"Dangerous" Blades?

Jazzman

Jazzman

Joined
Jan 11, 2001
Messages
2,750
I had a question for all you knife fans out there. Spyderco makes a number of knives that have blade styles that tend to shy away from the norm. Has anyone out there been harassed because of a knife like a Harpy, Matriarch, or Civilian? And can a blade like one of these be considered an illegal weapon even if it is under legal blade lengths? Any opinions. This question was brought to my attention as I was showing some friends my knife collection today, as they were looking at my Spydies.
Thanks,
Matt
 
I catch a lot of **** for my G-10 Harpy, even around some knife people it isn't accepted very well. I have since even quit carrying it most of the time now, due to the comments/remarks that I recieved for it.

Kinda sad when I can't carry a peaceful blade that is used only as a tool because people are scared of a little curve to the blade.
 
I have a SS Harpy and I love the knife. It has really been put to use at my work for several different jobs like cutting boxes and straps. I love the blade design but my fellow employees did ask who I was going to kill with the knife. I really the the talon shape blade really gets a bad rap. And the Hannibal situation doesn't help any. As far as the leagalities with the blade are concerned I don't know. I'm interested in finding out that information myself.

Cheers,
Shawn McWilliams
 
Apart from what I carry for Defensive Purposes, I carry a Merlin at work because I have to cut through incredibly tough nylon ties.

While I don't think the Civilian or it's little Sister the Matriarch could handle this well at all, the Merlin has cut through possibly over 1,000 of these wire ties with no damage whatsoever. Quite impressive really.

The leverage you can exert, especially when using it in reverse grip is great. POP POP POP, slicing right through the ties...

If a person was offened by a weapon, I would not be showing them so they would never be offended...I consider that brandishing.
biggrin.gif


As for something I am carrying as a Straight-Up Utility Tool, well...they can kiss my ass if they don't like it. My little Merlins are great...lightweight, you never know they are there but they always are. A great little utility knife for alot of really heavy cutting jobs.

------------------
"You are no more armed because you are wearing a pistol than you are a musician because you own a guitar." ~Jeff Cooper
And the same goes for a knife...
And, I'm a Usual Suspect.
 
In todays brainwashed society, it's safe to assume almost all people will have a negative reaction to almost any small/midsized carry knife but won't even notice a huge kitchen knife. I bet that if you leave a 8" kitchen knife on the kitchen counter, you probably won't hear one comment about it, but if you leave an open 4" pocket knife on the same counter, people will think you are a psycho.
I say if you are within your legal bounds in your state, stop worrying about making 'them' happy. If we sacrifice our 'needs' for their 'wants' we're all going to lose this battle.
I never had any one particular person continually harrass/prod me about my more exotic/outside the norm knives, and I work in an office building environment in downtown. After people realize I'm a reasonable, logical person who has solid reasoning for things I do(which I explain to them confidently as possible), they don't seem as worried by it anymore.

Ken
 
Ken is 100% Correct, if you are concerned with making "them" happy, you are basically going to be carrying nothing eventually.

Knife People are going to have to learn from Gun People when it comes to this, no compromises. Compromises and "common sense" or "reasonable" Gun Control Measures as well as Attitudes and Beliefs, will inevitably lead to bans.

Far too long we have tried to appease the Lion with steaks. When the freezer runs dry, they eat you.

That is why I am against sacrificing any small arms on the Altar...the march never stops because the March I speak of is not against "weapons" but against "Self-defense."

------------------
"You are no more armed because you are wearing a pistol than you are a musician because you own a guitar." ~Jeff Cooper
And the same goes for a knife...
And, I'm a Usual Suspect.
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Jazzman:
Has anyone out there been harassed because of a knife like a Harpy, Matriarch, or Civilian? And can a blade like one of these be considered an illegal weapon even if it is under legal blade lengths?Matt</font>
Click to expand...

If your state laws prohibit carrying "any knife designed for offense or defense" or "any knife or other weapon with the intention of going armed" or anything like that, you could be in trouble w/a Matriarch or Civilian. If your state laws, like mine, don't mention that, then you're clear as far as the law goes. You still wouldn't be able to explain to a LEO that's harassing you that you use your Civilian to cut your sandwich at lunch, but if it's legal then it's legal. I use my Harpy at work and for many utility purposes it's quite useful. If a LEO questioned me about it I'd explain it that way.

As far as appeasing the sheeple goes, the most I'd give them is not let them see your weapon(s). Carry a sheeple friendly knife, like a blue inlay Native or 940 to cut stuff when they're lookin'. They'll never know you have a Commander, Sifu, 710, Pocket Hobbit, & Civilian in your pocket unless they try to kill you or you have to save them, in which they won't be complaining that your knife looks "scary."


------------------
Jason aka medusaoblongata
-----------------------
"To give is a need, to receive is mercy." - Thus Spoke Zarathustra
 
At work I once had someone remark "I`d hate to see that pointed at me in a dark alley!" about the knife I using on a corrugated box. The scary knife I was using? A Spyderco Cricket.

Don`t take much to scare most folks `round here!
 
As far as my state laws go, any "normal" knife under 4" is cool. But what is normal? Who knows!?! One would assume that it means a non-switchblade/gravity knife, but you never know. As far as my daily carry, I leave the weapons at home and tote either one or a combo of the following: Merlin, Serrated Cricket, BM 705, BM 350, or my Dragonfly. By the Steve B, you better watch out for them crickets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Matt
 
My G-10 Harpy is a favorite for utility carry. I rarely carry a Matriarch these days, and stopped carrying the Civilians long ago. While they may be legal, I've had one knife-defense instructor point-out that if I were to use a Civilian to defend myself, and assumiing there were some form of civil action against me, some pencil-necked barrister would be waiving that Civilian around in front of the jury for effect. The same could be said of any "Tactical" knife, or defense-design blade. My favorite blades are curved, but they often evoke a visceral-fear response from the uninformed. I just accept the notion that my Harpy would have to be explained as a non-stabbing tool in court.

------------------
Life Member NRA & PMA, member AKTI, NKCA, ATA, and any other worthy cause I can find.

 
I have to admit that using my serrated Cricket has scared a few. But then I live in Colorado close to Columbine. These are strange times. I just try to educate all the sheeple I run into.
 
I occasionally make my SS Harpy a regular carry knife, but no one has seen me using it yet. I have, however, used a plain-edge Delica for simple cutting, and a couple times people were frightened by it. And the Delica is considered by many knife people to be a very "basic" blade pattern. To sheeple or those unfamiliar with knives, esp. modern one-hand-opening knives, they look exotic, strange, and very dangerous.

As long as a knife is CA legel length, I will carry it if I want to, except for places like courthouses or other government buildings. I always carry multiple knives anyway...I don't dig through other people's pockets, they have no business with what's in mine.

PS: I saw a Buck hunting knife in a store display. This knife had an integral gut hook in the drop point blade. Several youths passing by remarked, "Yo, dude, check it out! Imagine stickin' someone wid dat!" (sic).
If people see an evil application to a utilitarian knife design, they should examine the content of their own minds.
Jim
 
I'm heartened to see the rational thought that goes on and is posted here. What some have said about appeasing gun/knife control zealots is true: you will never satisfy them because what they want is your utter capitulation. Their satisfaction = your disarmament. It will either be one or the other, you will either satisfy them and be disarmed, or you will be armed and they will continue to whine and scream about your personal choice.
As far as what someone said about state laws prohibiting knives for "offense or defense," I would move the heck out of a state that said I couldn't have something that was for DEFENSE, i.e. it will be used to DEFEND me from an vicious CRIMINAL ATTACK. What, are they saying that you must lie prostrate to such an attack, because having a 'defensive weapon' is a no-no? Forget it. "...from my cold, dead hands." Peace, everyone.
 
Recently I converted my roommates to knife knuts, so we were looking for practical information on whats legal in Florida. It the same BS -- a "common pocketknife" is acceptable, but what is common? I would hesitate to carry a Harpy or Matriarch, let alone a Civilian. As it is now, the Starmate is relegated to IWB carry so as to avoid hassles. (Also it's very comfy as the Starmate is so thin.) Incidently, one of buddies took his Al Mar SERE 2000 to his dad, a retired LEO only to have him pronounce it a deadly fighting knife. The reason? It locked open!
rolleyes.gif


-IPR
 
Well I carried a Seahawk for a while and stopped after seeing the looks it got in work. I know it is not a spyderco but I wanted one in ATS-34!

W.A.

------------------
"To strive to seek to find and not to yield"
Tennyson
Ranger motto

A few useful details on UK laws and some nice reviews!
http://members.aol.com/knivesuk/
Certified steel snob!
Founding president and member number 1! Wana join?
 
God, this is DEPRESSING!! All I see are horror stories about how IGNORANT most people are when they see or hear of our knives! Why must we live our PEACEABLE lives in fear of what MORONS suspect of us?
On the plus side, my supervisor at work once saw my Delica and commented about it being a "weapon," and prohibited by the employees' manual. (Yeah, I work in the kind of place that would rather us be helpless sheep if some madman came in shooting or slashing up the place, than have one of us able to stop such a person's rampage.) He didn't push it, and I later came to think he may have been joshing with me, but I was able to think on my feet at the time anyway, and I said, "This? This isn't a weapon. It's a *tool*."
The kicker? His sister or somebody gave him a stainless Delica for Christmas this year and he proudly showed it off to me as soon as possible.
smile.gif

BTW, I don't flash my Delica much at work, so no one really cares. But one night a month ago I happened to show it to some friends who were gathered around near our workstation and I figured, "what the hell?" and I demonstrated how sharp it is when one asked. I shaved a three inch strip of hair off the front of my left shin, and their jaws kinda dropped. (Actually, I was pretty pleasantly surprised, too. I guess I did a good job sharpening the thing!)
 
I am looking forward to getting the new Blue Delica!

W.A.

------------------
"To strive to seek to find and not to yield"
Tennyson
Ranger motto

A few useful details on UK laws and some nice reviews!
http://members.aol.com/knivesuk/
Certified steel snob!
Founding president and member number 1! Wana join?
 
From what I have picked up through various posts here and from some research in my home state, most of the knife laws fall to the discretion of the officer. When your laws are written in and even more vague manner than usual, that is most likely what you will be facing. So, yes a Civilian, Matriarch, Harpy, Cricket can be considered a weapon even if they fall with in legal limits. This is because the LEO has decided your "intent" was the issue more than the actual dimensions of your knife. Another thing I have learned is that a lot of times, LEOs will charge you with CCW because of your knife, just to cause you an inconvenience. They know the cahrge will most likely get thrown out, but you will still have gone "downtown". This happened to a friend of mine. While he shouldn't have been charged with CCW, he was not being as cooperative the Deputy as he should have been. The Deputy decided he was going to cause my freind some grief in return. My friend went "downtown". The charge was dropped and he got his knife back. He still had legal fees to pay.

I have converted a few of my anti-knife friends into knife lovers. They thought if it was something you could fold and hide in your pocket, it was a weapon. After about 6 months of listening to me, they have changes their minds and really enjoy knives. One of them even wants a Civilian.
smile.gif
Take the time and teach your friends about knives. i think you'll be amazed how easy it will be to bring them over.


 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top