Passage of new law flips switch on automatic knife sales

Milwaukee J-S ^ | Bruce Vielmetti

[rellimpank]

At Swords & Dreams Reptile Rescue in West Allis, owner Tom McNeil sells lots of knives of nearly every size and description.

Until this year, though, his line did not include switchblades, "out the fronts" or butterfly knives, all long considered contraband on Wisconsin streets.

His customers kept telling him they would be legal soon, McNeil recalled. "But I've been hearing that for 20 years."

This time, it's true.

In February, Gov. Scott Walker signed a bill that repealed the state's ban on automatic knives and pre-empted all local government efforts to regulate knives by blade length or other characteristics.

[minnesota_bound]

You don’t want one of these knives to open while in your pocket!

[PapaBear3625]

Can somebody tell what the big deal is about butterfly knives that they would be banned?

They look scary in movies. Having tried a few, I'm not impressed. They are slower to open than regular thumb-hole lockback knives.

Personally, I think the Filipinos made them because they can be made by a third-world blacksmith, and they had a hard time getting good spring steel for a latch for a lockback knife design.

[PapaBear3625]

There is something pretty intimidating about a switchblade.

Grasping your holstered .45, but holding off on drawing, would be even more intimidating, as well as being more legal.