Can someone tell me what's the deal with locking blades? I know they don't like those in the UK either. I consider a lock a safety feature so you don't close the knife on your fingers. What is the "bad" interpretation of a lock that would lead people to want to ban them?
Lock + openable by inertia, centrifugal force, or gravity = gravity knife. A gravity knife is illegal.
The exact criteria for what constitutes opening inertia or centrifugal force is vague. It has been interpreted by the courts to include such techniques as as wild flailing of the arms, holding the knife by the blade (Spydie drop), and depressing the lock while swinging it. Under these criteria, a Buck 110 or a Spyderco Dragonfly is considered a gravity knife.
The only defense is to have a knife which does not lock open. E.G. Swiss army knives, traditional folders, etc. that have slip joints.
Just to make a few things clear. First off, this is essentially a New York City issue only, lest someone misunderstand.
Second, NY state's gravity knife statute does not include "inertia." It does include "lock," so a folder without a lock cannot be a gravity knife, hence the suggestion to avoid knives with locking blades.
Third, I am not aware of any NY court sanctioning "holding the knife by the blade (Spydie drop), and depressing the lock while swinging it" although we are aware of claims that arrests have been made by use of such techniques, they have not made it to court. The only technique that I am aware of that has gone to trial used a conventional arm and wrist motion to open the blade. Most of these arrests do not get to trial, although the cost to not get there can be considerable.
And, just to be clear, none of those extraordinary techniques are really necessary to open a Dragonfly, or even a Lady Bug, nor to open a Buck 110, both of the latter were demonstrated by us in Federal Court using conventional wrist and arm action only. It is a skill, however. One many cops in NYC have perfected.
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