Illegal knife blade lengths.

Steelhog

Steelhog

Joined
Jul 2, 2009
Messages
1,176
How many of you guys follow you states blade length just because it the law? I EDC a small sebenza and it is under the 3" limit, but I would like to get a large sebenza but its like 3.5". I am kinda on the fence on the issue. I live out of town, but I dont want to just cary it at home. So do any of you EDC a knife with a illegal blade length? I dont think breaking the law is a good idea, but I want a large sebenza. So should I stay with a sub 3" blade or break the law by .5"?
 
My state law only refers to concealed, which has to be 5" or less. If I carry something larger to the woods, I just carry it on my belt.

But yes, I adhere to the laws.
 
I carry knives that are too large for the legal limit often.

I figure I am a polite person. I don't have any violent criminal history. If I'm at the mall or something like that I would not whip it out in front of like 50 people.

Whenever I carry a huge knife. I carry a small one too, if I need to use one in front of people who may not be comfortable around a 4 inch blade.

I have faith that human beings are generally reasonable.
 
In Holland a folder is limited to an overall length of 23cm (about 9"), and a 4" blade. I was unaware of this when I ordered some very large CS folders, and they arrived without any problems. Only later did I think to check... Not only can you not carry such large folders, even possession is illegal (and carries potentially very stiff penalties, it's an actual felony with a max sentence of up to 5 years!).
Fortunately I am in the process of moving to another country, where these stupid laws don't apply. So when in Holland, I carry a 4" blade, when in other countries, I carry what is maximally allowed there.
Short answer: Yes, I adhere to the law, and now I make sure I what that is! :eek:
 
There is no length limit mentioned in the Oklahoma knife law.
Just the usual gooblety-gook about sword canes, switchblades, etc.
So I just carry what I want, whatever length it happens to be.
 
Most people exceed the speed limit. Most people slow down when they see a cop. Most people driving over the speed limit aren't really doing anything significantly more dangerous than they would be if they were doing it right at the speed limit. Most cops don't care if you drive 60 in a 55 (or maybe I should say 64.2, to keep the math on the up-and-up).

Try a little experiment:

Step One: Get yourself 15 or 20 sub 3" folders. They can be cheap junk for our purposes, it won't matter. Clip them all over your body. Head down to the local bar, burst in and start pushing people around. Maybe take a leak on the floor. Throw around a few racial slurs. See what the responding officers have to say about your 'legal' knife collection.

Step Two: After you get out of the clink, pick up that large Sebenza. Clip it in your pocket and go out for a walk around town. Find a cop. Calmly walk up to him and ask for directions to the nearest barber shop. See if he has anything to say about your 'illegal' knife.
 
tsiloics said:
Step Two: After you get out of the clink, pick up that large Sebenza. Clip it in your pocket and go out for a walk around town. Find a cop. Calmly walk up to him and ask for directions to the nearest barber shop. See if he has anything to say about your 'illegal' knife.
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If I understand you correctly, you're saying it doesn't really matter if your knife has a blade that exceeds what the law allows you. Now I am the first to say that knife- and gun laws suck (and trust me, few countries are as restrictive as mine is), but I am not going to take liberties with those damn laws.

YMMV of course. But do not kid yourself about what you are doing. You are breaking the law.

If I misunderstood, then please just disregard what I wrote.
 
South Dakota doesn’t have any restrictions on what I can carry or how long it can me. For that matter it doesn’t really have any knife laws at all.
 
tsiloics said:
Most people exceed the speed limit. Most people slow down when they see a cop. Most people driving over the speed limit aren't really doing anything significantly more dangerous than they would be if they were doing it right at the speed limit. Most cops don't care if you drive 60 in a 55 (or maybe I should say 64.2, to keep the math on the up-and-up).

Try a little experiment:

Step One: Get yourself 15 or 20 sub 3" folders. They can be cheap junk for our purposes, it won't matter. Clip them all over your body. Head down to the local bar, burst in and start pushing people around. Maybe take a leak on the floor. Throw around a few racial slurs. See what the responding officers have to say about your 'legal' knife collection.

Step Two: After you get out of the clink, pick up that large Sebenza. Clip it in your pocket and go out for a walk around town. Find a cop. Calmly walk up to him and ask for directions to the nearest barber shop. See if he has anything to say about your 'illegal' knife.
Click to expand...
Do be sure to bring a camera to the first and post it on YouTube afterwards. :thumbup:


The difference between speeding and carrying knives of illegal length, as you even pointed out, is that an observant speeder can slow down to a legal limit to avoid getting pulled over. Your knife isn't going to shrink any while you are getting the pat-down. That said, I would like to believe that (as in your second scenario) your actions would dictate how you are treated by an officer rather than your willingness to obey every single law in the books.

As for me... I obey.
It's hard not to with the 5.5" BL law in TX. For me, anything bigger than 5" is pure overkill for public carry.
If for some reason I absolutely had to carry an illegally sized knife, I'd go out of my way to make sure it didn't look threatening in any way (both in looks and carry) and I'd probably keep it fairly cheap. The last thing I would want is a several hundred dollar knife being confiscated. :p
 
slimshaneee said:
I carry knives that are too large for the legal limit often.

I figure I am a polite person. I don't have any violent criminal history. If I'm at the mall or something like that I would not whip it out in front of like 50 people.

Whenever I carry a huge knife. I carry a small one too, if I need to use one in front of people who may not be comfortable around a 4 inch blade.

I have faith that human beings are generally reasonable.
Click to expand...

How's that working out for you? ;) In my experience, human beings are the most unreasonable things on the planet. Especially when they've just been proven wrong about something, like the time a cocky young cop pulled over a certain motorcycle expecting a kid he could intimidate and found me under the helmet instead. He had his training officer shaking his head and apologizing to me by the time he decided the hole was deep enough and he should quit digging.

I really like the Spyderco Police model, but the only one I carry has had the blade tip reground to get the length down to Kansas legal maximum. The law may be stupid, but it is still the law. If we only obey the law when it is convenient, how are we different than all those people we have in prison?
 
would a buck 110 be against the law in most states ?? i'm thinkin millions of us would be in jail if they were.
 
Hi Steelhog,

I would suggest following the local law of the land if you are going to carry a knife.

A knife is one of those unique entities that falls into a gray area in the minds of many. To some it's a common tool, to some it's a deadly evil thing. To others it's a source of study and admiration. To some it is the string that links human history. To some, it's a wondrous combination of chemsity and natural materials.

There are obstructions that are not obvious with regards to the law. Where a knife may be considedred a "dangerous weapon", carrying one that exceeds the local length law, it many areas, makes it a "deadly weapon" and is now subject to different laws and punishments.

"Big Brother" may be a Bastid, but "Big Brother" is BIG.

While the odds may be in your favor, in my opinion, it is not worth your time and money to deal with the adversity should the odds go against you.

For all of the many reasons that you might choose to carry a knife, just about all of those reasons/jobs can be effectively accomplished with a knife of legal size.

sal
 
yablanowitz said:
The law may be stupid, but it is still the law. If we only obey the law when it is convenient, how are we different than all those people we have in prison?
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I agree with this in principle (as I stated earlier) but I will answer your question: Our intention makes the difference. We do not intend harm.
I will not disobey even a stupid, wrong law, but the temptation is there. Would it be wrong? Legally yes, morally, no. The law is immoral. Disobeying it is not.
I adhere to it to avoid trouble, not because of any principle.

There are many laws that are just plain wrong. Of course if we all individually start deciding which those are (as is convenient) we create chaos. But laws that only affect law-abiding people, preventing or limiting their ability at self-defense, I have no problems calling those laws immoral.
 
steelhog said:
How many of you guys follow you states blade length just because it the law? I EDC a small sebenza and it is under the 3" limit, but I would like to get a large sebenza but its like 3.5". I am kinda on the fence on the issue. I live out of town, but I dont want to just cary it at home. So do any of you EDC a knife with a illegal blade length? I dont think breaking the law is a good idea, but I want a large sebenza. So should I stay with a sub 3" blade or break the law by .5"?
Click to expand...

Risking confiscation, a fine, or maybe even lawyer's fees and jail for 1/2" of blade does not sound rational to me.
 
My EDC (4" CS Voyager) is legal to carry under MA state law but a number of cities here have passed local ordinances against carrying knives with blades over 2.5". The penalty is usually arrest and a large ($300+) fine. Since I have removed the pocket clip from my Voyager and carry it completely concealed (pivot-down, right front pocket), I just go about my normal business when passing through these places. Never had a problem.
 
Fascion said:
The difference between speeding and carrying knives of illegal length, as you even pointed out, is that an observant speeder can slow down to a legal limit to avoid getting pulled over. . . .
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Actually, the biggest difference is that your run of the mill speeding is not a crime. It's an infraction, punishable by a fine and/or revocation of your driver's license. In order to be thrown in jail, you need to be breaking some other law - like speeding in excess of 100 mph or whatever kind of special speed crimes your state might have. The knife length rules are most likely criminal offenses.
 
I obey my countrys knifelaws (under protest!) cos breaking them means 7 days in the slammer and possibly a hefty fine. And i dont need a criminal record as im finding it hard enough to find a job.

Just to give you an idea of how knife-phobic the the goverment/cops heres something i experienced not long ago:

There was this episode on the news about a guy who got busted by the cops for having an illegal knife. The guys a 55yr old fisherman who broke his leatherman wave. The wave was one-handed so he sent it in to the Leatherman store for fixing under warranty NOT knowing it was illegal. The guys at Leatherman (A**HOLES) sent it straight to the police where the cops gave this poor angler a 1000 dollar fine. This flipped me out so much that i fired up my laptop and wrote a scathing letter to the ministry of justice. Bear in mind that i DID NOT cuss, swear or threaten. Several weeks later 2 cops show up at my door asking if i had any illegal knives, the logic being that if i sent a letter like that i must be some psycho knife-guy. I wasnt home at the time, but my girlfriend told them off.
 
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kmm said:
I obey my countrys knifelaws (under protest!) cos breaking them means 7 days in the slammer and possibly a hefty fine. And i dont need a criminal record as im finding it hard enough to find a job.

Just to give you an idea of how knife-phobic the the goverment/cops heres something i experienced not long ago:

There was this episode on the news about a guy who got busted by the cops for having an illegal knife. The guys a 55yr old fisherman who broke his leatherman wave. The wave was one-handed so he sent it in to the Leatherman store for fixing under warranty NOT knowing it was illegal. The guys at Leatherman (A**HOLES) sent it straight to the police where the cops gave this poor angler a 1000 dollar fine. This flipped me out so much that i fired up my laptop and wrote a scathing letter to the ministry of justice. Bear in mind that i DID NOT cuss, swear or threaten. Several weeks later 2 cops show up at my door asking if i had any illegal knives, the logic being that if i sent a letter like that i must be some psycho knife-guy. I wasnt home at the time, but my girlfriend told them off.
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What country do you live in? Even countries with strict laws againt carrying knives have exceptions for those whose professions require them (chefs, fishermen, rescue workers, etc.). If the Leatherman was, in fact, illegal, where did he obtain it? Was it illegal to simply possess (in one's home or business, for example) or was it illegal to carry in public?
 
Im from Denmark and theres a total ban on one-handed opening knives, no exceptions made.

The law came into effect in 2003 after a specific stabbing incident. Prior to that they were allowed and many of them are still in peoples tool-boxes, fishing/hunting gear, hiking-bags etc. but they are illegal to own, import, sell or use.

As a civilian im allowed to carry a slipjoint with a max blade-length of 7cm. Thats it. I work as a metal-smith and at work i can carry a locking folder thats larger than that.
 
G*ddamn, kmm. I'm in Holland and we're heading that same direction. An anti-single-hand opening law is being constructed right now. Curiously, our knife laws are still very lenient, on paper - in reality, most larger cities have a total ban in the city-center and some surrounding "difficult" neighbourhoods. I may carry a seriously large locking folder where I live, but 1 km southbound, I'm breaking the law with it. All public transport is off-limits for knives as well, so are public buildings.

Sometimes, the police set a trap and lure car-drivers into what at first seems as an alcohol-control operation. That'd be fine with me. However, that fateful day in 2003, it wasn't - it was a "pre-emptive bodysearch-operation". Mind you; I was IN my car, driving, and happened to carry a Benchmade 690 Allen Elishewitz. That was the finest folder I had. It's discontinued for years and almost impossible to find pre-owned, now. Because - you guessed it: They gave me the choice of either being arrested and getting a criminal record, or handing it in and signing a legally binding paper which stated I voluntarily abandoned ownership. I made the "right" choice in that I don't need a criminal record...

I just bought a small Sebbie with wood inlay. I'm now very aware of when and where I take it with me.
 
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