Ridiculous Regulations

**Sandcut** · October 14th, 2018, 08:33 PM

Originally Posted by gnbrotz

Any time a Police Chief says this, then the law is shit, or he should be removed from his position:

https://www.ydr.com/story/news/2018/...-pa/818117002/

He's got a twisted way of interpreting statute.

And can anybody tell me where in 908 throwing stars are prohibited?

**JenniferG** · October 15th, 2018, 04:06 AM

Originally Posted by The Lieutenant

Can you point to any example where someone outside the city of Philadelphia was arrested for possessing an assisted opening knife or one that was longer than someone's palm? I'm not talking about in addition to threatening someone with the knife...just those incidents.

That's the same question Bogey's ex wife asked him when he said Bill Clinton is a rapist, "who did he rape and how come I never see that on the news?" I had a police officer about (more like) 15 years ago do that very thing across the palm of his hand with my Buck 110 knife and told me it was illegal because of the blade length. I told him no problem I'm on the clock arrest me. He didn't arrest me because he knew I called his bluff and probably didn't want to deal with having the Septa truck I was driving towed and explain to his Sargent why he arrested me, had to have a Septa truck towed all for a legal knife. I've been carrying and collecting knives since I was 10 years old or so. Knife laws are unconstitutional in PA and everyone knows it. It's the elephant in the room. Laws can't be intentionally vague. Period

Here are the basics on knife laws in PA.

https://knifeup.com/pennsylvania-knife-laws/

By the standards set forth by the PA Supreme court I can carry both my 77cm blade (2 shaku 6 sun) Katana and my 53cm (1 Shaku 7 sun) wakazashi or short sword because I use them in different displays and competition so they have common legal purpose and I can use them as implement of legitimate self defense in the same way that it can be justified carrying a legally concealed firearm onto school property because self defense is a lawful purpose. I think our friend and super duper Gun Lawyer Phil has already won at least one case using that as a defense that I know of.

More recently, in 1996, in the case of Commonwealth v. Karlson, the Court concluded that Mr. Karlson did not violate the prohibited offensive weapon statute when he sold four “Cobra” knives to an undercover police officer. The Court held that in order to convict Mr. Karlson, the state was required to offer evidence that the knives served no common lawful purpose. It said that unless they were specifically outlawed, knives were not objects of a criminal nature that were prohibited under the prohibited weapons statute.

but judges and some Police officers don't like to have their authority challenged by mere words on paper so maybe I'd be arrested and maybe not because the laws are purposely vague and application of the laws unequal. Gee, there might be something in both the US and PA Constitutions about those kind of things but as I asked before, "when did anything that is written in those Constitutions matters when they are able to use the money and power of the government to make you spend every penny you have to defend yourself even if they know they will lose the case in the end?"

My whole point is be careful if you're going to carry a knife, especially one that has any type of thumb assist on it for folders. Maybe I'll test my theory on my swords someday just not this week though.

**gnbrotz** · October 15th, 2018, 03:49 PM

Originally Posted by Sandcut

He's got a twisted way of interpreting statute.

And can anybody tell me where in 908 throwing stars are prohibited?

I'm not saying it's a sound argument, but I'd bet he'd lump it in as an "other implement for the infliction of serious bodily injury which serves no common lawful purpose."

As JenniferG has noted with some similar items, there are certainly lawful purposes for throwing stars too.

**Sandcut** · October 15th, 2018, 04:43 PM

Originally Posted by gnbrotz

I'm not saying it's a sound argument, but I'd bet he'd lump it in as an "other implement for the infliction of serious bodily injury which serves no common lawful purpose."

As JenniferG has noted with some similar items, there are certainly lawful purposes for throwing stars too.

Hell, me and my kids whipping them into a 2X12 leaned up against the shed is about as lawful a purpose as I can imagine. Fun, too!