Why are butterfly knives illegal in some places?
Like many weapon laws, bans on butterfly knives are based on perception and reputation, rather than empirical evidence. Butterfly knives are popular with hoodlums and petty thugs, likely because the twirling action of a skilled user is very intimidating. In this way, it makes them better for threatening people into handing over their wallet or purse. They’re no more deadly or fast than any normal folding knife, but the twirly thing makes politicians who don’t know any better THINK that they’re faster, and movies where bad guys have them just makes this perception worse. Many blame James Dean and movies from the 1950s for the ban on switchblades (which if you ask me, are all show and not guts, and far less dangerous than a good sheath knife).
