Let’s talk Automatic Knives (now legal in Illinois!)

Yes, Governor Bruce Rauner signed the Automatic Knife Bill into law.  Senate Bill 0607, now Illinois Public Act 100-0082, allows for Illinois residents with a Firearms Owners ID card to purchase, carry or possess automatic knives.

While the Gov approved this measure in mid-August, most law enforcement officers don’t yet know of the change in the law.  Also, some internet merchants (and even in-state brick-and-mortar shops) don’t know it either.  Of course, possession by a non-FOID holder remains a felony.  

Unfortunately, the new law does not pre-empt of local ordinances.  A handful of cities (cough, Chicago, cough) have their own prohibitions on the blades.  Now, while local ordinance violations are not felonies, they may cost you a hefty fine, a day or two in jail and the loss of a spendy blade.  And let’s face it:  you would be less likely to see the inside of jail driving and crashing a stolen car in downtown Chicago than by carrying an automatic knife there.

To protect yourself from hassles in non-permissive environs, or from ill-informed law enforcement officers, I recommend a hidden release knife.  At a casual glance, these knives look, feel and perform like a traditional folding knife.  If you actuate the hidden release, you gain the benefit of effortless, nearly always perfect one-handed deployment.

Deploying a knife in self-defense is much tougher than drawing a firearm.  If you carry a folder today for potential self-defense reasons, you should consider an auto blade.  Why?  Deploying a folder in a self-defense encounter while under attack is virtually impossible, even for seasoned experts.  While a fixed blade is the fastest to bring into action, an automatic ranks nearly as fast and conceals a whole lot easier.

In the end, discretion is the better part of valor.  In buying and carrying an automatic blade, go for subtle over flashy.  In the long run, you’ll be glad you did.