace or for the purpose of committing a criminal offense.

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knife_legislation#Canada

        What Size Knife Is Legal To Carry In Canada?

        In Canada there’s no specified blade length that makes it legal or not. The knife’s legality is determined by the purpose of carrying the knife and its design.

        https://www.staysafevancouver.com/post/can-i-carry-a-knife-in-canada