How legal are you?

Asha'man

Asha'man

Joined
Jan 22, 2001
Messages
897
What I mean is, how strictly do you follow local laws and regs about carrying knives? Say the maximum concealable blade length is 3.5 inches, like it is here. Do you follow that exactly or go over by a quarter inch or so? Or if they say no balisongs, do you carry one anyway? And to any LEOs out there, just how much attention do *you* pay to these same laws? Say you find a guy with a a blade a quarter inch longer than the "legal limit". Would you probably just let him go (assuming he wasn't breaking any other laws) or would you do something about it? I'm just wondering because a couple of my EDCs are exactly 3.5 inches, and I'm wondering just how much attention a cop would pay to them if he ever had reason to accost me. Which is doubtful, but still.... Thanks in advance,

Asha'man
 
I seldom carry my switchblades, and part of the reason I sold my BM750 was because of the 3.6" blade length (the limit here in Colorado).

I've avoided knives >3.5" in past, just so I would be "pushing it".

On the other hand, I've got a 3.75" Boguszewski Cobra on the way and I have every intention of carrying it.

Mike
 
I'm normally carrying in the 3-3.5" range, but can be found with 4-5" bootknives(and we know how much cops like them)...

I can carry a 4" fixed blade on my belt without causing any attention.
 
I never carry a knife that's length is over the legal limit. When I checked with out local constabulatory I was informed that the maximum legal length for a folder in Alberta is 6". It is pretty easy to stay under that.
 
I personally do push the boundaries. My EDC has sported a 3.75" blade (SOG Night Vision). I've been known to carry the PE I (3.9"), PE II (5"), and a BM Auto Stryker (among other knives).

SOG is located within a couple blocks of three different jurisdictions...each with differing maximum blade length laws (ranging from 3.25" to 3.75"). It depends which street I'm on whether or not I should be carrying what's attached to my pocket.

We get policemen walk-ins regularly. I've asked them about blade length issues and on what they would enforce the law. [I've also shown several of them my BM Auto. :) ] Their first reaction has always been, "depends what the person is doing who has the 'illegal' length knife." In other words, they're not going to bust your chomps if you're being a nice, law abiding citizen. I have yet to have one say, "You know, 3.5" is the maximum. I'd bust the guy."

I think it comes down to what type of person you are and how you act in public. If you occasionally get rowdy, better be cautious on what you have. If you're like me (clean cut, nice, respectful, never gets in trouble...except here in the forums ;) ), you can probably push the limits.

This is not a substitute for legal advice! :)
 
I'm pretty careful to stay within the law. Then again, I live in Texas where my 5-1/2" Sifu folder is legal. :)

On the other hand, Texas law doesn't allow fixed blades over 5-1/2" either. I have gone to some trouble to stay within that limit, although I'm not happy about it.

When I travel I try to keep track of local laws and obey them, but it isn't always easy to figure out what they are. Too many states have such vague restrictions there is no way to guess what will get you in trouble. :(

--Bob Q
 
Just remember this rule of thumb: Out of sight, out of mind. What you don't wave in their faces, they won't think to bother you about.

Unfortunately, too many jurisdictions have deliberately vague regulations, meant precisely to allow the authorities to hassle people they may not be able to get on any other charge.
 
Yeah I push it...I make a habit of it.

I carry a Newt Livesay Neck Dagger, illegal state-wide i'm pretty sure, and definatly int he towns i'm usually in, because its double bladed.

I carry an auto when i have one. I carried my Paragon Mini-Seal a lot before the button spring got lost during routine cleaning.

When I had my Newt Livesay compant knife I fashoined a shoulder rig for it, and carried it like that a couple of times. Again its a double edged knife (anyone notice a pattern in my double edged knife habits here? lol)

I plan on picking up a Sigu and a Sog PE-II and I do plan to carry them.
Once I get a Microtech LCC D/A I'm gonna carry it sometimes too...
And if I ever get the Mad Dog Shrike I want (with Dundee rig) you can bet your posterior I am gonna carry it.

Do I flaunt the law just to take risks? nope...better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6 in my opinion.
 
I’m a real SquareJohn, a regular strait arrow. If I break any local ordinance it is by accident, pure and simple, I don’t try and skirt around concealed carry or auto and balisong bans to carry a knife.

Luckily I can keep anything I want in my happy home :)
 
I carry whatever floats my boat.
I drive over the speed limit most of the time, too:p
 
Here in Finland we do not have lenght limit. Legality is based on wheather you have a proper cause to carry a knife or not. Also there is concepts edged weapon and dangerous edged weapon. One can never carry a dangerous edged weapon in public places but if needed edged weapons despite lenght are legal.

Because I might need a knife in my work I'm legal at work an during my straiht trips to and from work. If / when I go to a shop during my trip to home I might not be legal but situation is based on LEOs opinion. It might take court proceedings to decide wheather one was legel or not. Half of manpopulation do carry a multitool everywhere anyhow.

And I allways do carry a tiny knife like Spyderco Dragonfly. I am not afraid that it will cause me problems as it is not wery weapon like. Scissors if pointed and thus suited for stabbing are as unlegal...
 
Well, I'm sorry to say I'm a vile, rotten, terrible piece of human garbage that should be rotting away in a jail cell. I've violated the Knife laws here in Alaska just about every day for the last couple of years. I've carried a BM AFO, MT SOCOM Elite, BM 3550, Pro-Tech Runt, Protech Tactical Response, MT UDT, 2 Dalton Cupids, MT Mini SOCOM, SIFU, several daggers and fixed blades, and many others I would just bore you to sleep with if I took the time to mention them all. Point is that I typically carry whatever I want to carry. I've dealt with LEO's many times while carrying the forementioned knives and they've never been concerned about it. The ones I've asked basically told me that I can carry whatever I want to for all they care, as long as it's not sticking out from somebody's ribcage. I was forewarned however, that SHOULD one find it's self sticking out from the chest cavity of a fellow biped, even in the purest of self defense scenarios, I WOULD be absolutely raked over the glowing red hot coals in court. The general attitude I've picked up from most cops seems to be "I've got better things to worry about than law abiding citizens carrying pocket knives" As an interesting side note, up here a "switchblade" is defined as "any knife that can be opened by gravity, spring, or centrifugal force" which makes my wifes BM 940 Osborne illegal, most the spyderco's, several of the Buck knives, etc. Even my Kershaw Chive is illegal under that one. Guess I figure if anything even remotely fun is going to be considered illegal, I might as well carry EXACTLY what I want to.

I also saw an officers handbook that defined an illegal knife as anything "not normal". Wow! How nice of them to state things so clearly and concisely!;)

On the brighter side, after looking at the laws a little more closely it does appear that I'm perfectly within my rights to hunt grizzly bears with the automatic knife of my choice!

http://pweb.netcom.com/~brlevine/ak.txt
:D
 
I always make sure to be 100%, completely legal. It isn't worth the hassle to carry something that could get me in trouble.
 
Fortunately, IL state law is based on intent, rather than blade length, so it's not hard to stay legal. The problem comes with municipal ordinances, like Chicago's, where 2.5" can get you in trouble. If I know I'm going into the city, I'll make sure that I'm carrying kosher. But sometimes I don't know ahead of time, and trust in my good behavior and silky smooth "I'm sorry officer..." patter to keep me out of the hoosegow.
 
Here in Mass i think butter knives are illeagal to carry, more dame laws in this state then i care to remember screw *** the Kennedys !!Hey "J" you better pull up !!!! i carry what ever i put in my pocket sometimes a big old CQD auto other days a Sebenza guess i just have to make sure i don,t caught it's like a big game catch me if you can then i lose my knife

Tim
 
I do my best to obey state laws 99% of the time, since breaking them is a misdemeanor or felony, but for local ordinances, the breaking of which is merely an infraction, I go with the out of sight out of mind mentality, esp. since most cops don't know local laws anyway.
 
I actually visited the local Sheriff's office and went over county and state knife laws with the undersherrif and another officer. They were very accommodating and happy to help me out.

The fact that New York law allows just about everything except switchblades and daggers helped. :)
 
At this time I wish to exercize my 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination.:D.:eek:.:D.
 
I really don't have a very good idea of what's legal and illegal here in Georgia. Most knives I carry are 3.5" but there is no limit. It just mentions that knives designed for the purpose of "offense and defense" are illegal, which is confusing to no end. For instance, if a knife is designed purely for defense, would it be legal? I don't know, so I'll just carry what seems sensible to me. Unless I'm breaking the law, they probably won't hassle me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top