Federal Employees and the 2 1/2 inch rule

I work on a military base in the South and pretty much all of the males carry some kind of knife. Even the office workers. I've never had a problem there, but I don't carry large knives anyway. Just like blades less than 3 inches except when I'm hunting or camping.

When I travel to Washington I try to be conservative. I typically carry a SAK and a Syderco Cricket in my pocket and a Leatherman Pulse with the tool kit in my briefcase and have never had any problems. I recently switched to a Leatherman Juice and the only problem I had was a guard playing with it for about 2 or 3 minutes. I suspect that enforcement is pretty spotty though. When I do deal with new people that seen to be a little nervous around knives I try to give them an inexpensive knife as a gift. Something like a SAK Pocket Pal or Classic or if I'm going to deal with them a lot, a Leatherman Micra. I think that to get around the knife paranoia and get more sensible rules is to educate people.
 
I don't know why they are giving you such a problem. I've been carrying my Strider AR, and a Busse NO with me to work every fricking day. Now granted during security checkpoints its inside my tool bag, so when its seen, its seen in more of a utility light I suppose.
 
I work at a local V.A. - the Federal law here is strictly enforced...NO knives, nothing, nada, not even the smallest little folder...NOTHING that can look or act like a kubotan (although I've put a clip on my AA Maglite and we all know what it can be used for, so sometimes clueless people are okay to have around ya!)...nothing that can be "seen" as a weapon...
of course, the large kitchen and cake knives are all over the nurses break rooms and they are very accessible for the patients (D-UH!!!)..and we can have all those nice cheap Pakistan-made scissors and hemostats and such laying around, but don't trust a federal employee whose been drug-tested, blood-tested, thoroughly screened with references and employers, and fingerprinted and signed an agreement regarding certain laws and principles (can't really remember what-all was in it, basically stating you'll uphold the Constitution....while you have no rights on the property)....
:rolleyes:
 
Originally posted by Kelt
I work at a local V.A. - the Federal law here is strictly enforced...NO knives, nothing, nada, not even the smallest little folder...NOTHING that can look or act like a kubotan (although I've put a clip on my AA Maglite and we all know what it can be used for, so sometimes clueless people are okay to have around ya!)...nothing that can be "seen" as a weapon...
of course, the large kitchen and cake knives are all over the nurses break rooms and they are very accessible for the patients (D-UH!!!)..and we can have all those nice cheap Pakistan-made scissors and hemostats and such laying around, but don't trust a federal employee whose been drug-tested, blood-tested, thoroughly screened with references and employers, and fingerprinted and signed an agreement regarding certain laws and principles (can't really remember what-all was in it, basically stating you'll uphold the Constitution....while you have no rights on the property)....
:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

That's kind of interesting...I thought the Federal Law said that anything under 2.5" WAS legal. What law are your employers enforcing? Is this new after 9/11 or has it always been that way?
 
As far as I know, it's always been that way- at least for the last 4 years...I don't know if there would be more trouble if I spoke up or not; at least this way, I carry my 705 as covertly as possible (usually leave the scrub shirt out to cover it)without the police singling me out. I'm pretty sure they don't even want a Leatherman if there's a blade!! And I do need tools occasionally, so if ya can't cover it up, or if it weighs too much, then you're out of luck...
In orientation the police rep. definitely said, no weapons, and then clarified that knives are viewed as such....guess it depends on who's currently in charge...
:(
 
and they have never really enforced any rules here, except to point out to me that the DC law is a maximum blade length of 3" when I was seen using a Spyderco Police. Now that is, in and of itself, a fairly nasty looking item, so I shouldn't have been too surprised. I have since made a point of carrying folders with blades less than 3". I loved my Gunting because it had a legal blade but had a large hilt and large controls for my arthritic paws, but, since 9/11, it is just too testy looking for DC, which has become quite paranoid. They have become especially paranoid since the appearance of the anthrax over on Capitol Hill and since two P.O. workers have died of it. Right now, I am carrying a Meerkat, which seems to bother nobody. I used it today to open a box in a crowded Verizon Wireless store and nobody even noticed. I think that I shall stay with it for the time being.
 
For those interested, I have posted, in a separate thread under the "Knife Laws Forum", the entirety of 18USC930, the section of the U.S. federal code applying to the carrying of weapons, or non-weapons, in a federal facility. The Post is captioned, logically enough, "Federal Law 18USC930". I intend to print it out and carry a copy in my pack.
 
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