Large VS small folder (considering LA county knife laws)?

[Blah357]

I live in the Los Angeles County area and I've been EDCing a RAT 1. Now recently I've been looking into getting my first high end folder, and I've decided on an HK Axis, but I'm not sure if I should get the mini or the full sized. I decided to look into the knife laws around here and found out that my RAT 1 was actually illegal all along, as I've been carrying it unconcealed (pocket clip) and its blade is well over 3 inches. The full sized HK would also be illegal, as it's around the same size as the RAT 1. However, I've never been stopped or anything for it, even though I'm also obviously a minor. Has anyone here actually gotten in trouble for having too large a folder in a 3 inch or less area? It seems almost unheard of, but I don't want to risk losing an expensive blade. Also, this part might be in the wrong thread, but how much of the ergonomics am I sacrificing if I decide to go with the mini? I'm so used to carrying and using larger knives that I can't imagine using one with a handle 1.5 inches shorter and a blade 0.5 inches shorter. So many people seem to prefer carrying a smaller knife, but I've never actually done so before. I have been in situations where I wish I had a smaller knife (such as when I want to cut food to share inside a restaurant), but I can really only afford one high end folder (I would get both if I could) and I use my knives in both outdoor areas and urban areas, so I'm kind of torn between being outdoor-friendly or sheeple-friendly. I also want a knife large enough to use as a last ditch self defense tool. Do people really feel the weight of a larger knife compared to a smaller one? Any advice on whether I should go with the mini or full sized would be appreciated. Sorry if this post got way off topic in the "laws" section, but my questions don't really fit in either here or somewhere else. Feel free to move this around to another section. I do have quite some time to make a decision, as I'm a minor without the funds to buy something so expensive right away.

 

[killgar]

The fact that you've never been stopped by police doesn't mean it won't happen. And whether or not you, or anyone else here knows of anyone being stopped by the police for a knife doesn't mean that it doesn't happen, or that people haven't gone to jail for it. How much are you willing to wager on the belief that a cop won't stop you? And what happens if you are wrong? How are your parents going to like having to bail you out of jail, pay for a lawyer, pay fines and court costs? All because of a knife. I'm talking about thousands of dollars.

And how would you like spending time in the Los Angeles juvenile detention system? I guarantee you, it's not filled with comic book thieves and kids who played hooky from school. Lots of juvenile offenders are gang bangers, psychopaths, sociopaths, rapists, murders, and all manner of violent criminals.

No one can say if you will ever be stopped by the cops, or get into trouble because of a knife. Every cop is different. I do know that if you should jaywalk, or ride a skateboard on the sidewalk, or ride a bicycle without a helmet, or commit a moving violation on a bicycle, or commit any of a number of minor violations of the law that most kids would never think about, that you will be inviting the cops to stop you, and you can bet that they will want to see what you have in your pockets.

Let me tell you a little about my experience as an adult and the California criminal justice system- I've been to jail, and I've been to prison, and I can't count how many regular guys I met behind bars, first-timers with no criminal record, who said to me "I can't believe I got caught", "I can't believe they arrested me for that", "I thought the cops had more important things to do". Those guys found out the hard way just how little they knew about the police, and just how easy it can be to get arrested. Never underestimate a cops willingness to arrest you if they think you are breaking the law.

And from my experience in the system, and seeing how easy it is for people to get arrested, including for minor offenses, I developed the following philosophy- "When your freedom is on the line, play it safe and go the extra mile to avoid going to jail".

I preached that philosophy behind bars, and I've preached it ever since I returned to the free world. And now I'm preaching it to you.

A person might get lucky and never have a run-in with the cops, they might carry a large folder clipped to their pocket in LA without ever having any trouble, but what happens if the day comes when they're not so lucky? Is it really worth the risk, and all the potential trouble, just to carry a knife clipped to your pocket with a blade 3" or longer? And believe me, the people who will tell you "Oh don't worry, you'll be fine, the cops won't care", are people who have never been to jail.

I don't mean to be so preachy, but like I said, I've seen a lot of guys get arrested and taken to jail in California for very minor offenses. I hope you won't be one of them.

And I hope that you never bring any of the knives you mentioned onto ANY school property k-12. I hope that you know the laws in California regarding knives on school property. Recently here in San Diego two ordinary high school students were arrested when cops randomly searched their parked vehicles in the school parking lot, while the students were in class, and found knives. A perfect example of how easy it can be to get arrested over a knife.

 

[Blah357]

Yeah I never bring any knives to school but thanks for your input I guess I'm going with a mini. Also, do you know if there are any federal, statewide, or local laws that involve minors and knives? I've done some digging around and I haven't been able to find anything concerning the issue.

 

[killgar]

There are no federal laws that prevent minors from owning or carrying knives.

Likewise, there are no state laws in California that prohibit minors from buying, owning, or carrying knives. Minors are subject to the same state knife laws as adults here in California, with no greater, nor lesser restrictions.

In Los Angeles, both city and county, the only knife laws specifically directed towards minors are ones prohibiting the sale of certain knives to minors-

Section 45.10 of the LA municipal (city) code says that it is illegal to "sell, exchange, give, or loan" any "springback knife" (whatever that is), "fixed or locking blade knife having a blade over two inches in length ", or "dirk or dagger having a blade over two inches in length" to any person under the age of 18.

Section 13.58.010 of the LA County code says that it is illegal to sell any knife with a blade 3" or longer to a minor unless that minor is accompanied by an adult.

But those two statutes apply to people selling knives inside the city and county limits of LA. Those laws do not prohibit you from buying knives over the internet from outside of LA, nor would it be a crime for vendors outside of LA to sell and ship you knives. And frankly, I've never seen or heard of any online knife retailers who require proof of age to buy a knife.

For reference purposes, here is a link to the LA County website where LA County knife laws can be found. Just type the word "knife" into the search box.

https://www.municode.com/library/ca/los_angeles_county/codes/code_of_ordinances

And here's a link to the LA Municipal (city) codes- Click on "Municipal Code" in blue under "Los Angeles, California", then after it redirects you to the code page, simply type "knife" into the quick search box to see the four chapters in the code that contain knife laws, then click on those codes-

http://www.amlegal.com/codes/client/los-angeles_ca/

On a related note, it's nice to see a young person take such an interest in knowing and following their local knife laws :thumbup: . Too many people, including many adults, just carry whatever they want with no regard for the law, or the potential consequences. And sometimes they pay for it.