In cooperation with industry leaders, the American Knife and Tool Institute (AKTI) approved updated standard knife definitions to use for legislation and law enforcement purposes. Visit http://www.akti.org/resources and click on the red “AKTIÂ Approved Knife Definitions” link to see official, legal definitions for such edged tools as an “Arkansas Toothpick,” “Bowie Knife,” “Dagger,” “Ballistic Knife” and many more.
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By accessing the updated definitions, knife owners, lawmakers and law enforcement officers can learn the history of knife terms in common and legal use, various states that prohibit specific types of knives, and the standard definitions the AKTI is encouraging be used for interpreting and enforcing knife laws.
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“AKTI members believe that knives are inanimate objects, regardless of various differences such as length of blade, shape or style, the mechanism for opening, or the name used,” said AKTI President Goldie Russell of A. G. Russell Knives. “As a reasonable voice of the knife community, we have worked to change restrictive and vague knife laws to protect all knife owners.”
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Originally adopted in 2005, the “AKTI Approved Knife Definitions” was revised to reflect clarifications to knife definition language that AKTI successfully used in law changes in Texas and the 2009 amendment to the 1958 Federal Switchblade Act. Clarification of the terminology “bias toward closure” and states where certain knives are prohibited were included to make the publication even more informative. The “AKTI Approved Knife Definitions” has been distributed to lawmakers, police officers, attorneys and judges who recognize the credibility of the industry’s organizations and efforts to promote consistency and clarity. The details and diagrams have been very informative in discussions with legislators.
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“We want to build on the work we’ve done and the reputation we have as an organization for those who work with or benefit from knives, and to support those who have questions about legal knife usage,” Russell said. “We encourage everyone to share the document with their legislators and local law enforcement.”
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