In 1958, Congress passed an “act to prohibit the introduction, or manufacture for introduction, into interstate commerce of switchblade knives, and for other purposes,”. It was signed by President Eisenhower. At the time, many congressmen still believed in limited government, and the act did not apply to intrastate sales or possession. Most states, however, followed the federal lead. The law was created by a media push of yellow journalism and false statistics. There was no logic or reason for the law. There was no outbreak of “switchblade violence” nor do switchblades differ in …read more

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