Cali knife owners

Note that the penal code quoted above limits carry of fixed blades on campus, not folders. There is no limit on folder size on campus. K-12 has a limit of 2.5" and a complete ban on locking folders.

I carry all kinds of knives. Fortunately, I live in a part of the state that has a much better attitude toward many things, and I see knife clips in pockets regularly. And you can get a concealed carry permit easily here.
 
My knives are primarily Benchmades - mainly carry the smaller versions like the 585 and Mini DejaVoo but the 710 is also one of my favorite knives.
 
Los Angeles said:
Someone above stated a limit in LA of 3" for folders. This is not correct. The 3" limit only applies to open carry of fixedblades. Concealed carry of fixed blades is a no-no nomatter what size. There is no size limit for folders, and you're just plain better off carrying them concealed (which means no pocket clip or sheath/holster).
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This is from a lawyer's website:

(One word of caution in Los Angeles County:* There are specific county ordinance that covers knives.* See the link here for the section.* That law defines “knives and daggers”* as “any knife having a blade of three inches or more in length; any spring-blade, switch-blade or snap-blade knife; any knife any blade of which is automatically released by a spring mechanism or other mechanical device; any ice pick or similar sharp stabbing tool; any straight-edge razor or any razor blade fitted to a handle.”* Section 13.62.020 makes it unlawful for any person to carry a knife or dagger [as defined in 13.62.010] in plain view.
 
Here you go, State and Local if you want to dig through it.

California Codes
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/calaw.html search penal codes


Municipal codes by county
http://www.municode.com/library/clientlisting.aspx?stateID=5

...for instance in LA http://search.municode.com/html/16274/index.htm


Oh, FYI in Chicago...
Cook County, Il ordinances
Sec. 58-83.
(b) Unlawful to design, produce, etc. No person shall knowingly, within the County and outside the limits of any city, town or village, design, produce, deploy, launch, maintain or store nuclear weapons or components of nuclear weapons.:D
 
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I found this in the penal code for LA

13.62.010 Knives and daggers defined.

As used in this chapter, the terms “knives and daggers” shall include any knife having a blade of three inches or more in length; any spring-blade, switch-blade or snap-blade knife; any knife any blade of which is automatically released by a spring mechanism or other mechanical device; any ice pick or similar sharp stabbing tool; any straight-edge razor or any razor blade fitted to a handle. (Ord. 11915 § 1, 1979.)
13.62.020 Carrying knives and daggers in plain view prohibited.

It is unlawful for any person to carry on his person, in plain view, any knife or dagger. (Ord. 11915 § 2, 1979.)
13.62.030 Exemptions to chapter applicability.

The foregoing restrictions shall not be deemed to prohibit the carrying of ordinary tools or equipment for use in a lawful occupation or for the purpose of lawful recreation, or where the carrying of a knife or dagger is a recognized religious practice. (Ord. 11915 § 3, 1979.)
13.62.040 Violation--Penalty.

Any person violating this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not exceeding $500.00 or by imprisonment in the County Jail for a period not exceeding six months, or by both such fine and imprisonment. (Ord. 11915 § 4, 1979.)
 
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If I bought it ...I've carried it.
From my Rajah I to my Blade-tech Mouse and everything in between.
 
I carry pretty much anything that folds, up to an Emerson Commander or a Spyderco Military.

Apparently Mountain View has a 3" blade limit. I walk past the police station every day with a large Sebenza. No trouble yet.
 
I originally said only one officer was friendly enough to tell me the local laws.
Now it's three. Glad to see friendly cops out there.
Guess I can understand why some are a bit gruff... look at the mess they have to wade through every day.
 
Kaizen1 said:
Yes, definitely. And according to a post I read from MORIMOTOM some time ago, it can be interpreted depending on the officer that open neck carry may not be legal. I think the verbiage for open carry specifies something about carrying around the belt area.
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That's not quite right, but in practice it's pretty much right.

It lists open carry as being OKAY, and gives an EXAMPLE as "as worn in a sheath on the belt, and not covered by an article of clothing" or something like that (it's been awhile since I've looked up all the exact verbiage, and I've had a few beers, so bear with me).

However this example was not to LIMIT it to belt carry, just to give an example of open carry. Of course, given the shaky ground our laws stand on, they tend to go to the strictest possible definition, which is a shame. Obviously a belt on your boot, or hanging from your neck, are no less OPEN than on your belt. But many LEOs, judges, and juries might just read it the wrong way, no matter how competent your attorney may be.
 
termiteslayer said:
Yeah, I carry an EDC here and I have only found ONE cop that'll tell me the local carry laws.
All the rest of 'em give me stink eye and avoid the question, and I look fairly respectable.
Most people I'm exposed to freak out when even a small pocket knife is around, though they seem fine with a large roll of chisels that are freakishly sharp. My sister will be cutting a ham with a 12" kitchen knife and absolutely freak out when I pull out a small Seb 21 to open a bag of croutons. I blame the media... sound about right?
Weird...
It's so freakin' PC here it's suffocating.
God, do I ever miss Colorado. How the hell did I ever get a trade on the waterfront?:confused:
This wasn't in the plan...
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The age of most people using a handly pocket knife is over unfortunately. I try not to whip out my EDC, but when I do, I always get the stinkeye here in Canada.

Oddly enough, I find that multitools and victorinox-type knives get less stinkeye and more interest though.
 
Fwiw, on a few of the muni codes I've found for SF Bay Area cities online, most seem to be very similar if they have a 3 in. limit on folders, almost verbatim.

Similar, too, in that they have exemptions for longer folders, if carried for recreation or work related reasons.

Your muni code may vary....
 
SteelSnob said:
This is from a lawyer's website:

(One word of caution in Los Angeles County:* There are specific county ordinance that covers knives.* See the link here for the section.* That law defines “knives and daggers”* as “any knife having a blade of three inches or more in length; any spring-blade, switch-blade or snap-blade knife; any knife any blade of which is automatically released by a spring mechanism or other mechanical device; any ice pick or similar sharp stabbing tool; any straight-edge razor or any razor blade fitted to a handle.”* Section 13.62.020 makes it unlawful for any person to carry a knife or dagger [as defined in 13.62.010] in plain view.
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Sorry to come back to this a week later. Reading this clears everything up. The green part is a definition. The purple part is the law. It does not restrict size, it restricts method of carry. "It is unlawful to carry a knife or dagger in plain view."

Combine that with California state law that says that you cannot carry dirks or daggers concealed.

What do you get in Los Angeles when you combine the rules?

You have to carry fixed blades in plain view and they cannot be greater than 3". You can carry any size folder so long as it is closed and concealed.

That means that my 5.5" DDR Mad Maxx double edged spring assisted dagger is perfectly legal in my inside jacket pocket. And my 4" kershaw Volt is also perfectly legal in my pants pocket. And my Leatherman Wave (3") is perfectly legal for belt sheath carry at all times.

There are very broad and reasonable exceptions for occupation, recreation and religious practice, as well. That means I'm perfectly legal to belt-wear a 6-8" camp/chopper when I'm hiking and a 7" filet when I'm fishing and pretty much any size knife when I'm on the job (so long as it's the kind of job where you'll need a large knife - think on-location caterer).

All-in-all, it's a pretty lenient set of rules compared to cities out east.
 
I have carried a ZT 0200, a Blur, Milie and I now EDC an ER BF2. I also have a Microtech Ultratech but I only carry that at work (military exemption yea!) I hear about the auto from time to time but usually it is from people not originally from CA. Most of the reservists I work with are cops and the couldn't care less. I've talked with them and, unless your a complete jagoff, they wouldn't bust anyone for carrying a folder.
 
I don't think California's knife laws are that bad, but I'll admit some don't make sense (Definitely some City's & County's laws). Also, I'm embarrassed to say, quite a few LEO's aren't fully sure of the knife laws.
 
i have EDC'd a Benchmade mini-Griptillian, for going on 6 years now... before that it was Benchmade mini AFCK..:) around here there are lots of folks that carry pocket knives and some that carry fixed blades as well.. nevere been an issue..
 
goodeyesniper said:
That's not quite right, but in practice it's pretty much right.

It lists open carry as being OKAY, and gives an EXAMPLE as "as worn in a sheath on the belt, and not covered by an article of clothing" or something like that (it's been awhile since I've looked up all the exact verbiage, and I've had a few beers, so bear with me).

However this example was not to LIMIT it to belt carry, just to give an example of open carry. Of course, given the shaky ground our laws stand on, they tend to go to the strictest possible definition, which is a shame. Obviously a belt on your boot, or hanging from your neck, are no less OPEN than on your belt. But many LEOs, judges, and juries might just read it the wrong way, no matter how competent your attorney may be.
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Right, I believe you're correct, but that's what I was getting at.
 
If you're carrying a 5" blade in your pocket aren't you risking a concealed weapon charge? What would you say that's for if a cop asks you? If you tell a cop you're carrying a knife in LA for self defense, see what happens. If they see you carrying a huge blade in your pocket IMO they're more likely to charge you with a concealed weapon charge.

I noticed it said "on his person, in plain view" in the penal code. Can that be interpretted as having it on your person is a violation as well as in plain view?
 
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