Hawaii law (or any law), regarding dirk/dagger

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Matth3w

Joined
Nov 15, 2015
Messages
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What specifically does the law consider a dirk/dagger?

Hawaii says:

"who is found armed
with any dirk, dagger, blackjack, slug shot, billy,
metal knuckles, pistol, or other deadly or dangerous
weapon shall be guilty of a misdemeanor"

I carry this, concealed: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BM9GHJQ?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

It has a 3.4 inch blade. It's really for basic utility crap at work (I'm Army). Does either the knife itself or the 3.4 inch blade really present an issue? I don't think so, but I just wanted to be sure. From my understanding, a dagger is usually a double sided knife that's clearly not used for utility...only for hurting someone (which is such a stupid law anyhow, but considering I'm not allowed to have a concealed carry permit for my handguns...but I digress). This is clearly not that, but how do they determine?

Like a lawyer argues that my knife "looks" scary because it's all black? Who knows, right? Because most scared people think guns look scary for stupid reasons so we must ban them...haha

Anyhow, rambled on long enough.
 
Daggers and dirks (which are really just short daggers :d) are "typically" symmetrical or nearly so and double edged.

Most laws do not specifically define what a term is meant to mean, they just leave it open to interpretation to be as all-encompassing as possible and that court cases will "clear up any discrepancies".

So court cases have been used to determine what terms like dagger, dirk, poniard, Bowie knife, etc means and in many jurisdictions the determination has been made that any amount of sharpening on the spine edge of a knife deems it to be a dagger. Length of the blade doesn't matter. It's how the edges are sharpened (or not). A 3.4" blade would fall into the "dirk" category IF sharpened on both sides.
 
Different jurisdictions will have different definitions of a "dirk" or "dagger". It's best to know how your local jurisdictions define such items. If they do in fact define them.

Here in California, the CA penal code (16470) specifically defines a "dirk" or "dagger" as- "a knife or other instrument with or without a hand guard capable of ready use as a stabbing weapon that may inflict great bodily injury or death."

That definition includes many types of fixed-blades, not just ones with two sharpened edges. It also includes ice picks and any spike-type of weapon with no edges at all, sharpened screwdrivers, homemade shanks and shivs, and folding knives with the blade in the open and locked position.
 
I grew up in Hawaii and have been able to return a couple of times a year for the last couple of decades.

Hawaii is very loose on knife laws.

Don't stab, slice or kill anyone and you should be fine.

I am not a lawyer and this should not be considered legal counsel!
 
I just looked up Hawaii's penal code. And section 134-51 of the HI penal code provides definitions for what it refers to as "Deadly and Dangerous Weapons".

In regards to knives, 134-51 says- "a "Deadly and dangerous Weapon" is one designed primarily as a weapon or diverted from normal use and prepared for combat."

What's interesting is that 134-51 specifically says that a divers knife is neither a "deadly and dangerous weapon" nor a "dagger", despite the fact that divers knives are often double-edged. But a double-edged knife that is not a divers knife might very well be considered a weapon (but that is speculation on my part).

It also says that butterfly knives are not "deadly or dangerous weapons".

As always, when in doubt about the law, consult a local attorney.
 
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