How A '50s-Era New York Knife Law Landed Thousands In Jail

Shout out to Doug for all the good work that Knife Rights is trying to do in my home state!

I live in the suburbs outside of NYC. Carrying virtually any one hand opening knife in the five boroughs can put you in hot water.

...Even a Spyderco?

If they can get a Swiss Army knife open one handed they'll book you for having a gravity knife. Some areas of NYC are about as knife un-friendly as you can get.

ALL of NYC is as knife-unfriendly as you can get.

Do not carry any blade that can remotely be considered as one-hand-opening or NYPD will arrest you if they see it. This includes practically all Spydercos. I've heard of cases where a cop spent several minutes working on a Swiss Army Knife to see if he could open it one handed, and making an arrest when he was finally successful. There was another case where a man was charged and had to go to court to defend carrying a multitool. People have spent tens of thousands of dollars defending these charges.

I don't want to disparage anyone or any region of the country unnecessarily but...I don't think I could live in NYC for love or money. Virtually everything I own would be illegal there save my audio gear. Every knife and all of my guns would be verboten.

Are we down to Leathermans and scissors in NYC? Or maybe New Yorkers will all have to switch over to a chef's knife for a cutting tool in their EDC?

As for a defensive tool, even pepper spray is monitored closely in New York State. You can buy pepper spray only from certain places, and they are few and hard to find. The paperwork is nothing, and ineffective in preventing people from committing crime with pepper spray.

Phaedrus, if you end up in NYC for money -- say, you're the CEO of Goldman -- then you'll just do what other people in such position do: live in Westchester, Connecticut, or NJ. I don't know what sort of toys you have, but I think in NYS the ARs need to be California-style.

Be wary of carrying a Leatherman openly.

I haven't heard of anyone being charged for carrying pepper spray but I have seen NYPD confiscating it.

The Manhattan DA is a real problem here. Insists on prosecuting people for knives that plainly do not fit the definition described in the statute as illegal (one hand openers for instance). Fortunately, the courts appear to be interpreting the law as written. So, you will eventually win in court, but you will pay big bucks and waste a lot of time.

The NYPD officers I have seen who encounter knife carrying citizens have been pretty common sense. (Don't clip your folder inside your pocket so the clip shows.) IF the knife is legal, they will usually issue a stern warning, make you put it in your pocket and send you on your way. I witnesses a cop let a guy with a one hand opener slide, but I have heard several accounts of people being arrested for the same type of knife.

I even had one cop hold my SAK for me when I had to go into 1 Police Plaza (police headquarters) and forgot to leave it at the office. He may have been the exception rather than the rule.

That doesn't mean that a cop having a bad day, or behind on his arrest quota (that of course, doesn't exist) won't make your life hell.

Bottom line, keep it in your pocket.

At the risk of sounding obtuse, if the knife is legal what is the stern warning for?