Do you live in a city/town where knives are banned?

[MFShirley]

Knives are illegal to carry in my city but living in Massachusetts, Its not a suprise. I carry 2 knives on me daily despite the law. Its my right. Do others out there do/feel the same? Why or why not?

[SOC_MRN_Leon]

I EDC my BM 32 to work sometimes even though I'm not supposed to. I talked to an officer and asked what were the limits of the length of a knife and he said 3 inches. I still edc stuff bigger than that (not to much). Its not that I'm a rebel or anything but I like I should be able to carry anything as long its being used as intended.

[djjonny]

Its the opposite where I am.
Gun laws are difficult and strict but knives not so much.

[MFShirley]

My state has the countrys dumbest gun laws. Its ridiculous. Knife ordinances vary from town to town but are basically "1.5 inches unless you live in a city, then its no inches". I canf wait to move to N.H.

[TOM1960]

Knives are illegal to carry in my city but living in Massachusetts, Its not a suprise. I carry 2 knives on me daily despite the law. Its my right. Do others out there do/feel the same? Why or why not?

I live in MA also and I have been carrying concealed folding knives since I was in grade school. Never had a problem. Keep it in your pocket and practice good concealment. My EDC is a 4" lockblade folder. The anti-knife laws that some cities have (especially Boston and surrounding areas) are local ordinances. MA itself only outlaws (felony!) the carrying of autos and double-edged knives. For other knives, there is no state-mandated blade length limit, despite what some LEOs seem to think.

[Hobo with a Rolex]

Good God! Ya'll need to move to the south. Where pocket knives and guns are encouraged .

[wouldestous]

folding knives arent banned where i live except on school grounds. some municipalities limit blade length to 3 or 3.5 inches.

[Jesse B.]

I carry 2 knives on me daily despite the law. Its my right.

To be frank, I do not agree that anyone has the right to break the law -- no matter how stupid it is. If one person has the right to break the law, then everyone has the right to break the law, which undermines the social contract we live under in a society of laws. The only time I see that being permissible is when a law is truly unjust -- like for instance a law supporting racial segregation. Fundamentally, I do believe people have a right to carry knives but I also believe that we as members of society agree to relinquish the power and authority to impose reasonable* restrictions on knife carry to our elected government.

*The definition of which is an open-ended discussion.

[MFShirley]

Jesse, I agree with most of what you said . My problem is where I live. I know people who have been viciously attacked and had no means to defend themselves. My cousin was killed in an altercation over a beer but thats a conversation for another time. The ordinance in question has made the city I live in that more dangerous because certain people know other people dont have a way to defend themselves. When it comes down to paying a fine or spending a year or two in prison because I defenced myself, so be it. I might go down, but im going down swinging. But I respect your view on the topic at hand.

[Corso]

Knives are illegal to carry in my city but living in Massachusetts, Its not a suprise. I carry 2 knives on me daily despite the law. Its my right. Do others out there do/feel the same? Why or why not?

We'll there's a first a State with tighter laws than the UK......

Jesse, I agree with most of what you said . My problem is where I live. I know people who have been viciously attacked and had no means to defend themselves. My cousin was killed in an altercation over a beer but thats a conversation for another time. The ordinance in question has made the city I live in that more dangerous because certain people know other people dont have a way to defend themselves. When it comes down to paying a fine or spending a year or two in prison because I defenced myself, so be it. I might go down, but im going down swinging. But I respect your view on the topic at hand.

I REALY wouldn't rely on carrying a knife to save your skin

[Tim20637]

3" and under here but I usually carry whatever I want.

[nagod]

can you post the law for your location or a link?this is for the O.P.

[mwhich50]

In Florida I believe they are trying to legislate uniformity in knife and guns laws throughout the state.

[TOM1960]

To be frank, I do not agree that anyone has the right to break the law -- no matter how stupid it is. If one person has the right to break the law, then everyone has the right to break the law, which undermines the social contract we live under in a society of laws. The only time I see that being permissible is when a law is truly unjust -- like for instance a law supporting racial segregation. Fundamentally, I do believe people have a right to carry knives but I also believe that we as members of society agree to relinquish the power and authority to impose reasonable* restrictions on knife carry to our elected government.

*The definition of which is an open-ended discussion.

The only problem that I have with such laws is that the same people who enact them also exempt themselves from them. For example, the cities and towns in Massachusetts which ban the carrying in public of knives with blades longer than 2.5" exempt the police (naturally!) and on-duty military. But a lot of these bureaucrats are deputy sheriffs, special police officers, etc. Really easy to be a deputy if you have enough political clout. You carry a badge, sheriff's deparment ID, etc. Makes life a whole lot easier for them in comparison with the rest of us lowly "civilians". I know this from real-life experience. It has advantages. Opens doors. Makes things happen. Also makes a huge difference during the firearm licensing process as well, which is another controversial subject in Massachusetts. That said, I will EDC whatever knife I feel most comfortable with. Historically, with me, it has been a lightweight 4" folder (Gerber FS II and Cold Steel "Voyager"), well-concealed and I always dress well and maintain a low profile. I would rather have the knife and not need it than need it and not have it. Like everything else in life, you do your homework on the subject and make informed decisions.

[1badcj_7]

I honestly could care less about knife and gun laws. I think they only protect criminals so I carry whatever I feel I need to on a day to day basis. I dont understand why some people think limiting which knives you can carry will make them safer.. Criminals DONT FOLLOW LAWS and most of the time its not random people who get stabbed, its usually a crime of passion and it would happen regardless of if knives even existed in the first place!

[arch-stanton]

All these opinions ring so true, in the end its whatever you as an individual rationalize, and the consequences one is prepared to endure for that rationalization. I myself living in nyc, where free thinking and self protection seem to be a crime, usually carry a small folder; Benchmade Mini, SOG Flash II, Spyderco Manix 2, Emerson CQC Tanto etc, tucked away in my pocket. Not because as someone here put; 'because I'm a rebel', or that our constitutional rights are being infringed upon, but because it has been an age old tradition, handed down from father to son for generations for a man to carry a knife, not just for protection but because it is a handy tool that i use often.

Its both laughable and sad to me, when i need to open a box for something i just purchased in Target, take out my little SOG Flash I and people's jaws around me start to drop, as if I just pulled out a .357 Magnum or machete. It just shows me the deplorable state the city has brainwashed itself into, everyone here has handed over their right to self protection to the nypd, when it is clear that the police cannot be everywhere...

[MFShirley]

I think its idoitic the way beaurocrats think they know "whats best for us".when in all actuality these restrictive laws/ordinances harm more than they help.@corso, Im glad Ive never needed my knife but I dont want to be in the position where I need it and dont have Mainly because all that training would have been wasted time.@nagod, Ill try to find the site again.

[monsterdog]

I believe the city I currently live in does not allow you to carry a knife at all for any reason other than work related purposes.

The irony is that the state is a shall-issue state for concealed firearms permits, so you can legally carry a gun. They don't cut up your lunch apple so neatly though.

I think its idoitic the way beaurocrats think they know "whats best for us".when in all actuality these restrictive laws/ordinances harm more than they help.

In my experience with politics in two countries (and this is my completely biased opinion), it never comes down to what is best for you, but what is best for the politician in question's number of votes.

A politician will always opt for creating a new law or amendment about something people feel strongly about since it can be seen as a direct measure of their dedication to the cause.

Cracking down on a rash of stabbings for instance is difficult and is not affected by restrictive knife laws (remember, criminals by definition break the law), but putting a new knife law on the books will allow the politician to tell prospective voters: "See, I do care about your problem, I have taken these steps to make you feel safe."

Most people are sheep and will not see the flawed logic of dealing with the problem in this way and thus think the politician is doing a good job. Think "lowest common denominator".

[nagod]

so if i carry a knife that is not legal i am standing up for my rights,but if someone else does it the laws are protecting criminals that dont follow laws.

[MFShirley]

In a word, yes. Its not about having a WEAPON on me to go out and rob people, its about having a tool that is useful in many ways including being a deterrent as well as a self defense tool. I pay taxes, I volunteer at the local youth center, and I carry a knife. I refuse to let a beaurocrat tell me I cant defend myself.