§134-52 Blade knives; Bans; Punishment. (a) Every person knowingly manufactures, sells, transmits, possesses or transports a Switchblade knife, which is a knife whose blade opens automatically(1) by manual pressure applied to a button or other device in the knife handle, or (2) by inertia, gravity, or both, is guilty of an offence. (b) Anyone who knowingly possesses or intentionally uses or threatens to use a folding knife while participating in the commission of a criminal offence is guilty of a Class C crime. I am a practitioner of this Silat martial art. Well, we know you can`t make/sell switch blades or gravity knives after Hawaii State statues (H.R.S. § 134-52), but if not, you can contact your state government agencies to obtain a license (not sure of the details in Hawaii). I cannot find any law that says it is illegal to make or sell a knife that does not fall into the category of “restricted weapons” or illegal weapons. If the butterfly knife has no cutting edge, such as a trainer (angular, on both sides), it is legal to carry it, but may be a prohibited item to carry on board an aircraft. You can put it in your recording bag.
It`s actually the way you use the knife that makes it a deadly weapon. Not having with you. As long as no one has said that you have threatened them or, more importantly, that you can describe the color or shape of the blade (teeth), everything is fine. You can actually carry a sword as long as you don`t do anything stupid I`m not against owning knives I actually own a Coldsteel Tanto Large pocket knife that I use as a tool in my house, except I find the law really retarded. State vs. Giltner in 1975 defined “lethal or dangerous weapon” as “an instrument designed primarily as a weapon, or which has been diverted from its normal use and prepared and modified for combat purposes.” In that case, a police officer found Giltner with a scuba diving knife whose blade was 6.5 inches high and arrested Giltner for carrying a deadly weapon. It was later decided that a scuba diving knife is not a deadly weapon. The state of Hawaii does not enact knife preemption laws. Some cities and other local governments may enact their own laws prohibiting the sale, transfer, possession, carrying or manufacture of certain knives. Therefore, it is important to know and understand the laws in various local jurisdictions where you can travel to the state for business or recreational purposes using a knife or sharp tools.
In addition, the judge`s opinion in State vs. Rackle stated in 1974 that “a knife should not be considered a `deadly or dangerous weapon` simply because it is a knife. The way in which it is used must be taken into account. The judge also stated that if “words follow the general description of the enumeration of certain things, these words have a meaning limited to objects of similar nature and character to those indicated.” Therefore, if a knife does not fall into the Dirk or dagger category, it cannot be automatically classified as a dangerous weapon. Hawaii is one of the states in the United States with somewhat complex knife laws. The law considers it an offence to carry dirt or dagger or even transport in the vehicle. It is also a crime if a person has a “switchblade” or “butterfly” knife. Balisongs are illegal in Hawaii. Anyone carrying and selling a Balisong knife commits a Class C felony under section 134-53. Knife laws in Hawaii allow you to own most knives except for Balisong knives and knives. However, if you want to carry a knife with you, limit yourself to single-edged pocket knives. Hiding stretchers is not a problem.
REAL?! I`m not too vulgar about knife laws and I believe this should be especially warned in Hawaii, but you can own Bowie knives, dirks, and even throw stars and it`s understandable that you can`t own butterfly knives, but you can`t own a Switch blade?! That really surprises me. I have a SOG gambit, the blade is a bit clawed and difficult to sharpen, I like the ring for a neck knife as I prefer the navy style slash technique and the little finger (Chinese: sticky) has an advantage for retention and handling. The ring also makes a nice protrusion for the hammer fist at the temple. Knife laws in Hawaii can be a bit tricky. This guide will teach you the law of knives in an easy-to-understand way. Excerpts from the law as well as precedents are presented. A Balisong is a knife identical to a switch blade, which is always a knife. Shouldn`t this law be repealed because the judge says, “A knife should not be considered a deadly or dangerous weapon just because it`s a knife. The way in which it is used must be taken into account. Under Hawaii state law, it is illegal to possess a switchblade knife.
You can own a Dirk or a dagger, but you are not allowed to carry these knives. You can own any knife you want, as long as it`s not a Balisong or a switch blade. You can open any knife. You can hide any knife you want, as long as it`s not a Dirk or a dagger. There are no limits to the length of the blade of your concealed transport and you should be fine as long as you don`t use your knife in a dangerous and deadly way. If I have a butterfly knife that is blunt and is a trainer, is it legal? It looks like a knife, but is not sharp. I hope you can contact me because I`m thinking of buying one and I want to make sure it`s legal. Thank you very much! Does Hilo have any other local statues? Also laws on pocket sticks, Yawara, Kubatom? If you`re wondering which knife really isn`t controversial or illegal to carry, here`s a great one with a connection to Hawaii! This is the 3-in-1 tactical pocket knife of the U.S. Army Hawaii Garrison. It`s a really aggressive 3-in-one multifunctional pocket knife with a glass breaking tip and a seat belt cutter. For about $20, I wouldn`t call it a high-end collectible or a souvenir, but it`s good enough for everyday use for a while.
The stainless steel blade is 3.5 inches long and 3mm thick and is spring assisted. Did I mention it looks cool? No, the law does not say that “any person found armed with a deadly or dangerous weapon is guilty,” there is much more in that sentence that you omit, especially the beginning of the sentence. It states: “Any person who is not legally authorized, who hides on himself or in a vehicle used or occupied by him, or who is found armed with a dirk, dagger, blackjack, snail shot, billy, metal pegs, pistol or any other deadly or dangerous weapon is guilty. I wear my USMC Ka-Bar on my hip and several officers tried to say it was illegal, one of them even arrested me for it and confiscated it. The charges were dropped and the knife was returned. From time to time, I also carry a 42-inch-long sword, which is also legal in Hawaii. In addition, sections 134 to 53 make it an offence for a person to knowingly make, sell, transfer or possess a butterfly knife or a knife with a blade covered with a split handle that unfolds manually with the movements of the hand or wrist using gravity, inertia or both. I agree with Jed`s comment. I am a lawyer (not admitted to the bar in HI), but my comments here do not constitute legal advice or opinions. The wording of HI`s status that the author, Peter, might overlook is “found armed”.
So, according to the law, you cannot: 1) wear hidden on your person OR in a car that you use or occupy; or (2) “being found armed” (whatever that means): any of the weapons listed, including the broad and somewhat ambiguous phrase “lethal or dangerous weapon”. The HI courts have obviously tried to give “lethal or dangerous weapons” a functional and practical context, but I would argue that any weapon that is not explicitly prohibited and is purely intended for self-defense (e.g. the eye of Odin, which really has no other functional purpose) falls into a grey area of legality (unless there is HI case law in addition to the 3 cases cited by the author). Therefore, I wouldn`t feel comfortable saying that you can open any knife, meaning the HI status should be interpreted as prohibiting only dirks or daggers (including double-edged knives, etc.) when worn concealed. The term “found armed” can open the door to prosecution for any weapon (knife or otherwise) that is expressly prohibited or that turns out to be a “deadly or dangerous weapon”, whether concealed or overtly carried. Yes, this raises the question of why “concealed wearing” is explicitly prohibited, regardless of the true legal meaning of “found armed” (I could speculate, but I`ve already taken up too much space). What I`ve heard on many visits to HI is that LEOs (mostly those in the county sheriff`s department) have no sympathy for self-defense arguments for licensing or owning almost all guns (getting a handgun license seems almost impossible on the Big Island), but the multipurpose knives clearly seem to have been authorised by the HI courts. I would argue that HI gun laws urgently need to be updated to reflect modern self-defence needs.