Butterfly Knives and legality?

[Fisting_Chili]

I have 3 or 4 of these, various makers that I've collected way back in the day when it was the cool knife to have.  I have no use for them and am looking to sell, but how do I find out what states are legal and illegal to sell them?  I don't want to break any laws....

Thanks!

[Benner]

Stupid bloody knife laws.    I'd love to have a butterfly knife. 

[Fisting_Chili]

Bummer...I just found this in some small forum...

"US Federal law: You may buy, own, and transport a butterfly knife unless contradicted by state law. You may not import butterfly knives under any circumstance. You may not sell butterfly knives without a license. You may not carry a butterfly knife with you in public areas without a concealed carry permit. California law: You may own and transport a butterfly knife, if you keep it on private property and transport it in a marked case. You may not, under any circumstance, import, export, purchase, or sell a butterfly knife."

[Fisting_Chili]

Stupid bloody knife laws.    I'd love to have a butterfly knife. 

I have a few nice ones by bali-song and one long one by benchmade.  I wasn't even aware benchmade made them...?

[Magnus]

Stupid bloody knife laws.    I'd love to have a butterfly knife.  

I have a few nice ones by bali-song and one long one by benchmade.  I wasn't even aware benchmade made them...?

benner is referring to fact balisongs are completely illegal to buy, sell, manufacture or import in the UK.  However not actually illegal to own IIRC, the same applies to switchblades.

[Fisting_Chili]

Stupid bloody knife laws.    I'd love to have a butterfly knife.  

I have a few nice ones by bali-song and one long one by benchmade.  I wasn't even aware benchmade made them...?

benner is referring to fact balisongs are completely illegal to buy, sell, manufacture or import in the UK.  However not actually illegal to own IIRC, the same applies to switchblades.

Yeah, they are all remnants from a wilder past.  I even dug out an old stilleto top action switch blade that I bought in '87 in Germany.  Guess these have to go back in the box I dug them out of, since I can't sell, carry, or even look at them. 

[Anthony]

Bummer...I just found this in some small forum...

"US Federal law: You may buy, own, and transport a butterfly knife unless contradicted by state law. You may not import butterfly knives under any circumstance. You may not sell butterfly knives without a license. You may not carry a butterfly knife with you in public areas without a concealed carry permit. California law: You may own and transport a butterfly knife, if you keep it on private property and transport it in a marked case. You may not, under any circumstance, import, export, purchase, or sell a butterfly knife."

That says nothing about butterfly knife parts.  If you'd like to sell one and ship it, I suggest dissasembling it and placing the seperate parts in seperate plastic ziplock bags.  Just make sure the buyer understands he will have to reassemble the "parts".

Then again, knives that are constructed with rivets or pins...you're just going to have to take your chances...

[Grant Lamontagne]

Butterfly knives are where Benchmade got their start.  That's why their logo is a butterfly! 



Def

[nuphoria]

Clang goes the penny..... thanks Grant 

[Pacu]

Here in Texas they sell b-fly knives just about everywhere. Real crappy cheap ones though. If you want a good one go to a gunshow.

[ringzero]

Butterflies were really big back in the 80s.

Seems like half the guys I knew back then that EDCed a knife were carrying a butterfly.

But I never owned a butterfly.

Most of them had metal handles, which in general I prefer to avoid.

Also, I was never interested in playing with them - flipping them open, spinning them, etc.

Most people who owned them seemed to play around with them quite a lot, which actually sort of got on my nerves.

.

[Zack]

I too would love to own a butterfly knife.

[Fisting_Chili]

Butterfly knives are where Benchmade got their start.  That's why their logo is a butterfly! 

(Image removed from quote.)

Def

Had no idea.  Learn something new everyday...or if here....10 somethings new!

[PyroJames]

Butterfly knives are where Benchmade got their start.  That's why their logo is a butterfly! 

(Image removed from quote.)

Def

Yup, the company was actually called Pacific Cutlery before they changed their name to Benchmade.  I have a few balisongs including their PC 208 balisong.  For a good look at Pacific Cutlery's history and original manufacturing facility, try to find Jeff Imada (Hollywood stuntman and Benchmade's most famous balisong guy)'s book "The Advanced Balisong Manual".  It's out of print now but you can still find it on amazon and ebay for less than $10.  He has a good photo spread of balisongs in his book plus it's neat to see Benchmade/Pacific Cutlery's price guide for balisongs in the 1980s.  In the early 80's, Les de Asis charged $1,000 for a balisong with titanium handles!

[Sean]

I've always wanted one of these knives for years but sadly they are illegal up here as well.
I've often felt I would like to tuck one away in my fishing tackle box.  I've seen worse choices
used for cleaning fish. 

[Craig]

Butterflies were really big back in the 80s.

Seems like half the guys I knew back then that EDCed a knife were carrying a butterfly.

But I never owned a butterfly.

Most of them had metal handles, which in general I prefer to avoid.

Also, I was never interested in playing with them - flipping them open, spinning them, etc.

Most people who owned them seemed to play around with them quite a lot, which actually sort of got on my nerves.

.

Probably a good job I never had one back when they were legal over here - I'd have ended up amputating something

[Fisting_Chili]

Butterflies were really big back in the 80s.

Seems like half the guys I knew back then that EDCed a knife were carrying a butterfly.

But I never owned a butterfly.

Most of them had metal handles, which in general I prefer to avoid.

Also, I was never interested in playing with them - flipping them open, spinning them, etc.

Most people who owned them seemed to play around with them quite a lot, which actually sort of got on my nerves.

.

Probably a good job I never had one back when they were legal over here - I'd have ended up amputating something

"Tell us again grandpa, the horrid story of 1990 and how you became forever known as 'Ole 9-finger Craig?"

[ringzero]

Butterflies were really big back in the 80s.

Seems like half the guys I knew back then that EDCed a knife were carrying a butterfly.

But I never owned a butterfly.

Most of them had metal handles, which in general I prefer to avoid.

Also, I was never interested in playing with them - flipping them open, spinning them, etc.

Most people who owned them seemed to play around with them quite a lot, which actually sort of got on my nerves.

.

Probably a good job I never had one back when they were legal over here - I'd have ended up amputating something

So far as I know, butterfly knives haven't been made illegal to own and carry where I live.  I still see them for sale in pawn shops.

I think they have been outlawed in some states since their big heyday back in the 80s.  Typically they may be illegal to EDC, but not illegal to own.

Also, as someone pointed out earlier in the thread, the Feds made it illegal to import butterflies into the US.

I must confess that I haven't closely followed the butterfly legal situation simply because I never wanted to buy one.

Of course the laws are stupid, just like switchblade laws, but stupidity is the norm for all too many Federal and State legislators.

.
 

[Zed]

I had a few butterfly knives back in the 80's as said they was big them as was survival knives (rambo)  i remember buying butterfly knives and many other military  knives at the age of about 13-14 in sports shops, was Innocent then and i loved collecting knives and replica guns,shame the world got so complicated, 


paul

[Fisting_Chili]

Butterflies were really big back in the 80s.

Seems like half the guys I knew back then that EDCed a knife were carrying a butterfly.

But I never owned a butterfly.

Most of them had metal handles, which in general I prefer to avoid.

Also, I was never interested in playing with them - flipping them open, spinning them, etc.

Most people who owned them seemed to play around with them quite a lot, which actually sort of got on my nerves.

.

Probably a good job I never had one back when they were legal over here - I'd have ended up amputating something

So far as I know, butterfly knives haven't been made illegal to own and carry where I live.  I still see them for sale in pawn shops.

I think they have been outlawed in some states since their big heyday back in the 80s.  Typically they may be illegal to EDC, but not illegal to own.

Also, as someone pointed out earlier in the thread, the Feds made it illegal to import butterflies into the US.

I must confess that I haven't closely followed the butterfly legal situation simply because I never wanted to buy one.

Of course the laws are stupid, just like switchblade laws, but stupidity is the norm for all too many Federal and State legislators.

.
 

I see people use EDC often...what does it mean?  Thanks!

[Benner]

Every Day Carry

[Fisting_Chili]

Every Day Carry

Thanks!

[Mike 56]

Here in California you buy cheap butterfly and automatic at swap meets i see them for sale all the time.
Mike

[Fisting_Chili]

Let me run this by you all and see what you think...

So, federal law prohibits the selling or importing of these knives without a permit...but...


What about trading?  Could I legally trade these on this forum?  Hmmmmmm....? 

[stack]

I love butterfly knives and have a couple of them. I really like my cold steel arc angle.  It is carbon v with ti handles. It is one of the reasons I like LMs so much. I like the way they open and close.  

[Fisting_Chili]

I love butterfly knives and have a couple of them. I really like my cold steel arc angle.  It is carbon v with ti handles. It is one of the reasons I like LMs so much. I like the way they open and close. (Image removed from quote.) 

Thats a beauty! What is the big one?
-FC

[Zack]

Let me run this by you all and see what you think...

So, federal law prohibits the selling or importing of these knives without a permit...but...


What about trading?  Could I legally trade these on this forum?  Hmmmmmm....? 

Depends on state to state regulations.  It can be done, people on other forums do it all the time, but there are risks.

[J-sews]

Okay, stupid question: WHY are butterfly knives illegal in those places? They certainly aren't any more inherently dangerous (except to their owner) than any other type of knife....?

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I love butterfly knives and have a couple of them. I really like my cold steel arc angle.  It is carbon v with ti handles. It is one of the reasons I like LMs so much. I like the way they open and close. (Image removed from quote.) 

Thats a beauty! What is the big one?
-FC

It's a Cold Steel Trailmaster, and it's my second favourite blade I own

[stack]

It is a trailmaster. Its one of those blades you need incase you have to build a hut or something.   It  is carbon v steel and holds an edge very well. If you like bowies, you cant go wrong by getting one of these.