Fixed Blade Concealed EDC Legal in the South?

D

DoctorBenny

Joined
Jan 9, 2006
Messages
164
Hey all. Am I legally allowed to edc a small fixed blade (5" total) concealed on me in the south? Specifically, are concealed fixed knives legal in Mississippi, Louisiana, and/or Florida? Thanks guys.:cool:
 
OK, the banter over the treatment many of us have received when flying with guns, ammunition, and knives, has given me cause to think, and that led me to research the topic. Here goes.

I am assuming that we all received the memo back in December regarding our "less-than-seven-inches-in-length Vise-Grips, Channel-Locks, and pliers, our sets of Craftsman screwdrivers, and those sweet red-handeled Victorinox scissors that came "combo-packed" with our Vickie SAKs--you know, the SAK we will at best have to surrender at Checkpoint Charlie [sic], right?

http://www.tsa.gov/public/display?theme=44&content=090005198018c27e

OK, stop laughing long enough to read and digest the implications of this intentionally vague language, taken from the TSA Website (FWIW: the "Transportation SA" became a reality [sic x2] on 19 November 2001; incidentally, TSA is also the acronym used by the national Turrette Syndrome Association, founded 1972, http://tsa-usa.org/ )

If you bring a prohibited item to the checkpoint you may be criminally and/or civilly prosecuted or at the least asked to rid yourself of the item. A screener and/or Law Enforcement Officer will make this determination depending on what the item is and the circumstances. This is because bringing a prohibited item to a security checkpoint - even accidentally - is illegal.

Your prohibited item may be detained for use in an investigation and if necessary as evidence in your criminal and/or civil prosecution. If permitted by the screener or Law Enforcement Officer, you may be allowed to:
Consult with the airlines for possible assistance in placing the prohibited item in checked baggage
Withdraw with the item from the screening checkpoint at that time
Make other arrangements for the item such as taking it to your car
Voluntarily abandon the item. Items that are voluntarily abandoned cannot be recovered and will not be returned to you.

The link to the full text of the above:
http://www.tsa.gov/public/display?theme=177

Those of you have suggested doing ANYTHING (sorry to have shouted--it's a DI-thing) that is akin to anything that could in any way be construed and/or otherwise interpreted to be something less than 100% total and complete submission to a request or suggestion as written, spoken, mumbled, winked, nudged, thought, or communicated through telepathic intergalactic channels as used by life forms from galaxies as yet to be formed beyond the edge of the known universe . . .

Please read the full text and pay close attention the that all-important three-letter word "MAY".

The simple fact is, you are 100% at the discretion--mercy might be a better word--of the "agent" who challenges you, and in the pucker zone big time if you are in possession of anything that make 'the list," or anything that the TSA, LEO, or nabob or nabobette behind the counter deems "potentially threatening."

Make a fuss? Hmmmmmm. This is a tough one for me to swallow, but my grandmother used to caution me "You no more need to fight this fight than you can afford to lose it, Bobby" She seemed pretty wise back then, seems even more so now: pick your battles, my friends.

Trust me, while the "highly-skilled, highly-motivated, highly-trained, and legally astute TSA screener or other official";) may indeed be in violation of not only your rights but the law as well, you will find few if any brothers and sisters united in your cause and rallying to your side once you start your private yet very public little revolution. Your "right" to carry or possess whatever is in question could quickly become but one of several rights that you no longer enjoy. Phrases you may become painfully and intimately acquainted therewith: resiting an officer; failure to comply; interfering with an officer during the performance of his/her duty; conspiracy to. . . . Thinnnnnnnnnnnk about it.

I shudder to think what would happen to a licensed professional's ability to practice his/her trade once word got out that he/she had been involved in a shouting/shoving match with an agent of the federal government over a "weapon" [sic x3] at an airport. And yes, that is how it will appear on the 11:00 news) :eek:

Think about it. That's all.

"Gosh, Wally! What a mess!" :grumpy:

bob
 
Well yeah, we all know big brother is poking us with sharp sticks (or even the knives and multitools and freakin tweezers that they have confinscated from us) but my original question had nothing to do with air travel.

I just wanted to know if it's technically legal to carry a fixed blade on me. If I'm stopped and searched by a LEO in Louisiana or Florida, am I in violation of the law?
 
I know someone out there knows about fixed blade legality in Florida and Louisiana. SPEAK UP PLEASE. thanks. my searches arent yielding any viable info.
 
To my knowledge, that is no particular disussion of what knives are legal / illegal in Louisiana state law other than this:

"Louisiana - R.S. 14:95. Illegal carrying of weapons is...
(1) The intentional concealment of any firearm, or other
instrumentality customarily used or intended for probable
use as a dangerous weapon, on one's person;or
(4) The manufacture, ownership, possession, custody or use
of any switchblade knife, spring knife or other knife or
similar instrument having a blade which may be
automatically unfolded or extended from a handle by the
manipulation of a button, switch, latch or similar
contrivance..."

Pretty vague, that is not really a bad thing. Basically they can arrest you for carrying anything if they have a reason to think that you are up to no good. The upside of that is that they also tend to leave you alone and not worry about it if you are not causing trouble here (the keyword in the statute is 'probable'). Louisiana is a fairly relaxed state as far as the carry of weapons goes. A small utility knife, skinning knife, big folder, etc would probably not get a lot of attention, but a push dagger, icepick, etc that doesn't have a lot of utility value might get you jammed up. Depends on the cop, what you are doing, those sort of things. I had a boss that used to wear a pistol openly on his hip every where that he went, but he also always dressed very well and was painfully polite.

I don't know if that helps, but that is the reality of the situation as I know it.
 
Actually, that helps a lot. It seems that there is no specific law dictating fixed blade carry, which is why I can't find anything on it. It seems it is truly a grey area, unless anyone else has anything to say about it?
 
Here in Florida open carry of fixed blade of any length is okay without concealed weapon permit and you can carry a folder open or concealed.

For concealed fixed blade, carry of automatic knife or anything else funky concealed then need a cwp.
 
I have found in my travels throughout most of the souther states which have been fairly extensive (born Mississippi, raised between Arkansas and Alabama), and hunting/fishing/camping in most of of the south, as long as you carry yourself in a proper manner, you will not get pushed about a blade, either concealed or not. However, that would probably be MORE true in rural than urban areas. I think revolver geek has a good point about politeness. As you probably already know well being from MISS, the manner in which you carry yourself says alot about how much leeway you would get. Of course I know this is all subjective and depends on the LEO, if you had to deal with one on the subject. Be careful in Georgia, however, they seem to be stricter than most about weapons in general, from my experience.
 
Generally speaking, remember, when reading weapons laws, that things which are not prohibited are permitted. So, do not get all upset when the section on weapons does specifically state that FIXED-BLADE KNIVES ARE LEGAL. The fly in the ointment is such broad-reaching laws as Louisiana, where just about anything capable of inflicting harm could be construed as illegal if carried concealed. When in Florida, I observed the local culture, and saw that they carried folders concealed or openly, and always carried fixed blades openly, unless the person had a concealed carry permit. In Texas, where I live and enforce the law, fixed blades which meet the legally specified length limits and have only one sharpened edge are legal whether concealed or not. I cannot answer for the states between TX and FL. In Georgia, the practice seems to be the same as FL, except that if I recall correctly, Georgia may have a blade length limit, so check the laws. In general, the South is fairly friendly and permissive regarding weapons and self-defense, though it does help immensely if the person in question has a conservative appearance.
 
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