Why are knife control laws so strong in the United States as opposed to gun control?

I was realizing it would be nice to have a knife with auto opening for boxes, etc., basically a switch blade or similar, and I found out that they are super illegal in my state (and/or there are length restrictions, or both sides of the blade can’t be sharp, etc), but I can go into a sporting goods store and buy a pistol and ammo in under 30min.

Shooting open an Amazon box seems inefficient. What is up with restrictive knife-control laws??

  • pushECX@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    I was thinking the same thing. There are definitely restrictions on the size/function of guns, and you have to fill out paperwork, get fingerprinted, etc to get past those restrictions.

    To buy any gun at a store, you also have to have a background check, which you generally don’t have to do for knives.

    • WoahWoah@lemmy.worldOP
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      4 months ago

      While that is true, in states with restrictive knife laws, there is no permitting, tax stamp, or background check option. They’re simply illegal typically without exception.

      I.e., a CCW does not apply to an OTF knife or dagger in states where those types of knives are illegal, and there is no legal option available to legally carry one. Conversely, with sufficient paperwork, background check, and tax stamps, etc, you can get a machine gun.

      I am just pointing out how odd it is that in some states there is a legal avenue for a citizen to purchase, own, and use a machine gun but not a small blade that opens with a button. But laws are often crazy, so, I guess it’s not really a huge surprise.