Virginia has had a longstanding ban on switchblades, but that will soon change. The knives will soon be legal after Governo Glenn Youngkin signed a bill that passed the General Assembly with overwhelming support. The knives were widely outlawed in the 1950s because they were perceived as the weapon of choice of street gangs. Now, they have been rebranded as “automatic knives” which proponants argue have many common uses, especially for tradesmen and first responders who may need to cut something with only one hand free. They say they no longer have a strong connection to crime. Virginia was one of just six states that still banned the knives. The knives will still be listed among the weapons Virginians can’t carry concealed from view while in public.