For some reason or another, until recently I wasn't allowed an airsoft gun, yet when my little brother was 7 or 8 my father bought him an ornate steel dagger.

I figure a steel dagger would be more dangerous than an airsoft gun...

Especially when you hang it over your bed.

Depends on the quality of the steel and whether or not it's got sharp edges - basically, a Sword-Like Object vs. an actual sword. I've got several things in my bedroom back in MD that qualify as SLOs (decorative stainless steel swords I get as gifts from family members who don't know better), but only one actual sword (a 1040 carbon steel (I believe it was 1040, anyways, don't remember) non-traditional forged katana that several of my friends got me as a graduation gift).

Not to imply that anything with a point is not dangerous when it's hanging over your head, though - there's just a difference between "looks cool and probably dangerous" and "looks cool and is dangerous".

-- Griffinhart

I'm a UK citizen... >v> Weapons are a big no-no. Though it's odd that banning handguns didn't stop criminals from having them.</sarcasm>

You're not even allowed to have knives?

"When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns."

-- A common anti-gun ban quote/slogan

@Rickton: Technically, most US states ban the carry of knives over a certain length (or ban certain knives outright) in public. I know that in WA anything with a blade longer than 3 inches is iffy (can't remember off the top of my head if it's definitely illegal though) and, IIRC, in MD carrying a knife in public is illegal without a license, and even then certain kinds of knives are illegal (all "gravity knives" [whatever the hell those are] including bailisongs [butterfly knives], as well as automatic/double-action switchblades).

-- Griffinhart

They're the same thing as a switchblade...

Except the blade is opened by inertia/gravity rather than a spring.

Not sure. Definitely not under 18 at least. Still, crime rates aren't too bad, so...

I would get a butterfly knife (and proceed to practice how to appear as a hard-boiled badass with one) if they weren't so incredibly illegal.

I'm trying something else as far as "performance art" goes, but it's got one bitch of a learning curve.

In Europe there are people whose jobs are to stand still and pretend to be a statue.
It's a legit thing, you have to have a license and everything, and people actually give them money!

http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/cubegoodies/b6e6/

?

in some states it is incredibly legal to carry a switchblade, actually. in my state, i'm pretty sure u have to have a business license to own one. it just depends on where u live. and whats a butterfly knife? anyway, u just have top check the applicable laws of your area, and your country.

This is a butterfly knife.

You know there's such a thing as a bailisong "sword"?

Yeah. Ridiculous and impractical, hooray!

-- Griffinhart

that looks kinda like a multitool.

amazingly, here in Brazil it's incredibly hard to get a fire weapons license; however, butterfly knives are completely legal after you're 16.