Fixed blade open carry - urban/suburban

Julian Elliot said:
If it weren't for legal issues, I would never carry a folder, although I would continue to keep an SAK in each of my briefcases, backpacks, messenger bags.
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I would carry a fixed blade as my "main" knife for sure, but I would always have a folder as a second "spare" knife and maybe even a third for my "toy."
 
madcap_magician said:
Actually, I get loads of comments on FBs as opposed to folders. Like, my SAK or my Spydies never got any comments or more than a raised eyebrow, but my Prairie Fox, about half to 2/3 the size, got "That's a big knife!" and "Is that in case you need to stick someone?"
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I carried one with my keys for months and the only person to even comment on it was a buddy who knew I was into knives. I'm thinking Californians are just oblivious.

Frank
 
I carry a fixed blade all the time, but it's a tiny Rob Simonich Bitteroot in a neck sheath and no one sees it. On the other hand, I frequently carry a 3" to 4" knife horizontally just to the right of my belt buckle. Mostly I'm just running around town (in Austin, Texas), but I still rarely get any comments on the knife. And I'd say more than half of those are fairly positive.

Both of the knives I carry most often are kind of strange looking too, so I'm susprised they don't get more of a reaction.





I do think that style and attitude have a lot to do with how people react. If you walk around with an aggresive "I have a weapon" mindset people will pick up on that. If you think about it the same way you do your comb people will pick up on that too. And, of course, if you look scary the knife makes you more so, while if you look "respectable" you can get away with a lot.

I'm 5'8", slightly overweight, and balding. Most of the time I look fairly cheerful. People don't see me and immediately scan me for weapons.

--Bob Q
 
i always felt kinda obvious carrying a fixed blade around like people from tennesee and kentucky are supposed to be doing that and the coonskin hat thing. like people think here in texas we all own a horse or a cow and theres even a chupacabra running around down by harlingen. I only carry folders and dont even like for them to show
 
SilverFoxKnows said:
I carried one with my keys for months and the only person to even comment on it was a buddy who knew I was into knives. I'm thinking Californians are just oblivious.

Frank
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I had it on my keys, I guess it got more comments because I was on a college campus and we had to use our keys for everything, like the elevator, my mailbox, etc., so it just got more exposure. Still, it's a three-finger knife! That's... tiny.
 
in my state (Tx) its legal to carry FB up to 5.5" openly or concealed, imho ya could carry a smaller FB (ie 3" blade or so) on your belt and w/the right sheath and clothes no one would ever notice, just looks funny to me when ya see folks packing a pretty long FB in a sheath (like 5" or so) not concealed, "what do ya need that for.....?" and all that, just causes too much fuss, when i carry a FB its always concealed unless i am hunting/etc, so that makes FB carry a winter sport for me. FWIW my fav FB EDC is a nealy amoeba, carries very well, as good as anything i have tried.

also where ya are matters, clothes (would look funny imho in a suit w/a big strider FB), lotsa variables .
 
LongDistance said:
pardon me, but why would you need a fixed blade in an urban/suburban setting? Unless you are gardening, I don't see the advantage of carrying a fixed blade over a folder in an urban setting. I mean, nearly all common "emergencies" in an urban setting can be solved with a good folder.
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I might not necessarily need a FB all the time, I'd just like to have one occasionally. It's hard to beat the simplicity and ease of using a small FB carried horizontally to the left of your belt buckle IMHO (for right-handed use). Remember I'm talking about something small, 3-4" blade, not a Ka-Bar or Busse, etc. Another reason for me is that I've been finding A LOT of sweet custom FBs in that size range. Once I ever get around to making the plunge into customs, I know I'm going to want to carry and use them as much as possible. I'm not totally opposed to the concept of "safe queens," but good user blades are what I'm mainly after.
 
trout #2 said:
Anyway, I'd like to carry something along the lines of a RAT-3 occassionally but am honestly a little apprehensive of the non-knife-people's reactions. I'm talking normal around town kind of stuff, not out on the trail or farm. Part of me, as I'm sure many of you will say, has the "it's legal, I'll carry it, sheeple be damned" attitude. At the same time, I don't want to hassle with the "oh my God, he's got a KNIFE!!!!" and "who you gonna kill with that?" reactions all the time. So what are some opinions on this? Where is the line between asserting your rights and unneccessarily getting the NKPs all stirred up and bothered about your "deadly weapons"? I'm especially interested in any actually experiences, positive and negative. Maybe I'm overestimating the terror-potential of a RAT-3, but I've had some pretty stupid reactions to normal sized folders before as well.
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I have carried a fixed blade openly, and have never had a bad reaction. Most people don't seem to notice it I suppose. I carry 3 to 4 inch blades; nothing huge.
 
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