Good news for Ohio residents

[Mumbleypeg]

Following is the text of an email just received today from the American Knife and Tool Institute.

Ohio SB 140 to Become Law

Very positive changes are coming to Ohio knife laws. SB 140 has been (signed/allowed to become law) by Governor Mike DeWine and will be effective in 90 days.

“Ohio is a good case study in the process of making meaningful and common sense changes to knife laws,” said CJ Buck, AKTI Legislative Chair and CEO of Buck Knives. “It takes time, patience, partnerships and cooperation, especially bipartisan. No one can claim any piece of legislation and there are a lot of thank-yous owed for the success in Ohio to provide clarity for knife owners and allow the manufacture and sale of automatic knives.”

The American Knife & Tool Institute was engaged in advocacy efforts from the bill's inception, working with sponsors on crafting the legislative language and securing coalition partner support, through the end, submitting testimony at last month’s committee hearing and meeting with the Governor's office just weeks ago. Our efforts to change Ohio knife laws began on the ground during 2013 and, while the actual bill language has changed through the years, the final result is definitely positive in two key areas. First, clarity will be provided that a concealed item is not a weapon unless it is actually used as a weapon. Second, while automatic knives are legal to own in Ohio, they are now also legal to manufacture and sell.

“We thank all of those involved in the knife law success in Ohio, including our members and knife industry businesses in Ohio, our partners including the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, supporters such as the ACLU, and others involved at various stages,” said John Sullivan, AKTI President and Director of Compliance at W.R. Case & Sons. He added, “We sincerely thank Senator Roegner and Senator Obhoff for their work this session on SB 140, and for joining former Senator Uecker as cosponsors. We would also like to thank Representative Wiggam and Representative Lang for their tremendous efforts in the House to pass the bill and Governor DeWine and his office.”

The Ohio Knife Laws will be updated on the AKTI website shortly to reflect the official details and effective date.

Read more on our website www.AKTI.org

I note sadly that it took nearly 8 years for this change to become law. The good news is, it happened.

Ken

[peanut740]

Yes Ken it has been a long time coming.Many thanks to ATKI for there help and guidance.

[Waukonda]

This is coming just after Dewine signed an expanded version of "stand your ground".
Hey Roger, I will trade you J B Pritzker for Mike Dewine, heck, I will even throw in Lori Lightfoot!

[peanut740]

This is coming just after Dewine signed an expanded version of "stand your ground".
Hey Roger, I will trade you J B Pritzker for Mike Dewine, heck, I will even throw in Lori Lightfoot!

Dewhine is the original weaselly rino.He's trying to look somewhat conservative for his re-election.My guess is he will have some challengers come primary time.I'm sure he's ahead of what you have in Illinois though.But he is the definition of "asshat"

[Knife Nut]

I'm a little confused in the wording "....while automatic knives are legal to own in Ohio, they are now also legal to manufacture and sell."
They will be legal to own, but will they be legal to carry without restrictions?
I live on the border of Ohio, so this will certainly apply to me when I go to Cincinnati.

Paul

[samb1955]

I can open a flipper or thumb stud quicker than a switchblade.

[Mumbleypeg]

I'm a little confused in the wording "....while automatic knives are legal to own in Ohio, they are now also legal to manufacture and sell."
They will be legal to own, but will they be legal to carry without restrictions?
I live on the border of Ohio, so this will certainly apply to me when I go to Cincinnati.

Paul

I suggest you go to the link referenced in the news release (www.AKTI.org) and read the existing (old) law, before AKTI updates the page. Since the new law doesn’t take effect until 90 days after the new one was passed, the old law is still on the web site. I suspect they’ll leave it there until the new law is in effect. I’m not a lawyer and I don’t live in Ohio, but here’s my layman’s understanding:

Under the old law (and until the new law takes effect), it is legal to own an automatic knife. However it is not legal to carry it on your person, sell it, manufacture it, etc. There are other aspects of the old law that are vague and could be interpreted to say any and all knives are subject to being classified as concealed weapons and therefore illegal to carry. Read it for yourself and decide what you think. The new law removes the vague “subject to interpretation” language. So as the news release says, under the new law knives are not to be considered as weapons unless used as weapons.

At a glance summary of the old law, from AKTI:

Any knife may be considered a “deadly weapon,” defined as “any instrument, device, or thing capable of inflicting death, and designed or specially adapted for use as a weapon, or possessed, carried, or used as a weapon.” (2923.11 A).

Ohio law, 2923.12, provides that it is an offense to “knowingly carry or have, concealed on the person’s person or concealed ready at hand, ” any “dangerous weapon.” There are states, for example North Carolina, that generally prohibit the concealed carry of knives, but expressly provide an exception for a “common” or “ordinary” pocketknife. Ohio has neither a statutory, nor a caselaw exception, which would establish an assuredly legal pocketknife.

Ken

[jmh58]

I can open a flipper or thumb stud quicker than a switchblade.

John

[cody6268]

I can open a flipper or thumb stud quicker than a switchblade.

John

Yep. I have two older autos laying around here (an old Shur-Snap; and some off-brand el-cheapo), and neither of them open anywhere near as fast as my Spyderco Para 3 or Buck Vantage; both of which have no springs or bearings; just bronze bushings.

[Mumbleypeg]

I can open a flipper or thumb stud quicker than a switchblade.

John

Yep. I have two older autos laying around here (an old Shur-Snap; and some off-brand el-cheapo), and neither of them open anywhere near as fast as my Spyderco Para 3 or Buck Vantage; both of which have no springs or bearings; just bronze bushings.

Which is evidence of the stupidity of laws biased against “automatic” or “spring assisted” knives.

Ken

[samb1955]

John

Yep. I have two older autos laying around here (an old Shur-Snap; and some off-brand el-cheapo), and neither of them open anywhere near as fast as my Spyderco Para 3 or Buck Vantage; both of which have no springs or bearings; just bronze bushings.

Which is evidence of the stupidity of laws biased against “automatic” or “spring assisted” knives.

Ken

Exactly!

[cudgee]

How can you possibly call a law put together by bureaucrats as stupid. Only joking, anything those idiots do does not surprise me anymore. Sorry, i should not be making light of it, but you know where i'm coming from.