This is the really weird thing. If these knives were made of metal and in a kitchen drawer, nobody would think of them as being weapons. But since they are 3d printed, that’s novel enough to warrant some panic or something…
Comment on My country's police just busted a dangerous 3d printed weapons manufacturer.
entwine@programming.dev 1 day ago
I don’t get it, are knives illegal in Italy? What if I want to cut my spaghetti?
squaresinger@lemmy.world 1 day ago
ExcessShiv@lemmy.dbzer0.com 18 hours ago
Not sure how rules are in Italy, but where I live “switchblades” and other one-hand operated collapsible knives are illegal.
Jocarnail@lemmy.world 17 hours ago
Afaik, all single hand operation deployment knives are illegal in Italy. It’s somewhat of a nonsensical rule when there are teenagers stabbing themselves with kitchen knives, but still…
ExcessShiv@lemmy.dbzer0.com 17 hours ago
You can make surprisingly sharpb objects, I once cut myself with my printed bed-scraper by accident.
These printed knives can absolutely also be used to hurt/kill someone, if you wanted to…like all type of knives and basic cutlery really…these being an illegal type is the trigger here I believe.
Jocarnail@lemmy.world 17 hours ago
It’s not because they are 3d printed. He was distributing them at school! That is the problem.
If he were to file down toothbrushes and do the same he would still be arrested and his files confiscated.
JohnEdwa@sopuli.xyz 1 day ago
Spring assisted switchblades are illegal in quite a few countries, so I imagine they are in Italy as well. Still completely ridiculous, as they are plastic toy replicas, and not actual knives.
NauticalNoodle@lemmy.ml 1 day ago
most of those classic stiletto switchblades are manufactured in italy
teft@piefed.social 1 day ago
Often even unassisted switchblades are illegal. They’re called gravity knives.
FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Just to be pedantic, gravity knives aren’t switchblades.
They have a blade that slides freely (and under the force of gravity.) the grip is basically a hinged nutcracker that, when closed, traps the sliding blade either deployed or retracted.
In any case, they’re no more dangerous than your standard folding knives of the same general proportions.
The illegality of certain knives (switch blades, gravity knives, balisongs, etc) are largely not based on the danger or actual use of those knives as weapons.
In the US it’s usually reactionary and racism.
Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works 1 day ago
In the US knives sales just cut into gun sales so best to put some limits on them. I don’t doubt that it may somehow play a part, but I am curious how racism plays in here?
teft@piefed.social 1 day ago
Gravity knives are considered switchblades in many jurisdictions.They aren’t spring assisted switchblades. They are gravity assisted hence the name. Switchblade just means any knife you open with a switch or button. Don’t take my word for it though, go read the first line of the wikipedia page on switchblades.
In any case, they’re no more dangerous than your standard folding knives of the same general proportions.
Often they are less dangerous since they can fail to deploy (especially an OTF spring assisted switchblade). I had a sweet benchmade switchblade when I was in the army but alas it got lost at some point. That knife was the best for one handed box cutting.
hector@lemmy.today 21 hours ago
Like butterfly knives, many places in the us too. Ny for instance, cops are taught to flick knives open to be able to charge for knives no reasonable person would think fit the gravity description I read once.
Fondots@lemmy.world 1 day ago
I don’t know the knife laws in Italy, especially not for the specific part of Italy this occurred in
But often laws about switchblades and such have to do with carrying them, or occasionally selling them, but often just owning a switchblade and keeping it at home isn’t really an issue
As far as manufacturing, I again don’t know about the specific regulations, if there’s maybe any kind of licensing or something needed, but I know for a fact that it is either not totally illegal to manufacture a switchblade in Italy, or they are *very * selectively enforcing those laws because there are some very well-known manufacturers of them based there (if I had more disposable income I’ve had my eye on a Frank Beltrame stiletto for a while)
INeedANewUserName@piefed.social 1 day ago
I’m pretty sure 30 years ago they were legal in Italy but maybe not OTF, out the front. That seems to often be an important legal distinction.
Jocarnail@lemmy.world 17 hours ago
Afaik, all one hand operation deployment knives are illegal to carry in Italy. Ballisongs/butterfly knives included.
I’m not sure if there are special licenses that would allow you to carry them.
turmacar@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Auto-translate is saying ‘snap knife’, but I’d imagine it’s to do with it being deployable / spring loaded in some way.
NaibofTabr@infosec.pub 1 day ago
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