Carrying on vacation in the East: legal EDC?

Asha'man

Asha'man

Joined
Jan 22, 2001
Messages
897
Later this year, I'm going on vacation with my family and we'll be touring the Eastern U.S. I am wondering about the legality of the knives I usually carry on me in the Eastern states. I carry a
1) CRKT Stiff Kiss. 3.5 inch blade, tanto, fixed blade, carried concealed inside left pants pocket.
2) CRKT M16-13Z. 3.5 inch spearpoint blade, half se , Carson Flipper, linerlock. I can flip the blade out with no hand movement using only one finger.
3) Cold Steel medium Voyager. 3 inch blade, tanto, no serrations, lockback.
4) Kershaw/Ken Onion Chive. (brand new, btw, and loving it already!) 2 inch blade, framelock, Ken Onion SpeedSafe system. I can flick this baby out with less effort than the M16.

So, do any of you know about the laws in the East? I have no idea where exactly we're going yet, but definitely D.C., New Yawk, perhaps Virginia and Carolinas, maybe South like Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas. I just want to know if there are any predominant restrictions. I suspect the Stiff Kiss and the M16 would be the most bannable. Thanks for any info!

Asha'man
 
i live in maryland. there is a 3.5" blade limit. fixed blades are forbidden to be carried unless you're hunting, and autos & gravity knives are illegal. balisongs will usually get your arse kicked.
often, if a cop can open your knife without using the thumbstud, they will deem it a gravity knife and arrest you. then again, they may arrest you anyway, depending on how they feel that day.
as a matter of fact, in maryland, stay far from cops. at least in central maryland.
have a nice trip. avoid the fascists.
peace.
aleX.
 
I can't speak for the other places you listed. Here in Virginia I doubt that you will have any trouble carrying the knives listed. That is as long as you aren't out "looking for trouble".

If an LEO does approach you then be forward and tell him that you have a knife on you. It is better to be straight up with the officer. If you aren't in the wrong place at the wrong time or acting strange then most times the knife will be overlooked.

As for the general public. Just keep the knives out of site and they will be oblivious as to what you are carrying. Heck, most people in my hometown have no clue as to what that little clip on my pocket is anyway.

Have fun on your trip. :cool:
 
The knife most likely to be legal in all locations -- provided there are no explicit regulations regarding locking blades -- would probably be a lockback that has no one-hand-opening feature, whose blade is around 3 inches maximum. The stubby little Buck knife that is smaller than the 110 -- is that the Ranger model? I can't remember the model name -- is a good example.

When I travel I usually carry something very innocent-looking, like the SOG Access Card or a SAK.
 
I would guess the only thing likely to get you in trouble would be the stiff KISS. Other than that as long as you don't draw attention to yourself you should be fine, that's pretty close to my EDC and I've never had a problem here in PA.
 
If you are relatively inconspicuous and plan on behaving yourself I wouldn't worry about it except in D.C. where you might go through metal detectors at some of the monuments and public buildings. They are fairly humorless about such things there.

Jack
 
The Kershaw Speed-Safe may cause you trouble in PA, as it is "spring assisted". I would suggest staying a lttle on the small side, just to be safe.

Paul
 
New York has a less than 4" limit as well as a really stupid statute which says that if you can open it via centrifigule force (i.e. wrist flick),
and it locks open, it is a gravity knife.
 
As I have pointed out many times, DC has a 3" limit. This is enforced at the monuments and most everywhere else where there are metal detectors and there is a technical requirement that you not carry anything with a blade over 2.5" into a federal building, but I would suspect that this mostly applies to office buildings and, werte I to visit someone at one of these, I would suggest that you consider leaving cutlery in the car or in your motel room. The same applies for the White House, the US Capitol Complex, to include the Library of Congress, and the Supreme Court. The reason for the White House should be obvious. Over at the US Capitol, they had a loony open up on a line of tourists a couple of years back and he took down two U.S. Capitol Police before they stopped him. He is still awaiting trial as they argue over whether the couts may force him to take the medicine to that will allow him to be sane enough to stand trial. But all of this has left the Capitol Police and the Congress very touchy, so don't even tempt them. At the Supreme Court, this is a private feudal feifdom of the nine justices and you do as they say, period! They are pretty cool at the Smithsonian Complex, which includes the Air & Space Museum, a definite must see on any visit to DC, be sure to allow at least two (2) days to see it properly if aerospace is of any real interest to you or your kids, as it is really that big. I left a pouch there that had a SOG CrossGrip in it and when I went back to pick it up, the only question that the secuity folks had was "Where can I get one?" I told the to look up KnifeCenter and showewd them the CrossCut that I carry on my keychain.

Virginia, as a state is pretty open about it, but the Professor, who is fron Richmond, warns that they are very strong about their 3" limit there. He says that they test by folding a dollar bill in half and, if the blade is longer than that, too bad, you lose. (It is not a bad idea to remember in any state, actually, that local ordnances also control what you may and may not carry.) Remember that much of the history of War Between the States resides in and around Richmond. If you do go there, don't miss the Museum of the Confederacy, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and the Battle Abbey.

Finally, be careful what you are carrying when you walk into the National Park Service museums at the various parks. While the NPS rangers are still pretty nice folk, on the whole, they have had to deal with a whole lot of sh*t in the way of crime being brought out from the cities of late, and the Enforcement Rangers are really just the same as police, with the same view that everyone is a potential criminal. That view, while a survival function, makes them difficult to deal with for the innocent individual who happens to have what they might consider to be a weapon.
 
3 words:

Plain edge delica

I goes on the plain, it's under 3 inches, it's light, it's usefull, and it will take abuse, and best of all, it's inexpensive. The voyager might work is it just under or just over 3 inches?
 
Here in NYC I stick with knives in the 3" blade length and have never had a problem. I usually carry three or more. This one is always on my belt if I'm in suit and tie or just shorts, and I've never had a negative reaction, not even from the LEO's that asked to see it.

View


It may have to do with the fact that I don't carry myself to be threatening, or because the knife by Art Washburn with the Gary Graley sheath just make a pretty package. I've also been carrying a Carsom Model 4 with Stag & Stelite in a Nylon belt sheath, but as soon as I can bear to part with it it's off to Gary Graley for another one of his sheaths.

I don't see anything wrong with the knives that you carry. It all has to do with how you present yourself and the situations you put yourself in.
 
Wherever one is, it is important to keep the idea that our knives are tools. If asked if we have a weapon, the answer is always, "No." If they ask about a knife, then sure. But the, "Do you have any weapons on you" is simply a trap to indicate you are carrying your knive/knives with the intention of using them as a weapon(s).
 
Originally posted by callahwj
Plain edge delica

I goes on the plain, it's under 3 inches,
Click to expand...

Keep in mind that while the edge is under 3" the total length of the "blade" is actually 3-1/8". If you get someone who likes to measure from the tip to the handle they could still give you trouble.

--Bob Q
 
Okay, it looks like the K.I.S.S is out, but I can handle that. I guess I'll just vary my EDC according to what state we're in at the time. I don't think I'll have a very good chance of getting stopped, either, because I'm 16, clean cut, I don't look satanic or anything and I'll be with my typical-looking suburban family most of the time. :)

Say, is there a website or something where I could get fairly recent copies of the knife laws of the fifty states? I think it would be a good thing to have just for general use.

Asha'man
 
Asha'man,

I don't know of any websites, but I think darn near all public libraries have a copy of their state and local laws. If you know where you are going, I would suggest giving the libraries in those areas a call. Maybe they can supply you with a URL to download the info you need or they may be so kind as to fax/e-mail the weapons section of the criminal code. Oh yeah.........if you are approached by an LEO............be honest. Chances are if you were doing nothing wrong, they'll leave you alone. Peace.

I was just over in the Knife Law forum, and Shootist16 posted some great links for researching knife laws. Go check it out.

FUBAR
 
There are a few websites that try to reproduce or summarize the laws for each state, but they could be wrong or outdated. I believe that most, if not all, states and cities have their penal codes posted on their websites in a searchable form. That's where you're best off looking since that should be reliable. Also remember to do a search in our Knife Law forum for each of the states you'll be visiting.
 
In NYC, Administrative Codes and Rules and Regulations state that any individual who is discovered to have on their person a knife with a blade length of greater than 4" is subject to arrest. This is cleary posted in front of the walk thru metal detectors at the guest entrance of NYC Police headquarters at 1 Police Plaza, in the boro lower Manhattan. This is more true for any Federal, State, and even City facility due to recent terrorism high alert status. Of course no autos, butterflys, ninja stars, nunchucks, slung shot, pillum ballistic, "gravity" (what ever that means), etc.

These R&Rs and Codes are subject to broad and often times outright ridiculous interpretation of LEOS. Sometimes it is a no win situation unless you can cite chapter and verse of the appropriate NYS Penal Code Law to them. But don' t expect a big and cheerful smile afterwards! :)

A small fix blade with its total length < 3.5" would be the "best" choice IME. Any "legal" folder which can be opened rapidly is frowned upon by many LEOs and civilians alike.

Have a fun trip.

Nakano
 
In checking out actual Penal Law for NY (Art. 265), I found the exact case that says NYC has the right to set a reasonable length limit on knives and the city administrators have decided that 4" is that limit. It has held up in court numerous times.

I CAN NOT however locate ANY set limit outside of NYC and the 5 boroughs. I have read the ENTIRE Art. 265 and it does not state anywhere, anyting about length. It tells you what you are not allowed (switchblades, gravity, stars, etc.) and only says that anything considered a "dangerous weapon" is illegal.

I have contacted the NYS Atty. General and DA offices only to be told that "I think it is 6 inches". When asked where they garnered that info, the reply was, "I don't really know". It had to come from case law, due to the fact that it is not mentioned in the actual Penal law, but I sure can't find it. The only mention of anything, seems to be that there is no limit for a fixed blade as long as it is sheathed. I find this hard to believe, because if you go walking down the street with a Battle Mistress strapped to your side, you will no doubt be stopped and questioned.

Obviously, I have access to many local police departments and officers and no one knows the answer. If anyone knows where it is listed or what the actual case is, post it here, Email, or whatever. I would really like to know.
 
In Massachusettes the restrictions are no knives with double-edges (including "dirks" and "daggers"), no automatics or gravity knives, and no devices that allow a locking folder to be drawn in the locked position. Fixed blades are legal, but open wear of one in Boston (or other large cities) might receive negative attention from police -- some of whom will class any fixed blade as a "dagger" or "weapon."
 
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