I have to begin my response to your question by saying that one persons experience carrying a fixed-blade really has no bearing whatsoever on what another person might experience, even if they live in the same city. You never know who you might encounter or how they might react.
That being said, I have been openly carrying a fixed-blade in urban San Diego California for over eight years now without any problems, either from regular people or from the many cops who have seen me carry (it's legal here, no restrictions on size or blade style either). I used to carry in one of three ways, either in a back-pocket sheath, or in a sheath hanging from my belt, or a drop-leg style sheath. I now carry only in a simple belt sheath for various personal reasons. The largest fixed-blade I carry is ten inches overall with a five inch blade (Wilson model 25). I carry my knife openly in stores, restaruants, shopping malls, etc.
Let me give you an idea of how I look and how people might perceive me- I've been riding motorcycles as my primary transportation for 26 years now and I look it. I wear an old ragged black leather motorcycle jacket, big black scuffed-up steel-toed motorcycle boots, and I never shave. I'm not what anyone would call "clean-cut" or "business-like".
And yet, no one has ever said a negative word about my knife. Some people have asked simple questions, but they were just being curious and there was nothing negative about their questions. Typing this I remembered one guy in a car next to me at a stoplight who saw my knife sticking up out of my back pocket and he called out "Hey buddy, do ya know that you've got a knife in your pocket?" And when I smiled at him and said "Yeah". He said "Oh, ok. I thought maybe you forgot that you stuck it in there." Basically it was a just a friendly heads-up.
Despite the fact that several cops have seen me carrying my knives, the only time a cop ever said a word about it was this (I've told this story several times here, but I like it so I don't mind telling it agin)- I went to Home Depot and parked my bike up in front of the store among the barbecues and potted plants. There was an empty cop car parked in front of the store just a few yards away. I was carrying my fixed-blade in a back pocket sheath.
As I was shopping I got a little hot and unzipped my jacket, unaware that this caused the bottom of my jacket to cover my knife. When I left the store and walked over to my bike there were two cops sitting in the cop car. As I was loading my purchase into my saddlebags I saw the two cops exit their car and one said to me "Excuse me sir, can I talk to you for a moment. Don't worry, you're not in trouble or under arrest or anything". I said "Sure, what can I do for you?" The lead cop who had spoken (the other looked like a kid) told me that he noticed when I was at my bike that the bottom of my jacket had covered my knife and that technically it was conceald. He told me that he wouldn't want to see me get into any trouble for it if another cop saw it. Basically, he was just giving me a friendly warning. I thanked him and zipped up my jacket. As a way of trying to prove to the cop that I wasn't a criminal I asked him if he wanted to see my ID. But he just smiled and said "No, that won't be necessary" and he and his partner got back into their car. I got on my bike and left.
The cop never took the knife from me, or asked me to hand it over, or to pull it out and put it somewhere. He didn't tell me to keep my hands away from it. They didn't put their hands on their guns. He didn't ask me why I was carrying such a knife. And he never even asked me for my name or to see my ID. It was just a quick and friendly heads-up from a cool cop.
But like I said, my experiences have no real bearing on what others might experience. And despite more than eight years of having no problems openly carrying a fixed-blade, there's no garuntee that I won't encounter a problem today. That's life, and it's a risk that I've chosen to accept. I know my local laws, and I know my constitutional rights, which are two very important things that every knife carrier should know.
I will also add that I've seen more people openly carrying fixed-blades in the urban parts of San Diego than I can remember. From clean-cut looking guys to hard-core bikers.
Most of the people I've seen wearing a fixed-blade have been relaxed and friendly. Also, the appearance of the knife itself, can be a positive or a negative. Clean micarta handles are often pleasant to look at, and while expensive may add to the wearer's appearance in much the same way a nice watch (in my opinion.)
