Cold Steel Urban Pal - legal for keychain carry in California?

[Rocks7]

Hi all; I've got a Cold Steel Urban Pal keychain knife and I was wondering if it's considered legal to keep it on your keychain. It's only an inch and a half long, but the grip makes it seem to walk the line of a push dagger, though it's clearly a utility knife. Still, California knife laws being what they are, I wanted to see if anyone knew for sure, as the research I've done has only confused me further. Thanks everyone for your help.

 

[cmdionne]

I agree that it does walk the line. I personally would not take the risk, especially when CS has the Super Edge, an equally handy keychain fixed blade.

 

[Swedge]

In CA, you should not carry any fixed blade knife concealed. If you want concealed carry, carry a folder. If you want to carry a fixed blade, carry it in a sheath openly suspended from the waist. Those are the two safe ways to carry.

The shortness of the blade for either the Urban Pal or the Super Edge might take those knives out of the "dirk or dagger" category, but there's a real risk that they will be treated as a dirk or dagger, which can not be carried concealed in CA. If you carry a dirk or dagger concealed, it's a felony. It doesn't matter that it's on a keychain or that you didn't have the intent to hurt anyone.

 

[MORIMOTOM]

the penal code makes no distinctions regarding blade length except for autos and school campuses.

if carried on a keychain, it may or may not be concealed, depending obviously on how you carry your keys.

but it could be categorized as metal knuckles.

 

[TOM1960]

the penal code makes no distinctions regarding blade length except for autos and school campuses.

if carried on a keychain, it may or may not be concealed, depending obviously on how you carry your keys.

but it could be categorized as metal knuckles.

I agree with the previous poster. The Super Edge is equally handy, is of conventional design and the same price, according to the Cold Steel catalog. I think that the Super Edge blade is a bit longer than the Urban Pal but still legal, increasing its utility as an everyday tool.

 

[Swedge]

the penal code makes no distinctions regarding blade length except for autos and school campuses.

There is no length distinction per se, but at some point length (or more to the point, lack of length) takes a knife out of the dirk or dagger definition:

(24) As used in this section, a "dirk" or "dagger" means a knife or other instrument with or without a handguard that is capable of ready use as a stabbing weapon that may inflict great bodily injury or death.

Once a blade is so short it can arguably be found not to be capable of inflcting GBI as a stabbing weapon. This would be a jury question, which means it is unpredictable in the abstract. Therefore carrying either the two CS knives in one's pocket is legally risky.

 

[folderfan2093]

the penal code makes no distinctions regarding blade length except for autos and school campuses.

if carried on a keychain, it may or may not be concealed, depending obviously on how you carry your keys.

but it could be categorized as metal knuckles.

Yep.....cops in cali frown on that kind of thing. you get caught carrying one of those there's a good chance you're going to the shit house