My main reasoning was that I don't like carrying a big knife. They're pretty darn bulky, and it's the big knives I can open easily with gloves on, and the Kershaw Chive is a little fiddly. I decided on the Colonial mostly as a winter work knife that would not leave the farm.
I don't know if Colonial will ship here or not. Law is kinda murky, and weirdly written in my state, and I noticed this blurb when I made the order:
Yes, I understand the federal law, but a number of dealers ship autos via UPS between states.
What I don't understand is that, if that's the case, why are autos now basically the only thing they offer? I also had that blurb when I ordered an automatic shackle key with a slip-joint sheepsfoot blade 3-4 years ago. So, it's likely just a boilerplate statement they put with all orders.Ordering Switchblade/Automatic Knife: Federal Switchblade law allows the Armed Forces or any member or employee thereof acting in the performance of his duty; Makes it legal for members of the military to distribute switchblades over state lines to other members of the military in accordance with normal equipment issuance (1242), as well as exempts members of the military who are in a non-state US territory, Indian reservation, or special maritime jurisdiction from the restriction on possession in those areas (1243) so long as it is for official duty.
In retrospect, maybe I should've ordered a Boker from BladeHQ and avoided the hassle, as I know they ship here. The whole "interstate thing" isn't a problem, as that, while based in Utah, they have a warehouse in Marion, VA.
If I get an email asking for military ID and/or canceling the order, I'll probably just go with the Boker, which I should've done in the first place.