I have been told that Texas statute Chapter S46.01 (b) may allow police to take a typical one-handed pivot -open knife, like an Applegate -Fairbairn folder or Benchmade No. 710, and see if they can partly open it and sling the blade open with a heavy flick of the wrist. If they can, they may arrest.
This is evidently the part of the law that defines "switchblades".
I am NOT referring here to Kershaw's "assisted opening" models which are spring powered open once the blade has been opened partially.
If this is true, even a Buck No. 110 with a worn joint could be slung open by some cop looking to make an arrest for someone carrying a switchblade. The law uses the term opened "by the application of centrifugal force". But I've heard that police will especially try the test to see if they can connive to arrest for carrying any knife that can be opened by one hand, whether the intent of the design is to be opened by gravity or not.
This is very dangerous to the ordinary consumer carrying such a knife, if a cop decides to try to "get" him, when the citizen had no idea that he was carrying a legal "switchblade".
Can anyone, especially a Texas police officer, comment?
Lone Star
This is evidently the part of the law that defines "switchblades".
I am NOT referring here to Kershaw's "assisted opening" models which are spring powered open once the blade has been opened partially.
If this is true, even a Buck No. 110 with a worn joint could be slung open by some cop looking to make an arrest for someone carrying a switchblade. The law uses the term opened "by the application of centrifugal force". But I've heard that police will especially try the test to see if they can connive to arrest for carrying any knife that can be opened by one hand, whether the intent of the design is to be opened by gravity or not.
This is very dangerous to the ordinary consumer carrying such a knife, if a cop decides to try to "get" him, when the citizen had no idea that he was carrying a legal "switchblade".
Can anyone, especially a Texas police officer, comment?
Lone Star
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