Knife legislation

Knife legislation is defined as the body of statutory law or case law promulgated or enacted by a government or other governing jurisdiction that prohibits, criminalizes, or restricts the otherwise legal manufacture, importation, sale, transfer, possession, transport, or use of knives.

Carrying knives in public is forbidden or restricted by law in many countries. Exceptions may be made for hunting knives, pocket knives, and knives used for work-related purposes (chef's knives, etc.), depending upon the laws of a given jurisdiction. In turn, the carrying or possessing of certain types of knives perceived as deadly or offensive weapons, such as switchblade knives and butterfly knives, may be restricted or prohibited. Even where knives may be legally carried on the person generally, this right may not extend to all places and circumstances, and knives of any description may be prohibited at schools, public buildings, courthouses, and public events.

Under the Austrian Arms Act of 1996 (Waffengesetz 1996), it is illegal to buy, import, possess, or carry weapons that are disguised as another object or as an object of common use (sword canes, e.g., or knives disguised as ink pens, brush handles, or belt buckles). For ordinary knives, however, there are no restrictions or prohibitions based on blade length or opening or locking mechanism.

The Arms Act defines weapons as "objects that by their very nature are intended to reduce or eliminate the defensive ability of a person through direct impact", specifically including all firearms. Consequently, certain knives are considered "weapons" under this definition. Except for firearms, however, which are heavily regulated, such "weapons", including automatic opening lock-blade knives (switchblades), OTF automatic knives, butterfly knives, and gravity knives are implicitly permitted under the Arms Act, and thus may be bought, possessed and carried by anyone over the age of 18 who has not been expressly banned from owning any weapon (Waffenverbot) by the civilian authorities.

Article 3, §1 of the 2006 Weapons Act lists the switchblade or automatic knife (couteaux à cran d'arrêt et à lame jaillissante), as well as butterfly knives, throwing knives, throwing stars, and knives or blades that have the appearance of other objects (i.e. sword canes, belt buckle knives, etc.) as prohibited weapons. In addition to specifically prohibited knives, the police and local jurisdictions have broad authority to prohibit the carrying or possession of a wide variety of knives, to include carriage inside a vehicle, if the owner cannot establish sufficient legal reason (motif légitime) for doing so, particularly in urban areas or at public events. This discretion extends to even folding knives without a locking blade.

Bulgarian weapon law is maintained annually. It is called ZOBVVPI (Bulgarian: Закон за оръжията, боеприпасите, взривните вещества и пиротехническите изделия) and it covers ONLY the possession and usage of firearms (including gas and signal ones), and pellet or BB (Bulgarian: сачми) pneumatic guns. A state regulation on melee weapons of any kind does not exist, whether knives, swords, bats, or electric devices. No juridical definition of "melee weapon" or "cold weapon" exists in any Bulgarian law. Hence, it is legal in Bulgaria to possess and carry a knife without providing any reason. Concealed knife carry is OK, anywhere and anytime. Although there are no restrictions on possessing or carrying any type of knife or sword, it is not widely accepted or considered appropriate to carry a knife openly in public places such as streets or public buildings, stores, or restaurants. In urban areas, expect an instant check and hassle if a police officer sees you openly carrying a larger knife, even if you have the legal right to do it. From a societal point of view, the open carry of knives in Bulgaria is justified only in rural areas, when fishing or hunting, or when the knife serves as a tool in work activities, such as gardening. Some places like courts, banks, clubs, bars, etc. will deny you access to any weapon (knives included), and most don't offer a safekeeping option. It is an urban legend in Bulgaria that knives above 10 cm (3.9 in) are illegal to carry on a person, so expect the police to try to convince you to give up the knife voluntarily, even if such a measure is unlawful. You should not give up your knife; instead, state the purpose of "daily needs", "utility usage", or even "self-defense" for carrying, and be clear that you haven't committed any crime. Insist that the policeman cite a law against you carrying a knife in public. Since there is no such law in Bulgaria, the police most likely will let you keep your knife and send you on your way with a "warning". If they insist or are misbehaving, ask them to contact their superior officer before giving up your knife, or else you will not see it again. There are some random city councils which try to limit knife lengths above 10 cm (3.9 in) with issuing acts, but these acts are all illegal and have no compliance force, because the councils serve only administrative functions; they lack the jurisdiction to invent or impose laws of any kind. Remember that although very liberal in terms of knife (weapons) possession and carry, compared to many European countries, Bulgaria is not the place where you can defend yourself with deadly force. If the need for self-defense with a knife arises, consider it carefully. Usually, courts often consider the armed self-defense as "unjustified" based on the Penal Code and the defending side ends up with an effective jail verdict, even if the cause (treat) for initiating self-defense is proven.

There is no law banning the carrying in public of knives with sheaths, knives that take both hands to open, and any knife with a fixed blade and certain non-prohibited folding knives, if they are not carried for a purpose that poses a danger to public peace or to commit a criminal offense.

The Canadian Criminal Code criminalizes the possession of knives that open automatically. Section 84(1) defines "a knife that has a blade that opens automatically by gravity or centrifugal force or by hand pressure applied to a button, spring or other device attached to or in the handle of the knife" as a prohibited weapon. Only persons who have been granted exemption by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police through the Canadian Firearms Program are allowed to possess (but not acquire) prohibited weapons.