Back Navalla automàtica Catalan Springmesser German Navaja automática Spanish Labana automatiko Basque چاقوی ضامندار Persian Stiletti Finnish אולר קפיצי HE Coltello a scatto Italian 飛び出しナイフ Japanese Stiletto (steekwapen) Dutch
A switchblade (also known as switch knife, automatic knife, pushbutton knife, ejector knife, flick knife, gravity knife, flick blade, or spring knife) is a pocketknife with a sliding or pivoting blade contained in the handle which is extended automatically by a spring when a button, lever, or switch on the handle or bolster is activated. Virtually all switchblades incorporate a locking blade, a means of preventing the blade from being accidentally closed while in the open position. An unlocking mechanism must be activated in order to close the blade for storage.
During the 1950s, US newspapers as well as the tabloid press promoted the image of a new violent crime wave caused by young male delinquents with a switchblade or flick knife, based mostly on anecdotal evidence.[1][2] In 1954, Democratic Rep. James J. Delaney of New York authored the first bill submitted to the U.S. Congress banning the manufacture and sale of switchblades, beginning a wave of legal restrictions worldwide and a consequent decline in their popularity.