Getting Hassled

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Flowers Of Naivety

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Lately I have been getting hassled more and more about the knives I carry. Here in Oregon it is legal to carry any sized knife, and I take full advantage of that. My friend and I both carry knives over 6", my friend carries a Strider ML and I carry a Becker BK7. We get the occasional looks, but recently we were marauded with questions and accusations. It happened in a bar near Portland; it started with a very drunk woman asking if the knife was real, which of course it is, then another guy started babbling about a 3.5" length limit, another said 6", and yet another with the ol' "no wider than your palm" rule. Well I carry the state laws pertaining to knives, so I obviously had an edge (ugh puns) over them. And after about 10 minutes of arguing over the laws and showing our knives off we left laughing about the naivety of the majority of people.

I have also been kicked out of a store for carrying it. The manager, when asked repeatedly, guaranteed me that there was a no weapons/knife policy (which isn't posted anywhere.) And I left graciously as to not give my mother any problems (was shopping with her.)

Besides by the police, which you can count on everytime, has anybody else been hassled? Do you mind looks and questions?
 
The best way to avoid looks and questions is to keep the steel hidden until you need it. That in itself may be illegal in some places, but quite frankly, I for one do not care about that. Whether it's illegal or not, I'm going to carry my knife with me when I feel like it. Just because it's the law doesn't mean it's smart, or right.
 
Elen, I guess the jails in Finland are much nicer than the ones over here....The only part of the NYC law I like is that you MUST carry a knife (under 4") Concealled. NYC does not want you to expose your knife and there by cause trouble or public fear. I think depending where you are it is not smart to carry a large exposed knife when not doing an activity that requires it. I would think walking into a bar with a large fixed blade on my side is sort of saying "don't mess with me", which of course will lead some drunk to take up the challenge....just my thoughts, but as a former NYC LEO I have broken up many fights at bars where "he looked at me( or my girl)the wrong way" was all that was needed to start a fight....
 
Well, yes, they are nicer as far as I know. I'm all for carrying knives concealed. In fact, I always do so, except while hunting or hiking, in which case I'll keep my knives openly strapped to my gear. I don't like provoking people for no reason, nor scaring people, and I'm not into getting in trouble with the law, either, so that's reason enough to carry knives concealed. The problem is, of course, that in Finland it isn't quite legal to carry knives in public at all, concealed or not. That's the kind of law that I'm not going to follow. And besides, who's going to hassle me about something they don't know I have with me? ;)
 
Legal or not ..... there is no need to carry a 6" in knife .....that's ridiculous ......you are asking for trouble ...and deserve it....
 
Expecting the world to accommodate your knife fetish is unrealistic. Knife nuts can whine about "the sheeple" all they want. The public is going to see you as some potential threat or insufferable nerd. The more you push the envelope, the more you'll be pegged for a deviant. End of story. You'll get unwanted attention, or worse, ridicule. Get used to it.
 
So you carry large combat/survival knives in public for the purpose of attracting attention to yourself, then act suprised when it happens...

There was never a time in America's history when workers or business people carried anything larger than a small pocketknife. Anyone openly carrying a military-ish knife, "bowie" knife, or large fixed-blade would have been considered a show-off.

While I'm glad you are legally able to carry whatever sort of knife you want, I think you should ask yourself if it's always a good idea.

Best Wishes,
-Bob
 
When I'm in Indiana I have need for my larger fixed blade pretty much everyday, are you saying I should go running home every time I find the need for it?
 
Big knives should be concealed, as they beg for attention when exposed in public places. Bars are probably the worst environment to expose even the tip of a fixed blade sheath. Folders carried on the belt do not attract the same type of reaction from sheeple, but unfortunatly any fixed blade that dangles any lower than a folder's sheath will.

Do yourself a favor, in urban settings carry the big ones concealed. Out in the field you can carry open.
 
When I'm in Indiana I have need for my larger fixed blade pretty much everyday, are you saying I should go running home every time I find the need for it?
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When I used to live and work on a farm I had all sorts of very large bladed item and used them regularly - full sized axes, machetes, and others. I would not have carried them into grocery stores and bars...

-Bob
 
mrstenoien said:
When I'm in Indiana I have need for my larger fixed blade pretty much everyday, are you saying I should go running home every time I find the need for it?
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No, but it might make sense to toss it in the trunk or put it in your toolbag/pack/briefcase until you need it. Just a suggestion that might make life easier. The other alternative is to carry it everywhere, all of the time, out in the open. Personally, I don't mind - I might even ask you about it out of curiosity and fellowship. But my wife and daughters might get nervous.
 
Only been hassled a bit by cops, a few years ago. I'm surrounded by Sheeple, so I'm very discreet when I use one of my knives.

On a pair of black dress pants, my Emerson Mini-Commander with its black handle, clip, and screws is practically invisible.
 
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These sheeple are everywhere, I run into them when Im backpacking in the mountains. I have my RAT 7 on my side while im hiking from lake to lake on fishing trips. They see the knife and must think Im some escaped convict that is going to kill them with it. Again within the boundaries of the law. And in Ca, where I live, you can cary any size you want as long as its NOT concealed.
 
shecky said:
Expecting the world to accommodate your knife fetish is unrealistic. Knife nuts can whine about "the sheeple" all they want. The public is going to see you as some potential threat or insufferable nerd. The more you push the envelope, the more you'll be pegged for a deviant. End of story. You'll get unwanted attention, or worse, ridicule. Get used to it.
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I gotta say I pretty much agree. In a perfect world, this would be a non-issue, but... Sometimes I think we only make ourselves look foolish in the eyes of others for "our rights". I guess I see myself and my profession as someone to be looked up to, not ridiculed. As result, I don't push the limits. I do care how others see me and, to be quite honest, am quite puzzled by the extremes of any group and their interests, ours included.
To me, if you're not coming from somewhere where you needed a knife of that size(hunting, marine industry, etc,..) you do look pretty odd. I remember standing in line at a sub shop after hitting the bars about fifteen years ago when I ran into someone whom I had gone to school with years before and he was a punk/petty criminal. With him was a buddy whom showed me his big-ass hunting knife in his waistband. Yep, that's the kind of guy I want to be associated with when people see me with my 3" folder...NOT.
 
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