Idaho Sen. Crapo wants to make switchblades legal in interstate commerce

At the behest of Buck Knives in Post Falls, Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo has introduced legislation to lift a decades-old ban on interstate commerce in switchblade knives.

Switchblades, also known as automatic knives, have a mechanism allowing one-handed operation to easily open the blade. They’ve been illegal in interstate commerce since 1958, but are legal in 27 states, including Idaho. They’re illegal in 23 states, including Washington.

A 2009 amendment to the 1958 ban allowed “spring-assisted” knives to be sold through interstate commerce, but not fully automatic ones that don’t first require a manual push to open the blade.

Crapo’s bill wouldn’t make any changes to state laws. It would just allow people in states where switchblades are legal to buy them from out-of-state U.S. firms – and allow firms like Buck Knives to market them in those states.

Read more: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2017/sep/13/idaho-sen-crapo-wants-to-make-switchblades-legal-i/