Do carry a folder that's longer the legal limit or are you legal where you live?

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I always carry under 3", and have modified several blades to meet that spec if the MFR specs are untrue (state 3", but really 3.125", for instance).
Turns out 3" is a terribly convenient size for me anyway. Much less than 3" gets a bit small to handle without fumbling.

My state has a 3" limit with no exceptions for appropriate use. Quite silly.
 
The limits (usually blade length) and type of knife carried are a bit antiquated legally these days. That is why Knife Rights has been fighting/working/lobbying (etc) to change these laws. The law was changed in TN where I live where anything is legal now. But I have to contend with GA and AL laws too and I have no idea what they are in those states.

I mentioned earlier that I seldom paid much attention to the blade limits. Honestly I thought it was previously 3" in TN and then discovered it was 3.5". That is why laws such as this need to be changed as few people know the law. What are you supposed to do as a citizen? Hire a lawyer to research knife laws for you? Ridiculous!

People mostly carry knives to use to cut things (not people) because they just carry a knife that they like...... then it turns out in a place like NYC that their knife is illegal and they actually enforce things like that there. It is just plain stupid and mostly causes normal people problems who have never committed a crime in their lives except perhaps a speeding fine.
 
Cate, agree with and enjoy most all your posts. I also was a high volume shooter. I shot IPSC for years. Finally retired from competitive shooting but still carry on a regular basis. Can I ask why you gave up on handguns?

Mike

Catherine_Montana said:
Why would a person have to EXPLAIN why they carry a knife?! Huh? Some poster mentioned this. That he needs a reason to explain WHY he needs a knife. Say what?

If the person is obeying the KNIFE LAWS in his state, in a city or in the boonies, or in some other state... why does he NEED TO EXPLAIN jack squat?

I carry a knife for self defense since I no longer own, shoot or carry handguns. I used to carry a handgun on a regular basis, compete and shoot a LOT. I am a former high volume shooter.

I carry a knife and sometimes I carry a lever action or a bolt action rifle too. I still practice my self defense shooting only with a rifle more since I do not shoot handguns.

Gee, I use scissors and an axe for the right job too. I use garden pruning tools too.

Confused Cate
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Just to clarify on PA's knife laws if some of you aren't aware, Philadelphia has some of the WORST laws regarding blades in the country. Rest of PA is fine aside for auto's and daggers "pretty much". But in Philly the law actually states that you cannot carry ANY blade tool or weapon unless you are at work and need it for your job!!! That makes my freaking blood boil!!! That is basically worse then the UK. Now, with that said I can state that I have personally carried blades into the city and been stopped by police who didn't hassle me for it. The law states you could get a fine and a conviction, however apparently most cops just take your knife and send you on your way, and they add it to their fucking collection at home most likely. Absolutely ridiculous.

I don't go to Philly, I hate that place and have some bad history there with other things.... nothing legal or criminal, but something that just makes me never want to go back there. However I would still carry a knife if I went, just would not have it clipped or showing. I would never go anywhere without a knife, let alone a dangerous city. The whole thing is absurd. According to the law, I can carry my concealed firearm into the city whenever I want or even openly carry since I have a permit (open carry requires a LTCF permit inside philly city limits, unlike the rest of the state) , yet I can't carry a 2.5" folding knife? BS!

All knife laws are absolutely absurd. I can understand cities and municipalities not wanting people walking around with machetes and what not, but all these knife laws really don't make sense. Its like some how a 8" blade is more deadly then a 3" blade. Or an automatic 3" knife is some how more deadly then a 4" folding lock back. It's all garbage, and lots of it was made back when there was a big fear of gangster immigrant criminal types that typically carried knives like switchblades and balisongs. I feel like that is a large part of the start of some of these ridiculous laws. In a case like Philly like I just explained it's much more related to straight up tyranny and unjustly taking away people's freedoms, but still in other cases the laws seem based of some stupid fear mongering from the past.
 
Philly..... that is the district where local legislators at the state level are often the author of proposed restrictive legislation on firearms. Places like Philly, Newark, NYC, DC, Baltimore aren't really part of the US any more.

Philly.... the Liberty Bell, birthplace of freedom.....
 
I live in MI too. Any blade over 3" can be considered a dangerous weapon although they will have to prove intent on the part of the carrier. I carry a blade for normal daily cutting tasks and not self defense, so I carry a blade 3" or less to avoid any problems.
 
I live in illinois which IMHO has the most antiquated knife laws in the history of knife laws. With that said what I carry greatly depends on where I go and what I am doing. I have knives that I am only comfortable carrying in my house, on my property or at family get together's. I then have knives that I carry in public if I am staying in my city where I am familiar with the peoples tolerance for such things and i use discretion when utilizing my tools in public. But I also keep a zt 0900 for the days when i will be venturing closer to chicago and I need something that is well within the legal confines yet doesnt sacrifice anything in the way of comfort. With that said in the last 20 years I have only had one incident where I got in trouble for the knife I was carrying but I wasnt arrested for the knife but rather what i was doing when the knife was found on me. Had I not been being stupid the officer said the knife would not have landed me in jail. But since I was breaking numerous laws they added it to the tally.
 
Converge said:
I've never once heard anyone imply that having a concealed weapons permit/license to carry a handgun would exempt someone from laws applying to carrying illegal weapons. That's absurd. I'm sure there are some dummies out there though that may think that, but I've never heard that on any of the forums I belong to.

And in PA the knife laws are very vague and can vary between municipalities. Though generally it's just autos and doubled edges knives that are illegal to carry. Larger fixed blades should be carried openly, but that's the only way Id ever carry a large fixed blade anyways. Which I am not doing unless I am going camping hunting or if the SHTF and you better believe I am not worrying about any laws if that last one happens!
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In florida a Ccw is a weapons permit. Allows firearms...knives...billy clubs....etc. to be carried concealed that would.otherwise be illegal to carry concealed....but legal to carry openly. its not a gun only permit. Many states it is guns only but in florida its a true weapons permit. So they may not be dumb or absurd if their state allows for weapons rather than firearms only.
 
PURPLEDC said:
But since I was breaking numerous laws they added it to the tally.
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That is typical. Law enforcement will seldom look or search for a knife unless there is cause for concern and usually associated with other suspected activities.
 
JR88FAN said:
No blade limit.

It's police discretion.
If you can't explain why you carry a knife, or seem shady or nervous, you will lose it.

I think that's fair. If you can't explain why you carry a knife you should lose it, and I personally don't want you carrying one...
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Say what?

If I can't come up with a explanation of why I have my knife on me that satisfies you, then I don't have a right to carry it?

That is about as bizarre an anti-knife a post as I can imagine, and on a knife forum, to boot.

I have a knife on me just about every minute I'm awake. I own no one any explanation for it.
 
Relayer said:
I have a knife on me just about every minute I'm awake. I own no one any explanation for it.
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I do as well, it's second nature to me. You should understand this Relayed, that's exactly the type of thing that puts a cop off. Innocent people have no problem explaining themselves, or surrendering to search. (unless they are being harassed over & over) We don't live in a truly free world, we all answer to someone. Might as well answer the cops and keep your knife. Or more importantly out of a holding cell, for not exhibiting an odd defiant attitude.

As far as anyone outside law enforcement is concerned, your right. Just say "I'm within my legal rights" and walk away.
 
Where I live there is no knife length limit, so I am legal. Prior to the laws being changed last year, the limit was 4". I was legal then as well. I don't own any pocket knives with blades over 4" and what I normally carry is usually under 3".
 
Catherine_Montana said:
Mike,

In your state (CA) do you see more people conceal or open carry folding and fixed blade knives? I did not read all of your laws.

Cate
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I see a lot of pocket clips but I rarely see fixed blades. Fixed blades, by law, must be open carried.
 
I completely agree that "having to explain yourself" is utter tyrannical BS. I do not have to explain myself because I decide to carry one of the most useful and purposeful tools ever created since humans have existed on this great planet. Not to my neighbor, not police, not to politicians. Absolutely ridiculous. Sure, can you hurt and kill someone with a knife? YES! But guess what.... Someone can just as easily leave their house without a single thing on them except the clothes on their back and walk into any food store, buy a glass bottle, empty the contents and break it on the ground. Then they have a capable cutting and stabbing weapon that could conceal and kill just as easily. Same goes for any rock that you could pick up on the ground, a big branch, a hard piece of plastic, a CAR, etc.

They are just ridiculous and absurd laws. If some place wants to limit things like carrying a machete in a city or urban area, I can understand that. But any restrictions on folding knives and fixed blades is pretty stupid.
 
gazz98 said:
I live in MI too. Any blade over 3" can be considered a dangerous weapon although they will have to prove intent on the part of the carrier. I carry a blade for normal daily cutting tasks and not self defense, so I carry a blade 3" or less to avoid any problems.
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Not exactly,

The law states that if you have unlawful intent you shall not possess a blade over 3 inches in length. If you carry a knife for daily utility then there is no technical blade length restrictions.

I carry a blade with an average length of 4 inches (spyderco endura) and do so within the limits of the law. In official meetings with police officers they have tried to pull the old width of the palm or length of a name tag measurement to say the knife was too large but when you recite the Michigan law or simply request a supervisor the harassment usually stops, just be polite.
 
I usually carry a blade that's 3"+ and there is a city ordinance that says it has to be 4" or less I believe. I have never been bothered. It helps that my wife is the local Pd CSI and all my friends are officers.
 
Jason B. said:
Not exactly,

The law states that if you have unlawful intent you shall not possess a blade over 3 inches in length. If you carry a knife for daily utility then there is no technical blade length restrictions.
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This is correct. :thumbup:
 
Relayer said:
Say what?

If I can't come up with a explanation of why I have my knife on me that satisfies you, then I don't have a right to carry it?

That is about as bizarre an anti-knife a post as I can imagine, and on a knife forum, to boot.

I have a knife on me just about every minute I'm awake. I own no one any explanation for it.
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I am sorry you feel that way.

I like a law where a police officer can determine the difference between someone who can explain why they carry a knife and what they use it for and a Mall Ninja.

The police are very relaxed about it as long you have a brain and can talk, without those two things, you shouldn't be carrying anything even remotly sharp...

The whole thing makes a little more sense to me then coming up with some ridiculous 'safe blade length' anyway...
 
JR88FAN said:
I am sorry you feel that way.

I like a law where a police officer can determine the difference between someone who can explain why they carry a knife and what they use it for and a Mall Ninja.

The police are very relaxed about it as long you have a brain and can talk, without those two things, you shouldn't be carrying anything even remotly sharp...

The whole thing makes a little more sense to me then coming up with some ridiculous 'safe blade length' anyway...
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So the police should have the power to revoke your 2nd amendment rights on the spot if you can't pass some kind of arbitrary iq test? Welcome to the United Soviet Socialist States of Ameica.

I have to agree with the others whom have stated that this is the most idiotic statement I have ever seen on this forum.
 
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