PA is a fickle state when it comes to knives. I am in the conundrum that any fixed blade knife that I find suitable for self defense would ostensibly run afoul of the PA definition of "weapon".
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The courts have been pretty clear that what is banned is 1) switchblades, and 2) anything capable of causing death or serious injury and having no common lawful purpose (the catch-all clause at the end of the definition). A standard single edged fixed blade of reasonable length has common lawful purposes.
One case I read found that a folding knife that could be locked with the handle either parallel or perpendicular to the blade fell under the catch-all clause, and was therefore illegal. It would follow that a push dagger is illegal as well under the catch-all clause.
Assisted opening knives have resulted in one guilty plea and one fast aquittal. Taking the statute very literally, the blade is exposed manually before the spring takes over, but it is still an area of uncertainty.
Double edge knives are not specifically banned by the wording of the statute as interpreted by the courts, but are a subject of frequent misunderstanding. An arrest could petit by a police officer with a mistaken understanding of the law.
There is no pre-emption of local ordinances banning knives. Philadelphia bans carrying any knife not needed for one’s employment at the time it is being carried. At least one other city has strict laws.
The statute does have enough wiggle room so that predicting a result cannot be done with 100% certainty, so erring on the side of caution is wise.
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Does anyone know what happened to Colonel Blades? Their website no longer lists any products, and all their social media pages appear to be deleted. I was considering getting one just to play with, but I can't find them anymore. Did the company go out of business?
I have no idea about the manufacturer, but BCM has a few variants, though only one seems to be in stock: https://www.bravocompanyusa.com/edge...ives-s/223.htm
I hope they are still a thing and just re-branding or sold out... seems fishy but I really wanted one.