TN Bill to remove restrictions on knife possession and carry

[Wingshooter]

Best that it's something other than a Frost product you grab there! 'Course, the real brands they sell aren't bargain priced either, so lose lose IMO.

- OS

Mostly "made in china" cheapies, I know. I keep my eyes open for sales on some of the Hen & Roosters though. I already have plenty of quality knives, but sometimes I get in the mood for a 14" knife under 20 bucks, lol. Actually, one of my KA-Bars will probably end up riding in the truck more often than not. Edited March 29, 2014 by Batman

[Oh Shoot]

Mostly "made in china" cheapies, I know. I keep my eyes open for sales on some of the Hen & Roosters though....

 

Well, they're Frost owned too, but actually still made in Germany, right?

 

- OS

[hso]

http://www.nationaljournal.com/congress/inside-the-knife-rights-movement-20140326

 

Grrrrrrrr!

 

 

By James Oliphant

• Follow on Twitter

March 26, 2014

This week, the Tennessee General Assembly repealed the state's long-standing ban on switchblades, or, as their purveyors like to call them "automatic knives." It was one more victory for the nascent knife-rights movement, a push to legalize deadly blades that's occurring mostly out of the mainstream eye.

The bill also does away with a limit on the length of a knife—as well as preempts any city or town ordinance that regulates knives. It passed both houses overwhelmingly and likely will be signed into law by the state's Republican governor, Bill Haslam. (So watch yourself the next time you anger someone in a Nashville honky-tonk.)

If you didn't know that Tennessee, or any state for that matter, banned switchblades, or that they're now dubbed "automatic" weapons because they can be triggered with one hand by a single button on the handle, that suits the knife-rights movement just fine. They've operated a largely under-the-radar campaign in friendly red states to open up the landscape to more exotic bladed instruments.

 

The similarity to the gun lobby isn't accidental. The most influential organization dedicated to knife rights is patterned after the National Rifle Association, although it doesn't nearly have that group's legislative firepower. But the movement is also a recognition that, as gun advocates score victory after victory at the state level (the Georgia Legislature this week passed a bill that would allow guns to be carried in bars, schools, churches, and airports), the political environment has never been better for loosening similar restrictions on knives.

"We are really rewriting knife law in America," says Doug Ritter, the chairman of Knife Rights.

Ritter, an Arizona journalist and outdoorsman, founded Knife Rights in 2006 after he was riled by an article inThe Wall Street Journal that he felt unfairly stigmatized knives as a societal threat. "I basically had an epiphany," Ritter said. "There was not an NRA for knife owners."

Knives, especially switchblades, are in fact heavily regulated in many states and on the federal level with the Federal Switchblade Act, which bans the introduction of those "automatic" blades into interstate commerce. The federal act was passed in 1958, at the height of public fears over street toughs and juvenile delinquency, as epitomized by movies such as The Wild One and Rebel Without a Cause and musicals such as West Side Story.

The movement, Ritter says, came of age in 2009 when it beat back an attempt by the U.S. Customs Service to expand the definition of what constitutes a switchblade for importation purposes to include so-called tactical knives, small blades that can be opened with one hand, but that lack the triggering mechanism of switchblades. "Eighty percent of the knives sold in the U.S. could have been illegal," Ritter says.

The following year brought the push to pass "preemption" laws at the state level, laws that would supersede local ordinances regulating knives, as well as laws that would legalize the sale of switchblades within state lines. The effort brought successes in states such as Alaska, Kansas, and Indiana. Ritter's group also helped defeat a bid by Nevada to ban knives longer than 2 inches.

"Counting Tennessee, we've passed 13 bills in 11 states in four years," Ritter says. "That's a pretty admirable record."

The group has also filed a civil-rights suit against New York City over its efforts to regulate folding pocketknives as "gravity knives." On the federal level, it helped spur a bill sponsored last year by Rep. Matt Salmon, R-Ariz., Ritter's congressman, that would allow owners of "automatic knives" to transport them from one state to another  ithout violating federal law.

As with the NRA's lobbying efforts, much of the justification for deregulation is rooted in the Founders' and modern concepts of self-defense. Last fall, David Kopel, a well-known gun-rights advocate and Second Amendment scholar, released what was termed the first modern analysis of whether the Constitution protects knives along with guns. (It also may have been the first law-review article to quote the movie Crocodile Dundee.)

The conservative argument? The amendment refers simply to "arms," not just firearms, and knives are "arms." And also, just what do you think was on the end of those Revolutionary War-era muskets?

Ritter freely concedes that, for now, his organization, which employs just one state-level lobbyist, has confined its legislative efforts to GOP-dominated states where they're likely to receive a warm reception, but the idea, he says, is to build momentum for forays into more hostile territory. It helps that there's no organized opposition, no Brady Campaign for knives, no "knife control" movement. Liberal pundit Al Sharpton drew some conservative ire last year when he suggested regulating knives along with guns—but for the most part, progressives have been silent on the issue.

Once there's enough grassroots momentum at the state level, Ritter says, the goal will be to repeal the federal switchblade act. "It's a lot easier than to go to Congress and say, 'Why does this anachronism exist?' " he says. "The gangs from West Side Story are all dead!"

Edited March 29, 2014 by hso

[Guest DCritter]

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[hso]

 

I would consider anything from Frost to be money wasted that could be better used by putting it back for a better quality product.

[Wingshooter]

Well, they're Frost owned too, but actually still made in Germany, right?
 
- OS

Frost acquired the H&R brand, but so far they're still made in Germany.

http://www.henandrooster.com/aboutus.aspx
"In 1983, the firm was liquidated, and the Hen & Rooster trademark and the Bertram name were acquired by James Frost of Frost Cutlery, Chattanooga, Tennessee; Howard Rabin of Star Sales, of Knoxville, Tennessee; and Hugo Schiesen of Robert Klaas, out of Solingen, Germany. After a short period of time, and prior to the retirement of Howard Rabin, Mr. James Frost bought the sole rights to the mark and distribution of all Hen & Rooster knives in the United States. Mr. Frost holds firm to the long distinguished tradition begun by Mr. Bertram; ensuring the superior craftsmanship of each Hen & Rooster knife. These pocket knives continue to be manufactured by highly skilled craftsman in Solingen, Germany. Through it's reputation of excellence, Hen & Rooster® continues carries the title of “World’s Finest Since 1845”."

[Wingshooter]

I would consider anything from Frost to be money wasted that could be better used by putting it back for a better quality product.

Then don't do it.

I will say though that the last deer I gutted was with a useless Frost knife. I kept it in my backpack as a backup. Good thing because I didn't have my good knife on my belt that day (Yeah, Murphy plays games with me :) ). It did a fine job, sharpened up nice and still rides as a backup in my backpack. The buck it cleaned didn't complain at all. I have no regrets for spending that $10. YMMV

I will also say that I am not endorsing their quality. I know they are cheap, and you get what you pay for. I merely stated that the passage of this law makes me want to stop there (I pass their retail store everyday) and buy a big (over 4") cheap knife to keep in my truck (probably the toolbox).

[shortround]

Cheap knives are one of my guilty pleasures.

[Moped]

Cheap doesn't always mean low quality. I love little Rough Rider slip joints. Once you get them sharp, they hold a good edge. :)

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk

[Oh Shoot]

Cheap doesn't always mean low quality. I love little Rough Rider slip joints. Once you get them sharp, they hold a good edge. :)

 

True enough, and PRC made isn't necessarily synonymous with crummy either.

 

Case in point, Sanrenmu, Navy, Enlan, Ganzo, Inron. Some excellent folders from these companies even for three times their actual price.

 

- OS

[Guest tangojuliet]

has the governor signed off yet ??/

[Ted S.]

has the governor signed off yet ??/

 

This is the last update of the bills status that I have seen on this thread relating to the bill:

 

House and senate speakers both signed on 3/27. It's on Gov desk. Just waiting now.

Governer has ten days

 

So......seven more days to sign? Or does the weekend not count?

[Guest DCritter]

This is the last update of the bills status that I have seen on this thread relating to the bill:

 

 

So......seven more days to sign? Or does the weekend not count?

 Sundays do not count

[Ted S.]

Damn...foiled again! Eight days then. Then three months to save for a balisong!!! Sent from somewhere in the cosmos using magic...and bacon. Edited April 1, 2014 by Ted S.

[Guest gunlobbyist]

The way I count the guv has until April 8th to sign the bill. But it doesn't go into effect until July 1, 2014. I love the idea of a group buy of some autos. Pro_tech or Benchmade could likely do a special run if we wanted a model to commemorate this auspicious occasion. I'm thinking they would run $200 - $300 each though. 

 

Man I'm gonna miss working in Nashville!

 

Todd

[JohnC]

The way I count the guv has until April 8th to sign the bill. But it doesn't go into effect until July 1, 2014. I love the idea of a group buy of some autos. Pro_tech or Benchmade could likely do a special run if we wanted a model to commemorate this auspicious occasion. I'm thinking they would run $200 - $300 each though. 
 
Man I'm gonna miss working in Nashville!
 
Todd

I'm down for a group buy! :up:

[willis68]

Group buy I would definitely be into,

I just ordered this, it will make a great carry knife if the law goes through

Edited April 1, 2014 by willis68

[timcalhoun]

Group buy I would definitely be into,

I just ordered this, it will make a great carry knife if the law goes through

 

What model and blade length is that???

[JAB]

Honestly, I am kinda 'meh' about autos being legal (I think they should be legal but probably won't start carrying one.)  To me, the more exciting part of the bill is the removal of length restrictions.  In the past, couple of years there have been several knives that I would have liked to have considered for EDC except that they had blades longer than 4 inches.  I am not even thinking of such blades for knife fighting as I have no training in such (although I would attempt to defend myself with one if given no choice.)  I am thinking more of just a good knife to have on me for general purpose use.  I am also not necessarily talking about something with a twelve inch blade.  It is just that sometimes it seems like a blade that is around five or six inches in length would be more useful than one limited to four inches or less.  I think the Green River Dadley style knife I picked up at a historical day last year would be a good EDC knife (especially as that is what many settlers used it for) but the blade is around five inches long.

 

Here is the Dadley pictured with a Mora Companion:

 

[whitewolf001]

I want the honking Gerber my dad was given at Christmas a couple of years ago, thing is a BEAST.

[Ugly]

I'm with you JAB on the length issue. I prefer fixed blades for everyday use.

[JAB]

I'm with you JAB on the length issue. I prefer fixed blades for everyday use.

 

I like folders but there are just some uses where I trust a fixed blade more.  I guess that comes from, as a teenager, having one of my razor-sharp pocket knives close up on me while using it.  I don't think a person is meant to see their own knuckle bone.

 

I might not even 'carry' the longer, fixed blade on me all the time.  Sometimes but not all the time.  The ability to keep one or two in my vehicles at all times without worrying about legal trouble would be nice.

Edited April 1, 2014 by JAB

[willis68]

What model and blade length is that???

Microtech Executive Scarab 3.44 Blade, here is the link



http://www.thehollowgrind.com/microtech-executive-scarab-se-black-plain/prod_1331.html

[whitewolf001]

Microtech Executive Scarab 3.44 Blade, here is the link



http://www.thehollowgrind.com/microtech-executive-scarab-se-black-plain/prod_1331.html

 

Ouch... seeing that price, that hurt me deep. I suppose one must pay for excellence though. I guess in my mind it's sorta like trying to justify buying a Knights SR-25, albeit fregin SWEET.

[willis68]

Ouch... seeing that price, that hurt me deep. I suppose one must pay for excellence though. I guess in my mind it's sorta like trying to justify buying a Knights SR-25, albeit fregin SWEET.

They definitely are expensive but at least in this case, well worth it I had a Scarab made in 05 that I bought new I used that knife hard and fired it several thousand times, I ended up selling it for more than I paid for it and the buyer still uses the knife.

I now wish I would have kept all of my autos as I may be allowed to carry them soon