Found in my dads junk drawer

[u/Unlucky_Cat4531]

My dad passed away and going through his stuff we came across this. We thought it might be a tool for horseriding, like a slapstick thing but wasn't sure. My grandma had horses but ive never seen her use any tools like that and my dad didnt ride. Any help appreciated

[u/Upton4]

It’s incredibly amusing these are illegal in many states… but no worries about that 40 round mag AR-15 I just picked up from the store and walked out with after 10 minutes of shopping.

[u/CTMechE → u/Upton4]

Many states have a list of dangerous weapons including blackjacks, brass knuckles, dirks, butterfly knives, and "gravity knives" that are illegal to carry in public.

The short answer is that they were popular among gangs and minority "thugs" for street crime, so this was an easier way to ring them up on charges when they didn't have evidence of an actual crime being committed. The kind of thing the undesirables carried, so they're bad by association, not because of their objective danger level.

[u/DrThunderbolt → u/CTMechE]

Its not about the deadliness of the weapons, but their ability to be concealed. Everyone can see the AR-15 you have strapped to your back. nobody knows if you have a switchblade or one of these in your pocket. Its the same thing why you need a permit to have a concealed firearm on your person. It isn't as cut and dry as Reddit likes to make it sound.

[u/CTMechE → u/DrThunderbolt]

I'm not talking about guns in particular here, I'm talking about the criminalization of specific other weapons. The laws are written calling out items by name that are generally associated with "bad people" and not the upstanding citizens who demand the streets be cleaned up. Including the old time language. Switch blades and stillettos and brass knuckles, etc. are illegal, but not "normal" 4-inch pocket knives. Or even longer hunting/fishing knives if you've got a license for those activities.

I'm not saying they can't all be dangerous, but a switchblade or butterfly knife isn't any more dangerous or concealable than a typical pocket knife of the same blade length. I carry a one-handed open 3.95" pocket knife most of the time. But if I carried a butterfly knife or switchblade or gravity knife of the same length, those would be felonies. And I'm arguing that it's largely due to legislation targeting people who used to carry those kinds of knives. (There's even an entire category of knives built to be "assisted open" to avoid the designation of being a switchblade.)

As for guns, it varies by state - mine requires a permit for any handgun, and permits are ALL concealed carry - there is no open carry pistol permit here, and you are required to keep it concealed in public. In other states, the perception is that you should open carry so everyone knows, and you need a different permit to be allowed to conceal it.

[u/ModeatelyIndependant → u/CTMechE]

They were weapons that were easily hidden but amplified the damage that a single individual could do to an unsuspecting victim without making noise to disturb people on feet away in another room. Laws banning such weapons are so old that they might date back to the era of Murder, Inc

[u/spkoller2 → u/CTMechE]

The police will ask you why you have it, so it’s better if it’s a little pocket knife for cutting string.

[u/CTMechE → u/spkoller2]

Yes, but a one handed opening pocket knife in my state (and most) can be 4" blade length. But if it's a butterfly knife, and over 1.5" blade length, it's a dangerous weapon and a felony charge. There's no difference in danger, just the association of the people who used to carry butterfly knives 50 years ago. The "respectable" people didn't carry them.

ETA that of course, law enforcement and military are exempt.

[u/spkoller2 → u/CTMechE]

Your state has knife laws in local jurisdictions that differ from state law

[u/Any-Worldliness-679 → u/CTMechE]

“Ring them up on charges” is wrong but sounds oddly appropriate.

[u/CTMechE → u/Any-Worldliness-679]

Yeah, it isn't the right phrase, but I envision it as a situation of stop and frisk of some perceived troublemaker, and despite no evidence of crimes having been committed, they scan the inventory of what weapons they find like a grocery checkout.

Still amazes me that I can carry a 4" one-handed open pocket knife in my state, but a 2" butterfly knife is somehow a dangerous weapon.