advice

[MadMax]

Get a lawyer, all the Internet advice in the world doesn't come close to someone who has passed the bar in the state where you have been charged.

I don't know NYC knife laws but your best bet is to see if your lawyer can talk with the district attorney and work out a deal for you.

The idea of taking a new knife to court (which will never be allowed anyway) to show how yours should work doesn't do you any good as it doesn't prove your knife was modified to work differently.

Also, if you are being detained, the police can do a pat down search for weapons (officer safety search only).

You might want to familiarize yourself as to what a Terry Stop is, as well as the New York City stop-and-frisk program. As far as I know, the latter is still legal and ongoing.

Bottom line: Talk to a NY lawyer.