How are the knife laws in your state

The Michigan Senate just OK'd the repeal of the ban on swithblades that was already passed by the House. All the bill needs is a signature from the governor. Things are looking up.
 
zzyzzogeton said:
One correction, 22, but I'm a nitpicky person with respect to the law - the items mentioned were NEVER illegal to own. You just could not carry them in public. A court case opened up the off home property carry to allow for the items to be legally possessed off property while in your car, rv, boat, etc..

Also, the knife, to my knowledge, has not been made public other than a few news repeorts saying it was a "large hunting knife", with no explanation of what was "large".

The only thing known for sure is that its blade was greater than 5.5". The only picture I saw was when he was handcuffed and the knife/sheath were on his belt. "Appeared" to be about a 6 or 7 inch blade, but that is based on apparent sheath size to leg ratio.
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Ahh, yes, sorry for not being more clear, what I meant was it's illegal to have them if you aren't on your own property, apologies for the miswording, and as for the UT incident, the weapon was in fact described by authorities as a "large bowie-style hunting knife" in a few press releases. I remember because it was those words that made my heart sink as using such a weapon, the proximity to the state capitol, and the timing of the attack could not have been worse. I too only saw the sheath and not the actual weapon in photos, so we only have descriptions of the weapon to go by. Perhaps the media/spokeperson just associated Texas with bowie knives and decided to use that description since the two go together ?
 
DAs and investigators are usually reluctant to give out more than the bare minimum of info until an investigation is complete and/or the trial is finished, just in case saying something jeopardizes the prosecution of the case.

While this is a slam dunk as to who did what, some shyster defense attorney will grasp at any thread for a mistrial or to drag a trial out so they can get more billable minutes.
 
BlueSpartan007 said:
WA knife laws are alright. Appears to have a little more explanation in the revised code than other states I've seen. Far from states like AZ, however. No autos, not sure about balis. 3.5" is what most counties, including mine, permit. Luckily I'm on the central/east side. Would be a lot more cautious what I carry around Seattle.
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RX-79G said:
Washington is okay. Seattle says no carrying of fixed blades, and 3.5" limit on folders. I can live with that. I don't need a fixed blade to go downtown. The forests are not in the city limits. No autos at all.

Aside from that, carrying knives seems pretty common and no one seems to be getting hassled about it.

I really don't think it is the laws, it is the enforcement. If the cops and DA aren't making it an issue, it isn't.
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Seattle cops do make an issue of knives. There have been numerous reports of folks being arrested for knife carry. And I am referring to simple knives (not what folks here would even consider potential defensive EDC type knives). I have multiple LEO's in the family and they have differing opinions on the subject. One's on Eastern side of the state are pretty ok with most knives as well as open carry of firearms. Pretty different on the Western side though.

Living on the West side of this state, I would say our knife laws are in need of revision. Crossing a county line or city municipality and the laws change.
Example:
1. Most parts of the state 4" folder is fine (typical pocket knife for me for many years).
2. Drive into Seattle city limits and ALL fixed blades become illegal along with "any other knife having a blade more than three and one-half inches (3 1/2") in length" becoming a "Dangerous knife" and by definition not legal carry.
3. Drive into Federal Way and any liquor sale premises (grocery store, Fred Meyer, bar/tavern, etc.) and blade length drops to 3".
4. The laws change from city to city as you drive around through intersections defining city lines.

Dozens of municipalities and counties in Washington State maintain their own knife laws, which are frequently stricter than the state's laws.

I think it's a farce that I can open carry a firearm (pistol, long-gun, semi-auto, etc.) without a permit, but I am restricted on carry of a pocket-knife based on blade lengths of what I'd consider very reasonable for an everyday tool (pocket-knife). Every bad guy who brandishes ANY length blade, or carries in furtive manner with intent to conceal, or presents in a threatening manner would effectively make any knife illegal by definition and blade length effectively irrelevant anyways.

I would say the state should have one preemption law pertaining to knives and carry, and either use the state law or the federal law. Many of our counties & cities already defer to state law on everything knives, and much of the state law defers to federal law.
 
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TruthBalance said:
Live in PA, pretty decent knife laws. The one glaring restriction is automatics. Given that PA is open carry for a firearm, I shake my head that I can open carry a firearm but, cannot own an automatic knife. Go figure!
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Yeah I'm in PA too and don't mind the laws at all. You can't carry anything that can not arguably used for utility reasons. I guess that can be interpreted lots of ways but a friend of mine working in an outdoors shop says it has something to do with daggers, so double edge things are banned too? Google says quite the same but what is and isn't a dagger is up to guess. I still like the laws because I can OPENLY carry a balisong or big fixed blade. LOL sword canes.
 
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No such thing as an illegal knife in the ol' Lone Star State. Of course there are restricted areas; same places as concealed carry. So.... if you wanted to be that guy you could go to the grocery store with a katana on your back.
 
Spey said:
Seattle cops do make an issue of knives. There have been numerous reports of folks being arrested for knife carry. And I am referring to simple knives (not what folks here would even consider potential defensive EDC type knives). I have multiple LEO's in the family and they have differing opinions on the subject. One's on Eastern side of the state are pretty ok with most knives as well as open carry of firearms. Pretty different on the Western side though.

Living on the West side of this state, I would say our knife laws are in need of revision. Crossing a county line or city municipality and the laws change.
Example:
1. Most parts of the state 4" folder is fine (typical pocket knife for me for many years).
2. Drive into Seattle city limits and ALL fixed blades become illegal along with "any other knife having a blade more than three and one-half inches (3 1/2") in length" becoming a "Dangerous knife" and by definition not legal carry.
3. Drive into Federal Way and any liquor sale premises (grocery store, Fred Meyer, bar/tavern, etc.) and blade length drops to 3".
4. The laws change from city to city as you drive around through intersections defining city lines.

Dozens of municipalities and counties in Washington State maintain their own knife laws, which are frequently stricter than the state's laws.

I think it's a farce that I can open carry a firearm (pistol, long-gun, semi-auto, etc.) without a permit, but I am restricted on carry of a pocket-knife based on blade lengths of what I'd consider very reasonable for an everyday tool (pocket-knife). Every bad guy who brandishes ANY length blade, or carries in furtive manner with intent to conceal, or presents in a threatening manner would effectively make any knife illegal by definition and blade length effectively irrelevant anyways.

I would say the state should have one preemption law pertaining to knives and carry, and either use the state law or the federal law. Many of our counties & cities already defer to state law on everything knives, and much of the state law defers to federal law.
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Knife laws in Washington State are arbitrary and vague at best. Across the board our knife laws suck. Exactly what "furtive manner with intent to conceal" means varies from one cop too the next. For one it means what the dictionary says so a neck knife carried as neck knife is good to go, same as a sheath knife carried on your belt. To another it means if your coat or shirt covers it you are carrying furtive manner with intent to conceal. What is the deal with sheath knives in Seattle and other cities? My sheath knife is no less of a tool than a folding knife. Where I live in Washington I walk into the court building take my six inch custom Damascus sheath knife or even my nine & half inch Kershaw D2 Outcast, along with my Kershaw Outlaw folder, Boker Subcom money clip, two & half inch Ken Onion Leek key-chain knife, my Becker Necker and my XD .45 put it in a locker, lock it, take the key. When I leave, retrieve my gear, leave the key in the locker for the next guy. No one bats an eyelash. Do that in Seattle or Tacoma County City Buildings my face would be bouncing off of the concrete surrounded by SWAT. Or as happened to the Native Wood Carver that was gunned down because he was walking across a crosswalk downtown Seattle whittling with his one and half inch wood carving knife. Seattle citizens are no better, they are so programed to be anti knife anti gun that as a whole they had no issue with the wood carver being gunned down, after all according to their programing he had a deadly weapon and failed to drop it in the one & three quarters seconds before the cop opened fire in a crowded public street. Was at a Doctors office party and the bartender had forgotten his bar knife to cut lemons and such. I offered to let him use my Kershaw Outlaw, removed it from my pocket opened it up to hand it to the bartender and this gay co-worker SPRUNG back a good three feet gasping in sheer terror. Than upset because it was my fault that he actually wet his pants. Point of this rant being Washington State desperately need to revise its knife laws and impose State exemption same as we have for firearms. As it is now, we can get on a ferry with what is our normal everyday attire and get off in danger of being arrested or killed.
 
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I'm so glad I live in CA. Y'all have it bad.
 
Long.Rider,

We are on the same page, WA needs a enema! And not just of the laws ...

John T. Williams was the name of that wood carver shot dead in Seattle. Seattle PD officer Ian Birk shot John T. Williams four times (dead). Unanimous conclusion discharge of firearm was UNJUSTIFIED. Then, one day after the killing the prosecutor decided not to press charges against officer/shooter and they erected a totem pole honoring the poor dead Native American John T. Williams, painted a deer in crosswalk where he died. It's not like the officer did not have an option to use non-leathal on this Native American wood carver who had a tool of his trade in hand legally, and or there was any evidence the man intended to harm the officer. Officer resigned and moved on with his life. AND, we now have a John T. Williams Day in Seattle. Seattle society accepted it ... WTF!

Do you remember not long after that shooting a guy used a knife to stop a robbery in Bellevue, WA? Chased the robber across town and kept him at knife-point until police arrived. Could not find any press on that heroic use of a knife to stop a criminal.

As far as CA ..., well I am just hoping Las Vegas becomes a coastal town. Charlie Mike would survive, no worries ;-)
 
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IMG_20180731_111121_677.jpg

We will survive... Not like there's much of a choice :D
 
Hey folks, I'm looking for some help on the Colorado laws. I haven't seen any information on spears in the laws on knifes listed on colorado.gov, does anybody know if you can open carry a spear in public? Are they just the same as any other blade longer than 3.5 inches?
 
Trevor_Phillips said:
In Oregon, knife laws are great. The only thing you can't carry are double edged knives
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I 'think' that is an optimistic overview/statement.

Example for those with an interest, the word "carry" has additional potentially significant adjectives that may apply, drastically altering the results (not just Oregon).

Carry vs. Concealed Carry

Simply add the word concealed and the results and law changes significantly in many states and governing municipalities.

Oregon statute
166.240 Carrying of concealed weapons.
(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, any person who carries concealed upon the person any knife having a blade that projects or swings into position by force of a spring or by centrifugal force, any dirk, dagger, ice pick, slungshot, metal knuckles, or any similar instrument by the use of which injury could be inflicted upon the person or property of any other person, commits a Class B misdemeanor.

Please don't trust my research and or interpretations but ...
So; in Oregun it is illegal to conceal carry a dirk, dagger, or any stabbing knife, a Balisong, or butterfly knife, a gravity knife, any knife with a blade that projects or swings into position by force of a spring or by centrifugal force (swinging the knife around).

This reads to include concealed carry of assisted knives (as they have integral spring) that are espressly legal to carry open or concealed one state North in WA State (so long as not defined as furtively carries). I am not making a case that WA is any better than OR, just exemplifying how fk'd up laws are and how significant preemption laws should seriously be considered for adoption.

Is there an Oregon law (or any state or municipality) that describes the difference between open and concealed carry? Does simply having a pocket clip exposed or possibly 'part' of the handle suffice for open-carry, and what happens if shirt or other obstruction temporarily impeads visability of clip?

I would argue knife is a tool, until presented such that it is meant to be an offensive weapon with intent to harm to another. The action of the user should be the lawful/unlawful consideration, NOT the tool. Laws across the States and municipalities are a-muck !
 
NMpops,

You win, Best Of State (applicable knife laws).

In Arizona it is illegal to use a knife to commit a behavior that is already illegal, AND state preemtion law (potentially more restrictive municipal laws are not applicable).

Pretty much follows my last comments from previous post of things that make sense :)

Thanks for posting,

PS:
RE: Jean-Claude Van Damme's son pleads guilty in Arizona knife incident

Anybody see/hear what knife was used by Nicholas (Van Damme's son) in this crime?
 
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Spey said:
Jean-Claude Van Damme's son pleads guilty in Arizona knife incident

Anybody see/hear what knife was used by Nicholas (Van Damme's son) in this crime?
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It was a kitchen knife (which should surprise no one). He was going to get aggravated assault and kidnapping but plead down to a disorderly conduct, so the knife really wasn't even relevant other than as an aggravating factor to something that's already illegal.
 
nursetim said:
Any info on NC?
Also, would a leatherman charge be kosher in nyc?
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You might want to search your state statues and local municipal codes. I would not recommend 'trusting' posts to any related internet boards or threads as most only post superficial info that can often be misleading. Do diligent research or speak with attorney with whom you trust.

In general there are typically three primary areas (plus #4 below) to research laws that govern by specific location progressively;
1) Federal Laws (govern all lands).
2) State Laws (govern specific state).
3) Local Municipal Codes/Laws (govern county/city jurisdictions).
4) Location Specific Additional Restrictions (schools, governing facilities like court houses, liquor sales locations, etc.)

An example of #2 above to get you started at this link:
https://www2.ncleg.net/Laws/Browse

A few results searching sections for "knife":
G.S. 14-269.2
§ 14-269.2. Weapons on campus or other educational property.
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G.S. 14-269
§ 14-269. Carrying concealed weapons.
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G.S. 14-269.6
§ 14-269.6. Possession and sale of spring-loaded projectile knives prohibited.
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G.S. 131E-176
§ 131E-176. Definitions.
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G.S. 90-21.20
§ 90-21.20. Reporting by physicians and hospitals of wounds, injuries and illnesses.
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G.S. 14-409.12
§ 14-409.12. "Historic edged weapons" defined.
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G.S. 14-315
§ 14-315. Selling or giving weapons to minors.
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G.S. 14-269.4
§ 14-269.4. Weapons on certain State property and in courthouses.
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G.S. 113-291.1
§ 113-291.1. Manner of taking wild animals and wild birds.
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Same would apply to your second question.
 
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