Is it legal to open carry a sword

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pyro777

Joined
Sep 15, 2008
Messages
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I hope this is in the right area but I have been wondering, I live in North Carolina and you can open carry a handgun but is it legal to open carry a sword. Why I would ever do this I don't quite know, probably the same reason some people open carry a pistol, because I could.
 
Let's try this in our cheap-legal-advice forum.

I'm sure there are places where you could open-carry a sword -- and get asked about it a lot by local law enforcement. :)
 
I don't know about NC, but it used to be legal to open carry a sword in Delaware. (at that time their carry law specifically stated "Knife with blade over xx inches" - and a sword is definitely not a knife)
A bunch of friends and I did that one year for the Wilmington Halloween pub crawl.
 
NC statute specifically says "concealed." That's even in the title of the law: § 14‑269. Carrying concealed weapons.

Here's the source:
http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/enactedlegislation/statutes/html/bysection/chapter_14/gs_14-269.html

Of course there are two caveats: Local laws may have prohibitions on open-carry of certain weapons, and there is a possibility of being cited for created a public disturbance/alarm, disorderly conduct, or other similar local laws regarding scaring people. Having a logical reason for having a sword is likely a defense to such issues, like being part of a parade, play, reenactment, medieval faire, etc.
 
Even if you could, why, the looks you would get, freaking people out, cops would probably hassle you, maybe get you for inducing panic if people were calling to say a " A GUY JUST WALKED BY WITH A SWORD !!!!" (catch 22)
 
1066vik said:
I don't know about NC, but it used to be legal to open carry a sword in Delaware. (at that time their carry law specifically stated "Knife with blade over xx inches" - and a sword is definitely not a knife)
A bunch of friends and I did that one year for the Wilmington Halloween pub crawl.
Click to expand...

You'd want to check your state definitions there. Commonly, while not specifically mentioned, a sword meets the legal definition of a very very large knife.

In Maine we don't have a blade length limit, so I'm free to carry whatever I please. That being said, you'd be liable to freak people out which is never a very politic thing to do. I've carried a sword a couple of times before just to see if anyone noticed--only one person did (the guy who runs the local bottle redemption), and the conversation went sort of like this:

Guy: "Is that a sword?"
Me: "Yup!"
Guy: "And you don't get in trouble carrying that around?"
Me: "Nope!"
Guy: "COOL!"

But that being said, us Mainers just don't care too much about anything. :D I don't recommend carrying a sword habitually unless you know your local constabulary well and keep your appearance unassuming and approachable.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
But that being said, us Mainers just don't care too much about anything. :D
Click to expand...

I can't resist. This should go up at the beginning of winter, not spring, but ...

Maine Temperature Conversion Chart

60 above zero
New Yorkers try to turn on the heat.
People in Maine plant gardens.

50 above zero
Californians shiver uncontrollably.
People in Maine sunbathe.

40 above
Italian cars won't start.
People in Maine drive with the windows down.

32 above
Distilled water freezes.
Moosehead Lake's water gets thicker.

20 above
Floridians wear coats, gloves, and woolly hats.
People in Maine throw on a sweatshirt.

15 above
New York landlords finally turn up the heat.
People in Maine have the last cook-out before it gets cold.

zero degrees
People in Miami cease to exist.
Mainers lick the flagpole.

-20 below
Californians fly away to Mexico.
People in Maine get out their winter coats.

-40 below
Hollywood disintegrates.
The Girl Scouts in Maine begin selling cookies door to door.

-60 below
Polar bears begin to evacuate Antarctica.
Maine's Boy Scouts postpone "Winter Survival" classes until it gets cold enough.

-80 below
Mt. St. Helens freezes.
People in Maine turn to ice skating or skiing.

-100 below
Santa Claus abandons the North Pole.
Maine-iacs get frustrated when they can't thaw the keg.

-297 below
Microbial life survives on dairy products.
Cows in Maine complain of farmers with cold hands.

-460 below
ALL atomic motion stops.
People in Maine start saying, "Cold 'nuff for ya?"

-500 below
Hell freezes over.
The New England Patriots win the Super Bowl!
Click to expand...
 
All very good stuff, thanks guys. I really kind of want to carry a sword around with me just for the sake of having a sword, but that being said I probably never will because it would freak one person out and the cops would most likely hassle me for it. I dont know why the idea is so appealing but it is, I would never really use it for anything except in a extremely rare moment of defense where I cant run away lol.
 
All of these answers, while correct, are skirting around how it's supposed to work.

In most communities, the length of the weapon has nothing to do with its legality. It will come down to whether it is a dangerous weapon.

Basically, IF you are carrying the sword as a weapon--brandishing it at people, using it fight crime, intimidating people with it--it becomes a dangerous weapon and law enforcement will stop you.

IF you are carrying it from your car into a training facility, wearing it as part of a re-enactment (and no, you can't claim you're a re-enactor...you need to be in a location where there's visibly such going on), are using it in a safe demonstration, etc., you're pretty much good to go anywhere.

It comes down to intent. If your intent is to view it as a weapon, it's a weapon. If it's a prop, tool, training item, etc., being used in the correct context, then it's whatever you say it is, but not a weapon.
 
Watchful said:
All of these answers, while correct, are skirting around how it's supposed to work.

In most communities, the length of the weapon has nothing to do with its legality. It will come down to whether it is a dangerous weapon.

Basically, IF you are carrying the sword as a weapon--brandishing it at people, using it fight crime, intimidating people with it--it becomes a dangerous weapon and law enforcement will stop you.

IF you are carrying it from your car into a training facility, wearing it as part of a re-enactment (and no, you can't claim you're a re-enactor...you need to be in a location where there's visibly such going on), are using it in a safe demonstration, etc., you're pretty much good to go anywhere.

It comes down to intent. If your intent is to view it as a weapon, it's a weapon. If it's a prop, tool, training item, etc., being used in the correct context, then it's whatever you say it is, but not a weapon.
Click to expand...

Well said !!!! :thumbup:
 
I believe it may be legal but there is a law that talks about going forth and menacing the public. I was told all it takes is soccer mom calling 911 complaining that they are afraid of the guy wearing cammies carrying a katana in Walmart, you are all done. I think I heard this from a cop.
 
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