Switchblade

During the 1950s, US newspapers as well as the tabloid press promoted the image of a new violent crime wave caused by young male delinquents with a switchblade or flick knife, based mostly on anecdotal evidence.

[1][2] In 1954, Democratic Rep. James J. Delaney of New York authored the first bill submitted to the U.S. Congress banning the manufacture and sale of switchblades, beginning a wave of legal restrictions worldwide and a consequent decline in their popularity.

This allows reverse force on the thumb stud to increase tension in the main spring before the upper restraining pin releases and the blade and carrier can return to the closed position.

[6] Beginning with the Austrian Arms Act of 1996[7] switchblades, like all other knives, are generally legal to buy, import, possess or carry, regardless of blade length or opening or locking mechanism.

[12] In Belgium, the police and local jurisdictions are also allowed to prohibit the carrying or possession of a wide variety of knives, which are not explicitly banned by law, if the owner cannot establish a legitimate reason (motif légitime) for having that knife, particularly in urban areas or at public events.

Legal switchblades may be carried both open and concealed on one's person if there is a justified need for it ("berechtigtes Bedürfnis") or if the weapon cannot be accessed with less than 3 moves ("Transport in verschlossenem Behältnis").

Other laws or regulations may still prohibit the carrying of otherwise legal automatic or switchblade knives, particularly in certain situations or places (gatherings on public ground, check-in areas of airports).

Members of the Hungarian Army, law enforcement, national security agencies and armed forces stationed in Hungary are exempt from this limitation together with those who are authorised to carry such instruments by legislation.

[21] Section 9 of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1990 makes it an offence to carry a "flick knife" in any public space without lawful authority or reasonable excuse.

[42] Knives whose blade can be opened with an automatic mechanism that can be operated with one hand are illegal to acquire (except with a special permit) in Switzerland under the Federal Weapons Act.

[44] On 12 May 1958, Parliament passed the Restriction of Offensive Weapons Act 1959,[45] which banned the manufacture, sale or offer to sell or hire any type of automatic-opening or switchblade knife.

The negative public reputation of the switchblade as the tool of the juvenile delinquent, derived from sensational media coverage of the 1950s, was enshrined in many states' criminal codes, and some of these laws persist to this day.

Thus in some states, the possession or carrying of an automatic-opening knife or switchblade may become illegal based solely on its design or aesthetic appearance, or simply its use as a weapon in a given circumstance.

[55][56][57] Persons who used knives deemed prohibited as in their work or for self-defense, or who could not afford adequate legal representation, particularly racial minorities, have been disproportionately affected by the capricious enforcement of such laws.

Unless preempted by state law, various county, city, or other local jurisdictions may also have their own codes or ordinances further restricting or prohibiting switchblade possession or use, for example Sioux Falls, South Dakota, or Oakland, California.

[84] Prior to World War II, hand crafted automatic knives marked Campobasso or Frosolone were often called Flat Guards because of the two-piece top bolster design.

[84] In Italy, increased production of automatic knives resulted from the actions of German businessman Albert Marx, who owned two cutlery manufacturing concerns in Solingen, Germany.

[18] Most of Schrade's switchblade patterns were automatic versions of utilitarian jackknives and pocket knives, as well as smaller penknife models designed to appeal to women buyers.

[18] In rural areas of America, these campaigns were partially successful, particularly with younger buyers, who aspired to own the most modern tools at a time when new labor-saving inventions were constantly appearing on the market.

[83] At the low end of the market, Shapleigh Hardware Company of St. Louis, Missouri contracted thousands of switchblades under the trademark Diamond Edge for distribution to dealers across the United States and Canada.

Having earned a handsome return from his work, Schrade traveled to Europe in 1911, first to Sheffield, England, where he assisted Thomas Turner & Company in expediting a wartime order from the British Navy.

[87] This was a curious device consisting of a folding spring-loaded knife blade attached to a handle which fastened to the back of the hand and was secured by a leather strap, leaving the palm and fingers free for grasping other objects.

Co." (Jewelry Cutlery Novelty Company of North Attleboro, Massachusetts)[83] Always looking for a new way to appeal to customers, Schrade continued to experiment with new forms of switchblade designs up to the time of his death in 1940.

After 1945, American soldiers returning home from Europe brought along individually purchased examples of the Italian style of stiletto pattern switchblade produced in Maniago and other cutlery towns.

[84] Though undeniably limited in practical usefulness, the style and beauty of the so-called stiletto switchblade was a revelation to US buyers accustomed to the utilitarian nature of most U.S.-made automatic knives such as the Schrade Presto pocketknife.

[18] As a weapon, the stiletto switchblade was much less effective than most fixed-blade hunting and military knives commonly available in the US, including the Bowie knife and dagger, which could inflict deep slashing cuts as well as stab wounds.

The article sparked a storm of controversy and a nationwide campaign that would eventually result in state and federal laws criminalizing the importation, sale, and possession of automatic-opening knives.

[95] Pollack, a former aide to Democratic Senator Harley M. Kilgore and a ghostwriter for then-Senator Harry S Truman, had authored a series of melodramatic magazine articles calling for new laws to address a variety of social ills.

Hollywood's fixation on the switchblade as the symbol of youth violence, sex, and delinquency resulted in renewed demands from the public and Congress to control the sale and possession of such knives.

Automatic or switchblade knives have been produced in the following countries: Argentina, China, Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Korea, Pakistan, Poland, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan and U.S.A..[citation needed]