Colorado Concealed Knife Permit?

[Pilot1]

I have a Concealed Handgun Permit in Colorado which, if I understand it correctly only applies to handguns and not other weapons such as knives. I'd like to be able to legally carry a knife with a blade length longer than 3.5 inches. Is there an additional permit available to carry a knife in Colorado? I've done many searches with no luck, which leads me to beleive no such permit exists.

 

[Planterz]

Unfortunately, you're SOL. It's silly that you're allowed to carry a gun, but not certain knives, but that's life.

 

[Pilot1]

Unfortunately, you're SOL. It's silly that you're allowed to carry a gun, but not certain knives, but that's life.

I do realize that laws don't have to make sense, nor be logical or even moral, but they are the law. I want to comply with the law.

When I hike or backpack/camp in the mountains, I want a bigger knife than what I normally carry. So, from how I interpret the law, if I'm not engaged in hunting or fishing, I am breaking the law if I carry a knife with a blade larger than 3.5 inces.

 

[R.W.Clark]

Pilot, your reading the law wrong. CO law states that you can not carry any knife with a blade over 3.5" except "hunting and fishing" knives carried for legitimate sporting uses. It does not say that the sporting use MUST BE hunting. I would think that hiking would qualify as sporting use under the meaning of CO law. Just be sure that the knife you chose leans more to the hunter side in styling and is less weaponish than many of the larger blades on the market.

To go a little further with my logic on this issue.

All survival experts say that even on a short day hike you should carry enough supplies for an over night stay in the event things go wrong (broken ankle, lost etal). So if you have basic survival supplies such as a first aid kit, space blanket, days worth of rations and water; then it would make perfect sense to have a knife large enough to build a shelter or cut wood for a fire. It is, after all a basic safety issue. And since you have your CCW and firearm for protection, you certainly are not carrying the knife as a weapon for protection, so the knife must purely be a tool.

 

[Pilot1]

Pilot, your reading the law wrong. CO law states that you can not carry any knife with a blade over 3.5" except "hunting and fishing" knives carried for legitimate sporting uses. It does not say that the sporting use MUST BE hunting. I would think that hiking would qualify as sporting use under the meaning of CO law. Just be sure that the knife you chose leans more to the hunter side in styling and is less weaponish than many of the larger blades on the market.

I'm not an attorney, but here is the section we're both referencing from the CO statute.

"(f) "Knife" means any dagger, dirk, knife, or stiletto with a blade over three and one-half inches in length, or any other dangerous instrument capable of inflicting cutting, stabbing, or tearing wounds, but does not include a hunting or fishing knife carried for sports use. The issue that a knife is a hunting or fishing knife must be raised as an affirmative defense."

So, you're interpretting that the style of knife is also the issue, not only the activity in which you are engaged. I would tend to agree with that, but I also could not find the definition of "sports use" anywhere. I imagine they are leaving it ambiguous for interpretation from the courts. That scares me a little. While I think hiking, camping and backpacking is "sports use", a jury and/or judge may not. On the other hand, walking around town buying fishing tackle on your way to the lake may be considered a sports use, but again, I wouldn't trust a jury to rule that way.

Maybe I'll just carry a gun from now on as that is well defined within my CCW permit. If I get caught in bad weather and have to build a shelter on a day hike, I'll just shoot off the branches.

 

[R.W.Clark]

I am only saying that the style of knife "could" be an issue since it is stated plainly in the text of the law.

A big ol Strider would be likely to get you in trouble than a traditional Buck Hunting knife of the same size. It is silly, but just seems to be the way of things.

If I get caught in bad weather and have to build a shelter on a day hike, I'll just shoot off the branches.

:thumbup:

 

[Pilot1]

I am only saying that the style of knife "could" be an issue since it is stated plainly in the text of the law.

A big ol Strider would be likely to get you in trouble than a traditional Buck Hunting knife of the same size. It is silly, but just seems to be the way of things.

I totally agree. Perception is reality. Thanks for your perspective.