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Are you saying all laws are futile? Otherwise what is different with this law that makes it futile?

I do not say that all laws are futile. The difference with this particular measurement is that it is odd to me, that a no-weapon zone is being established, as it is quite unusual that Germans carry around weapons in general. At least not where I live. People carrying around weapons of any kind is just not a thing here.

There are other laws, speed restrictions for instance. I get that there is a necessity to enforce such thing, as people have cars and tend to drive faster than they should. Speeding with a car is more common than carrying a weapon. That's why this law makes sense, as it adresses the issue right there. Speeding doesn't have an underlying issue that causes drivers to speed.

The thing what makes it futile in my opinion is that a restriction in carrying weapons does not solve the underlying issues (the root causes of socio-economic inequality, among others) that probably lead to harming others with knives. It's just treating the symptoms, not the root cause.

The problem with this specific law is that it isn't practically enforceable. You'd need to regularly search people entering this zone, which we will certainly not do.

Law's only matter if you can expect them to be enforced. Raising prices is easily enforced (because it would be done via taxes which are checked for correctness already).

Laws will persuade people that care about the risks of their actions to not take certain actions. If you know that there's heavy speeding enforcement in an area, and you can't afford a ticket, you are less likely to speed. Likewise, if you worry about going to prison for a few years, then laws prohibiting the carrying of weapons is likely to persuade you not to unless you feel like your life would be in more danger if you were unarmed. People that don't care if they go to prison are unlikely to be persuaded by laws prohibiting their criminal behavior.

I think I'd take knife crime over mass shootings.

Japan has very similar laws under the sword and firearms act that prevents most knives and some other "dangerous" objects from being carried without cause and even then there are typically rules about how it must be transported/stored when in public (such as the train). It seems to mostly work here. Usually, the ones who do attack others are those whom were failed by the healthcare system here (specifically, the way Japan (often fails) to deal with mental health issues).

I believe that all states have now repealed their bans on owning gravity knives, switchblades, and butterfly knives. However, carrying them in public--depending on blade length, may still be illegal. Some states only prohibit them from being carried if you intend to use them in a crime, and actually using them in a crime is used to prove intent; i.e., it just ends up being an additional charge.

Modern sporting rifles--AKA assault style rifles--are usually not okay to carry openly in the same states that used to ban certain types of knives.

Where I live, someone that openly carries a belt knife is taken as prima facie evidence that they've been permanently prohibited from owning a firearm. Open carry is unusual, but not incredibly rare. Conceal carry is fairly common.

Noi, aber n anerkannda Grund fürs mitnämma.
Mit a baar Fädra am Huat isch des Brauchtumspfläg oder so.*

* Aber i bin koin Rechtsverdreher.

Translation of Swabian-German dialect:

In my opinion I have a legal reason for carrying a knife if it fits my traditional attire. But IANAL. /s