Fixed blades in public

I made the mistake of carrying my BRKT Bravo-1 in Kydex sheath attached to my butt pack with a tek lok on a public "walking trail" recently. We were going to go on a hike in the woods but decided to go on a public trail instead. I got a comment and a few looks from the sheeple. Its just part of my hiking gear as it stays attached to my bag. Next time it will go IN my bag, or I will just stick to a folder in my pocket for these types of areas. :rolleyes:
 
In Western Colorado, you see a dog in every truck and a knife in every pocket. Make certain it's visible and check your local laws. Blade magazine has a Knife Laws blog on their web site. I carry a Benchmade Snody Activator on my belt, has custom handles. Anything bigger and I would amigine people would call me sound kind of freak!
 
I live in Kentucky so I can pretty well carry what I please. Sometimes I carry my Ontario Ranger RD-4 Bush under a jacket. I have a custom Kydex sheath with a Tek-Lok positioned for high ride carry. It's kind of like carrying a full size pistol. It's easy to do with the right holster.
 
Having EDC'd for a while both an Izula and an RC3 both openly on my belt, and concealed in pockets its totally doable, and can be very handy. I just slide the RC3 into the nail/tool pocket on my work carpenter style pants, and its good to go. Openly on my belt though the rc3 got some looks, but nothing much. The Izula hardly got noticed, probably because I had the sheath slide behind my belt and outside my pants. Thankfully CT has fairly good laws in that both concealed or open carry, fixed or folders, doesn't matter as long as its under 4 inches of edge.

All this was in/around down town Hartford and Manchester, East Hartford (Fairly heavily populated suburbs)
 
EricV, thanks for the info. I live in CT as well and have read the laws, yet have worried about carrying a fixed blade in public.

Vin
 
I've been carrying a bark river openly on my belt for the past five months, either a highland special or Canadian special. I don't think we should have to hesitate do carry a legal fixed blade just because it makes some ignorant people uncomfortable. I do get some concerned looks, but I have little respect for the people they come from. I think that it is important to let these people see you carrying and using knives responsibly so they will get used to seeing them as useful tools rather than weapons.
 
Same thing with tattoos... if we heavily inked/armed folk hide it, how will anyone accept us?
 
I live in Kentucky so I can pretty well carry what I please. Sometimes I carry my Ontario Ranger RD-4 Bush under a jacket. I have a custom Kydex sheath with a Tek-Lok positioned for high ride carry. It's kind of like carrying a full size pistol. It's easy to do with the right holster.


That's not really true.

This is straight from the CCDW class, Department of Criminal Justice Training, Applicant Manual, 4th edition-A

KY classifies the following as a deadly weapon:

Weapon of mass destruction
Any weapon from which a shot, readily capable of producing death or other serious physical injury, may be discharged
Any knife other than an ordinary pocket knife or hunting knife
Billy, nightstick, club
Blackjack or slapjack
Nunchaku
Shuriken or death stars
Artificial knuckles made from metal, plastic, or other similar hard material.

It's illegal to carry any of these concealed if you don't have a CCDW permit.

In the class I was in, knives were described in detail. What they said, basically, is that if it's not a slipjoint or a traditional lockback style folder (Buck 110, etc), it's considered a deadly weapon. For fixed blades, an ordinary hunting knife like the Schrade Old Timers, Buck, Case, etc. Any other fixed blades are considered concealed deadly weapons, including kitchen/butcher knives (specifically mentioned these).

If you get caught with the RD4 concealed (and no permit), you're going to nailed.

I'm friends with lots of police officers and they know I'm a knife nut. I was told several times in the past that the folders I carried were on the line... if I got stopped/checked and the cop was cool, I was going to be fine. If the cop wasn't, then I was going to be busted. All of the folders were one hand opening jobs from Kershaw, Spyderco, Benchmade, etc.

I exercised my 2nd amendment rights and got the CCDW permit. Now I don't worry about it. I carry whatever I want to.
 
I carry small fixed blades as neck knives, and in kydex in the front pocket. Murray Carter's and Izula's mainly.
 
vba said:
EricV, thanks for the info. I live in CT as well and have read the laws, yet have worried about carrying a fixed blade in public.

Vin
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Most people seem reasonable around here, but I won't be EDCing the 3 openly again, but the izula is a great one! There are a pretty good number of CT members it seems, might have to get a meet setup sometime :)
 
Here in Canada, besides autos and balisongs, it's all legal as long as it's intended as a tool and not a weapon. There aren't really any specifics on what a weapon in the form of a knife is, but it's mostly in the discretion of the police officer. I've never had any encounters with the law, but I carry around large folders and fixed blades all the time because they're useful tools. For fixed blades, I like my Blackhawk Kalista and sometimes I'll carry something bigger like a CS Kobun, for "cutting things at work, preparing lunch..." and sometimes I pack a karambit for "opening boxes and tearing through plastic wrap at work." ;) I really do use them for those things, but if I have to, human flesh can substitute for my fruit and cardboard boxes.

I usually have them on my belt up high and covered by a shirt or jacket. Most of the time only a little bit of the sheath is poking out on the medium sized ones. I haven't really been out and around in the woods a lot lately, but when I was in highschool I used to always walk around with a Kabar on my belt when I was off to go hunting or camping or something. As far as I know, nobody really paid much attention or cared. Lived in a small town in the middle of nowhere and the old timers always had knives in their pockets anyway.
 
IIRC, here in NC they only specifically prohibit bowie knives, dirks, daggers, razors and projectile knives. There is no mention of fixed blades or arbitrary blade size restrictions.

I carry fixed blades, and no one cares.
 
I live in Texas so no one looks at me funny.
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Mitchell Knives said:
There is no mention of fixed blades or arbitrary blade size restrictions.
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In NY and VA there were no blade length restrictions, but when I moved to CO blade needs to be under 3.5" -- and even though double-edged is permissible, Denver measures the entire cutting edge(s) to determine "blade length" and will charge you for a fraction of an inch.

Arbitrary. :thumbdn:

And they wonder why people do not respect the law.
 
I live in Michigan (lansing) and I have never had a problem with carrying a folder of any size ,keep in mind I am a mostly a law abiding person and I am respectful to the police.
I don`t see to many people who carry fixed blades even in rural areas so I can only assume it is frowned on locally .I have talked to officers about knives and they all seemed to be of the opinion that if the person isn`t being a "problem" they don`t really care about "your knife" but if you are a "person of interest" you might not want to be carrying a knife. I know that the city and state laws differ in the size and type of knife you can carry local trumps state most of the time. You can do what I did and ask but you will likely get an opinion and no real facts on the law as it seems they don`t cover knife carry in a classroom setting during training, I am sure there are many more important things to learn and I difficult job ahead.
 
I carry either of these small ones in it's sheath right in my pocket. The Dozier has a kydex sheath and the B.Goode has a leather pouch sheath. They really don't take up a lot of space and definitely get the job done.
ry%3D400
 
Siggyboy said:
^What type of comment?
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Well, a couple stopped us and asked some info about where the trail goes. They were actually quite nice and we walked with them a bit, but the guy asked me what I used my knife for and did I use it to "stab my wife if she go out of hand". I thought WTF? I then explained that we were going to hike in the woods, then changed our minds as my wife was a bit tired and just wanted a trail walk instead of a strenuous woods hike. I had my woods bag with me so didn't think to change up or remove the fixed blade. The guy was ex-mil also, and likes guns and knives, but still kind of went on about my "big" knife. I showed him the B-1 which has a 4.25 inch blade. I don't think its that "big". Next time, maybe I'll carry my RC-5 or get a B-2, Junglas, broadsword, etc. :rolleyes:
 
I rarely carry a folder. I always have a fixed blade on me. Depending on where I'm going, I change the size, 2.5" blades are easy to wear on the belt, pocket, or neck. I have folders with larger blades than those,
Small and flat fixed blades are easy to wear, without drawing attention. I don't carry anything that looks like a murdering weapon. I really don't need a larger knife in public.
 
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