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??

  • Em Adespoton
    2•1 month 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•1 month 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