How to legally carry civilian/matriarch??

[Donna V]

Most state laws say you cant carry a knife if it was designed to be used as a weapon. The spyderco civilian &matriarch were clearly designed to be used as weapons. How would you go about legsally carrying one of them??

 

[Jim malone]

edited

 

[glistam]

Most state laws say you cant carry a knife if it was designed to be used as a weapon.

That is not true at all. And I say that as a person who has, at one point or another over the past 12 years, read the knife laws of all 50 states. Sadly, Ohio is one of such states. However, I see from you're profile that you're in Ohio, which unfortunately is such a state.

Ohio law 2923.11 says

(A) “Deadly weapon” means any instrument, device, or thing capable of inflicting death, and designed or specially adapted for use as a weapon, or possessed, carried, or used as a weapon.

Which affects the carry statute, 2923.12

(A) No person shall knowingly carry or have, concealed on the person’s person or concealed ready at hand, any of the following:
(1) A deadly weapon other than a handgun;
(2) A handgun other than a dangerous ordnance;
(3) A dangerous ordnance.

So, how do you comply with the law? If you look at that statute again, it says the magic words "concealed on the person’s person or concealed ready at hand." Because the law contains no language other than a prohibition against concealed carry, this means open carry is legal.

There also could be a case for simply carrying concealed anyway. Note the exceptions provided under 2923.12 to concealed carry:

(D) It is an affirmative defense to a charge under division (A)(1) of this section of carrying or having control of a weapon other than a handgun and other than a dangerous ordnance that the actor was not otherwise prohibited by law from having the weapon and that any of the following applies:
(1) The weapon was carried or kept ready at hand by the actor for defensive purposes while the actor was engaged in or was going to or from the actor’s lawful business or occupation, which business or occupation was of a character or was necessarily carried on in a manner or at a time or place as to render the actor particularly susceptible to criminal attack, such as would justify a prudent person in going armed.
(2) The weapon was carried or kept ready at hand by the actor for defensive purposes while the actor was engaged in a lawful activity and had reasonable cause to fear a criminal attack upon the actor, a member of the actor’s family, or the actor’s home, such as would justify a prudent person in going armed.
(3) The weapon was carried or kept ready at hand by the actor for any lawful purpose and while in the actor’s own home.

Be advised that "affirmative defense" doesn't mean you are magically immune from arrest. Rather it means you will likely avoid conviction if arrested. It should also be noted that in the case law for Ohio, every single perpetrator arrested for carry of a knife was engaged in some kind of suspicious or criminal actions which attracted the attention of the police. Cops can't rifle through your pockets for absolutely no reason, so if you're not in a gang or have antisocial tendencies, odds are nobody will ever even be looking at your Spyderco trying to figure out of it's a weapon or not.