Just for info's sake. Yes, switchblades are now legal in Alaska and we pre-empt local laws against them just like guns, for the same reasons. The laws against automatic knives/gravity knives (and still criminalized brass knuckles, in fact) were based on fear of  latinos and blacks created by Hollywood, not any factual reason. They aren't faster to open than many folding knives, and are slower than a fixed blade, but less suited for use in harming people (weak hinge). 

Always look at the propriety of laws in terms of facts and history, not publicity.