Illegal knife blade lengths.

I dont know where its all heading and when the sheeple will be satisfied...Its a shame that the world has turned into the place it is today.

@Watchmaker
Too bad about your benchmade, i used to edc a Spydie Tenacious when working, after some time i got so worried so i filled the hole with metal epoxy to make it comply with our laws. A crap solution to a crappy problem. See pics here: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=659225

I dont go anywhere without a knife so i ordered a Spydie DKPK from the states to edc. It cost me with shipping, import taxes and fees a whopping 250USD or about 175Euros. And it STILL worries me what the cops will say to it the day im searched...
 
I like to play it safe and I check my states laws and other state laws when I go to other states, I check thier laws.
 
Watchmaker said:
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...
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I've been in the exact same situation (I've lived in Amsterdam up till I was 39 or so) but REFUSED to 'give' my knife away. It was a perfectly legal Kershaw 1050, which looks impressive but really only has a 4" blade. I happen to know my rights, they put a LOT of pressure on me (was taken to the station, threatened with arrest, etc etc) but I refused.
The knife was confiscated but I made sure to write down the names of every cop I saw.
It took more than a year to get the knife back. Its leather sheath went missing, as the knife itself would have done had I not been more alert. Confiscated stuff and evidence has a way of getting lost in police custody if it's shiny or expensive... :rolleyes:

The thing is, you did nothing wrong, but you weren't aware of your rights, or decided it wasn't worth the hassle.

Like you said, in Holland, on paper the knife laws are lax, but in practice they will ALWAYS confiscate any knife you carry - the law gives the cops that discretion. The onus is on you to show you had no bad intentions.

Europe is totalitarian, make no mistake about it. All governments there claim a monopoly on violence, even in the case of selfdefense.
And cops are only too happy to enforce these draconian rules. :mad:
 
Yeah, heard that later on - I should have stood tall and never have signed that paper. That Benchmade is now "destroyed". Yeah, right. I'm pretty sure that at the end of the operation, they sort out everything and distribute the really nice stuff among themselves. A hardware-store/knife-shop owner here (a true rarity nowadays) told me once that some of his best customers were cops.
 
Watchmaker said:
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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I converted my 4" lock-blade CS Voyager from a "tactical folder" to simply a large jackknife. I did this by removing the pocket clip and the thumb stud. I can open it easily with one hand by either flicking it open or by thumbing the blade out about 35-degrees until it stops in the hesitation notch, then flipping it the rest of the way. Yes, in NYC it would be considered a "gravity knife" regardless but by removing the "evil features", most places would not consider it to be a one-hand-opening knife. Because of the risks of confiscation or loss (using it in self-defense and then having to ditch it in a river, storm drain, etc.), I would never carry an expensive knife. CS folding knives are moderately priced, very sharp and durable.
 
I absolutely obey the law here, even though it's completely nonsensical. Best reason? If I get busted with a knife that's 1/4" over the limit, I can lose my concealed carry permit, which is much more valuable to me than any knife.
 
Jersey knife laws are vague to say the least.I carry what I want most of the time,depending on where I'll be & what I'll be doing.

I do get a little anxious when I'm carrying a big,scary knife...CQC-12 comes to mind.
 
philwar said:
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.
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legal/illegal and right/wrong are closely related but (for me) not the same thing. There are quite a few laws that I break while still feeling like a "good" person. Overall however I DO find that legal=right is a good rule of thumb....just not a law :p

We're grown ups, we make decisions, we take responsibility, end of story.

and yes, YMMV. Just my 2 cents.
 
praktis said:
here in Sweden there is a total ban on carrrying a knife nomatter what length..

/Roger
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Wow. Is there any other country in the WORLD with such insane rules? That you wouldn't mind being compared to (N-Korea comes to mind... :rolleyes:)

The Swedes have gone waaaaaaay too far in their attempts to mold society to what they regard as ideal.

(I apologize, I do not mean to rag on Sweden, it is a lovely country and its people are great. I just loathe their policies)
 
Australia has the same rules
But i wouldnt say they are overly strict on it..unless your a gangbanger
And you can carry any knife you want out bush
Its also illegal to buy or sell slingshots...lol..but we sell them as bait casters instead and we sell white ball bearings with them but they are labelled as tracers for bait casting...gotta love those loopholes
 
Back in my NYC days a Buck 110 in your pocket when patted down, or on your belt if you were a known idiot, was always good for a concealed deadly instrument charge, easy court OT from the cop's perspective. Part of why I left that city...

I have no knowledge of what a Sebenza is, but presume it is some kind of blade. Go ahead. Wear the 3.5 into DC Federal court. Let us know how your experience went. Also note the speed with which the sheeple w/o knives pass through the metal detectors vs. the ones with knives who sometimes wind up staying overnight.

That said, volunteering to become a test case doesn't strike me as the brightest move I have seen. What are the maximum penalties where you are? Is it a felony or a misdemeanor charge? Either way, what is the maximum possible fine and court assessment that can be imposed? [hint: I suspect it is more than you are expecting.] How much was that lawyer who treated the local DA to a lunch (on your dime) and pleabargained you down to a Discon with 10 days community service? The ordeal behind you, let's assume a job sweeping floors at Dollar Store (or similar) isn't what you want to do for the rest of your life. Simply put, in today's litigation prone world any employer who hires someone with a criminal record (and yes many do check) is taking a big chance. In this economy there are many, many, other equally qualified job seekers out there with no prior arrest record. [BTW, my current employer rejects all who don't show up with a pen, pencil, males without a shirt with a tie and a shave, (females not wearing something called proper business attire) or those who have poor credit ratings.] Guess which candidate will be hired? Matter of fact, showing up for the interview for a big bucks job (the kind that actually pays for those $400K mortgages or the new BMW) with your pride and joy dangling off your belt, legal or not, is equally silly and wasteful of everyone's time.

Sure wear it around town, just understand many people are not as enlightened in their attitudes and some calls to 911 on their cell phones will occur and it really would be best to be really polite and totally legal when those guys in the car with the blue lights pull onto the sidewalk in front of you. [Remember what I said about easy OT pay for court time? It is true in more places than just NYC.]
 
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I follow the law, 99% of the time.
When I'm in NV, my knives are all legal. But when during that work day I go over to California as part of my job, I think that all my knives are illegal. All of mine are at least 3" and all lock, some being assisted opening. But when I'm in the warehouse in CA, I use it as a knife, not a weapon. And I've never had any issues, even though I've had LEOs see me use my knife 10 feet in front of them. It's not as much as the knife you carry as how you carry it that makes the difference. You could flaunt a sodbuster, and get in trouble, or you could discreetly carry an XL Espada, and probably attract less attention with the Espada.
 
A_Blade_Afficionado said:
I follow the law, 99% of the time.
When I'm in NV, my knives are all legal. But when during that work day I go over to California as part of my job, I think that all my knives are illegal. All of mine are at least 3" and all lock, some being assisted opening. But when I'm in the warehouse in CA, I use it as a knife, not a weapon. And I've never had any issues, even though I've had LEOs see me use my knife 10 feet in front of them. It's not as much as the knife you carry as how you carry it that makes the difference. You could flaunt a sodbuster, and get in trouble, or you could discreetly carry an XL Espada, and probably attract less attention with the Espada.
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You sure you could discreetly carry that thing?

csstoreonline_2064_21896519
 
It is wise to fully understand the law in your jurisdiction and to conform your behavior to it.

Fortunately, I live in one of the remaining free states where law abiding citizens may still carry whatever they dang well please.

:thumbup:
 
I have a friend who is a NJ state cop, basically you can be in trouble with any knife on ur person, if the cop wants to charge u with a consealed weapon he will, despite the legal limit.
 
blackjackdan08 said:
I have a friend who is a NJ state cop, basically you can be in trouble with any knife on ur person, if the cop wants to charge u with a consealed weapon he will, despite the legal limit.
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There is no legal limit, you need a "valid lawful purpose," whatever that means, to carry a knife. I've spoken to cops who say they wouldn't generally care unless you were being a jerk, then they'll get you on whatever they can.
 
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