bowie knife carry in Louisiana?

[halmart]

greetings,
Does anyone know if its legal to carry a concealed bowie knife in this state?
I know switchblades are illegal, but the law doesn't state anything else.

 

[Rex G]

Louisiana weapons laws are quite brief and vague. I have seen conflicting interpretations of whether it is legal to carry a concealed Bowie in Louisiana, with people strongly supporting both sides of the argument. I live near the Louisiana border, and would also like a definitive answer to this one.

 

[tyme]

More than likely not. The statute used to read:
"That whoever shall carry a weapon or weapons concealed on or about his person, such as pistols, bowie knife, dirk or other dangerous weapon, shall be liable to a prosecution by indictment or presentment" (This is cited in Nelson - 38 La. Ann. 942 (1886))

IMO, it is doubtful the legislature really intended to legalize the concealed carry of pistols, bowie knives, and dirks, since they replaced rather than removed the old statute. They probably changed it to get around the naming problem - whenever weapons are named in an otherwise vague statute, there's a tendency for conservative judges to interpret the named weapons as a comprehensive list.