Illegal or Really Illegal Blade ??

Mark W Douglas

Mark W Douglas

Joined
Nov 16, 1998
Messages
1,345
I was just told by a policewoman friend that if you are caught with an illegal knife on your person, chances are no charges will be brought against you as long as you say it is for your work. But, if you say it is for self defense, off to the big house you go!
Now, what's wrong with that picture?
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Mark

 
Chances are even if the blade is legal and you say it is for self defense that you'll get into legal trouble. Taking responsibility for your own and your loved ones' defense is politically incorrect. Being a victim or statistic seems to be the in thing these days. Lots of people are ignorant of the potential for danger around them and a few news reports about violence are able to whip them into a fear of any violence and likely to lead to legislation which ends up doing nothing except to further disarm law abiding citizens. But I've hogged this soap box long enough so I'll get off and let someone else rant.
 
DO NOT!!! Take legal advice from police.
They are not qualified to give it and in many cases know a lot less about knife laws than we do.
 
Nope, she's right on that one-at least it's the same up here in the North. You have a knife and you say it's for opening envelopes, peeling oranges, whittling, it's fine. Say it's for self-defense and you are in sh!t.

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"Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heav'n"
John Milton
There are only two types of people; those who understand this, and those who think they do.
 
First off, Listen to Tom W.
Police (any LEOs here correct me if I'm wrong) do not like to give advice on weapons matters due to any possible liability. Hell even prosecuters won't tell you anything!
Your best bet is to read up on your state's revised statutes and see what is NOT allowed. State's revised statutes generally won't say what IS allowed, just what isn't.

I just moved to Nevada which is an open carry state. As long as your weapon (folding or fixed blade, or handgun) is in plain view, you are breaking no laws. I was initially told of this by the two guys in the gunshop in town. Well, I wanted to get the "real scoop" so I called the State Attorney General's office who then told me to call the State Police. I finally get a detective on the phone and was advised that "if you carry an automatic in an open manner, we HIGHLY URGE you to keep the chamber empty and remove the magazine from the weapon". I suppose I have to ask the bad guy to wait a second until I load my weapon so I can shoot him.
What the heck does "highly urge" mean?
LOL

That reminds me of the days before seat belt laws were inacted. The police "highly urged" you to use your seatbelt, but if you didn't, no harm, no foul.

At this point, I carry openly until I get into my truck, then place the weapon in the console. That's not considered concealed in this state.
I COULD walk around with a cocked and locked .45 but I would definitely be interviewed by the first LEO that saw me.
I went for the CCW just to save the hassle. I still have to wait about 6 months though.

Anyways, I drifted..... bottom line is to read your state revised statutes regarding carrying of weapons then make your choice.

If you need help finding them, drop me an email and I'll see if I can dig 'em up for ya.
Meanwhile, the knife is a "tool".
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Good luck!
VG

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Vampire Gerbil: Nosferatus Rodentus Moderatus; similar to a domestic gerbil, except for the odd accent and little black cape.
 
It's just common sense. If a police officer says, "Hmm. What's that knife for?" you should respond, "I use it at work to open boxes, cut tape, etc."

You should NOT say something along the lines of, "I use it to stab bad guys in the face." followed by a five minute speech on your right to bear arms.

If you want to go on a rant about political correctness and your right to self-defense, do it here, in the friendly confines of BladeForums, rather than in front of a LEO.
 
I'll reinforce the conventional wisdom.

1. Asking a cop for legal advice is a bit like calling a lawyer to report a robbery. Different professions, different training.

2. Never tell a cop you're carrying your knife "for protection." After all, you'd still carry a strong sharp knife if you knew that peace and goodness had broken out, and there were no more bad guys, and you didn't need a weapon, right?


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- JKM
www.chaicutlery.com
AKTI Member # SA00001
 
I do have one question. Why can't you say it is for self defense? If they ask me why I have My HK 40s&w on my hip, I am going to say for self defense, and that is what my permit states it is for, so why couldn't he say his knife is for defense? (any LEO's jump in here) I do not understand the difference????
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Matt
If you are not living on the edge, then you are taking up to much room!
AKTI member# A000233
NKCA member# 33662
http://www.geocities.com/qballhk40
 
Q-Ball,

Because nobody is gonna believe you're planning to peel an apple or open envelopes with your 40 S&W H&K. They didn't say that you COULDN'T claim that your knife was for self defense. Just hope that the LEO that you tell that to doesn't believe in "Write 'em all up and let the courts figure it out". Why ask for trouble?

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Dave
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Attention: Some assembly may be required. Batteries not included.
 
Fact is, L.E.O.'s are just like the rest of us. They have good days and bad days too. One day they might be happy and cheerful and let you slide for carrying a 6" bladed switchblade, but the next day they might be poed and if you say "Awe sh*t" when they write you a speeding ticket, they decide to arrest you for resisting without violence. I mean nothing derogatory about L.E.O.'s, I respect them greatly for doing the tough and dangerous job they do, but noone is a superman and can deal with all circumstances without allowing emtions enter into it.
I agree with Tom 100%. Go to your local courthouse and read and even copy all the laws on the books pertaining to knives. Then you know the exact laws and whether you are breaking them or not.That excludes all the shady areas that are written into every law on the planet, of course!!
I guess when you get down to it, if you plan on carrying an illegal weapon, DON'T DO SOMETHING STUPID WHERE A L.E.O. WILL HASSLE YOU!!
Take care illegal knife carrying knifenuts!! Michael

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Always think of your fellow knife makers as partners in the search for the perfect blade, not as people trying to compete with you and your work!http://www.nebsnow.com/L6steel
 
There has been some good advice given in this thread:
1. Don't say anything to a cop that you don't want to hear read at a trail when you're suspected of a crime. (I hate it when people tell me some of the things they tell me). A knife is man's oldest tool. Why not just say you use it for work.
2. The law applies to everyone equally, but if I was standing trial for CCW I would prefer to look like a businessman. (Cops are not allowed to "profile" people but if you think judges and juries don't you're only fooling yourself)
3. V.G. is right. most cops, me included, hate to give advice because people tend to twist your advice to what they want to hear and the next thing you hear is the Chief screaming at you "Did you tell this person it was ok to walk down Main St. waving a sword". Advice has a way of coming back to bite you in the butt.


If everything was always so clear there would never be a dissenting opinion from the US Supreme Court...

mike,
a street cop for 21 years... one of these days I have to get a normal job
 
One safe answer ..... Don't put yourself in a situation do get frisked!
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Mark

? Which came first? The knife (tool) or the knife (weapon)?

knife (tool)
 
I tell people that the knife that I carry is for my use at work. Then most people want to know what I do for a living. I wonder why?http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=314358&a=4192287&p=19108698&Sequence=0 All kidding aside, in many years as a former street cop, I was more concerned about the situation that was taking place then I was about blade type or length.
 
If you can lawfully carry a gun (whether you are "packing" at the moment or not), you have, it seems to me, a persuasive argument that your knife is there for cutting inanimate objects. If you want to be armed, you have (or can have) the gun!

Most military "combat" knives are non-weapons under most circumstances for that very reason.

When seen as a weapon, a knife carries a greater "Ewwww-yuck!" factor in some minds than a gun. There are places where you may lawfully carry a gun if you don't have a criminal record already, but where you still would never tell a cop you carry a knife "for protection."

As for which came first . . . I think the knife as a tool came first. The first weapons were found in nature. Chimps know what to do with sticks and rocks. Whoever first put an edge on a suitable rock, on purpose, allowed our species to alter nature.

A stone knife is good for turning a mere dead animal into meat without getting hair between your teeth, and a useful skin, for working with plant fiber, maybe for peeling the fruit of the tree of knowledge, but it is a wee bit brittle for use as a close combat weapon. "Stone age" daggers are made of bone or hardwood, and don't have much of a cutting edge.


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- JKM
www.chaicutlery.com
AKTI Member # SA00001
 
Absolutely, Mr. Mattis!

We are working to decriminalize stone knives in Michigan, and a couple of political, urban sheriffs are our opposition. Probably worried about drive by spearings.
 
Thank you for your answers to my questions. I just can not understand why people find knives so threatening.

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Matt
If you are not living on the edge, then you are taking up to much room!
AKTI member# A000233
NKCA member# 33662
http://www.geocities.com/qballhk40
 
Q-Ball,

It must come from the early years. "Leave that knife alone! You'll poke somebody's eye out with that thing!"
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Dave
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Attention: Some assembly may be required. Batteries not included.
 
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