Legality of knife-wielding

[sexobon]

A few reasons for limitations on carry knives:

Knives are not generally considered humane tools for self defense. You can kill in self defense; but, you're not permitted to unnecessarily maim or mangle. Even when using guns you can't put explosives in bullets, fill them with poison; or, choose to shoot someone repeatedly in the extremities when a single incapacitating shot to the trunk can be made. Police and military are bound by similar restrictions.

The general rule for blade length limitation on carry knives is that if someone is attacked with such a knife, they can protect their vital organs by just covering the anticipated impact area with their own extremities which puts the vital organs out of reach of the blade. Exceptions to blade length limitations for carry knives are based on having a demonstrable lawful use.

Guns leave bullets behind which can often be traced. Knives are not generally left behind and wounds can be difficult to attribute to a specific knife.

also

Burglars have tried to avoid being charged with having burglary tools in their possession by carrying sporting tools (e.g. a large hunting knife in lieu of a pry bar or chisel).

[Cyber Wolf]

Originally Posted by sexobon

A few reasons for limitations on carry knives:

Knives are not generally considered humane tools for self defense. You can kill in self defense; but, you're not permitted to unnecessarily maim or mangle.

Bullets (especially hollow point) will maim and mangle worse than a knife can. Just because one uses a gun doesn't mean they'll make a clean, painless kill. Any shots to anything other than the heart or head will cause pain and/or disfigurement if the patient survives. How is that more humane than a knife stab?

Originally Posted by sexobon

The general rule for blade length limitation on carry knives is that if someone is attacked with such a knife, they can protect their vital organs by just covering the anticipated impact area with their own extremities which puts the vital organs out of reach of the blade. Exceptions to blade length limitations for carry knives are based on having a demonstrable lawful use.

But a bullet can go through all your protective extremities and, for some, right through you with enough leftover velocity to stick in a wall. To me, on the subject of penetration, that suggests a knife would be less of a weapon to worry about. Besides, once you get above a certain length, knives tend to be more about slashing and less about stabbing (not saying one couldn't stab).

Originally Posted by sexobon

Burglars have tried to avoid being charged with having burglary tools in their possession by carrying sporting tools (e.g. a large hunting knife in lieu of a pry bar or chisel).

That logic doesn't work (or rather no one will let it work) when you apply it to a gun. Someone with murderous intent can walk around with a gun as long as he has no spots on his record and/or has the proper permits. Now it could very well be that socially there is a different logic applied to knives and that brings me back to my original question: Why? It doesn't make sense to me that the same society that will permit open carry of pistols will raise Cain over someone's hunting knife.