neck knife law for ca ,

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Dec 21, 2005
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I've read the pc codes 12020 and as bright as i am i'm still confused .. i know folders of any size are legit visable or consealed .. but can some one break the law down to me in LAME MAN's terms on if i can carry a necker in cali under clothing conceiled ??

thank you soo very much in advance, i'd ratehr be safe then sorry soo i need to brush up on my local pc codes ..

thank tou ..
 
This is just my 0.02 cents. When you talk to a group of Calif LEO's about concealed weapons laws, most are probably going to be on the same page but a lot may not. IMO, if I contact an individual who is carrying a straight blade knife in anything other than a sheath on the outside of their beltline, there's a good chance I'll be getting them a room at the "Gray Bar Hotel" for the night. Don't get me wrong, the totality of the contact plays into it, we are all human! For example,if the dude has a steak knife down the back of his pants, See Ya!!! Also, a lot of blades are ground where they could be considered a dirk/dagger (double edged). IMO, a neck knife under clothing would fall under 12020 PC, especially if it has an agressive grind, etc... You might not be convicted bt twelve but you'll probably get hooked up by a majority of LEO's. Just my humble opinion. Later.
 
What I know is, that you can carry any size single edge as long as its visible. That is how I interpreted the law which can be interpreted in different ways by different people including LEO and judges. I think in CA you are asking for trouble from LEOs wearing a visible fixed blade.
 
san jose savage said:
I've read the pc codes 12020 and as bright as i am i'm still confused .. i know folders of any size are legit visable or consealed .. but can some one break the law down to me in LAME MAN's terms on if i can carry a necker in cali under clothing conceiled ??

thank you soo very much in advance, i'd ratehr be safe then sorry soo i need to brush up on my local pc codes ..

thank tou ..


I don't see what the confusion is. The same rules apply to neck knives as any other fixed blade. Which is to say if its got a point for stabbing you're taking a risk of a felony charge if you carry it concealed, ie under your shirt. In California you are much safer from a legal perspective with folders.

Best regards,

Argyll
 
OK, let me try "Lame Man's terms" on this one. Calif. state law deals with knife types and method of carry, not carry systems. If you want to carry a knife concealed, it can only be a folder that is in a folded state. Period. Any fixed blade, whether it's in a neck sheath, on your hip, horizontal carry, etc., doesn't matter. It cannot be concealed. Period. If you want to carry a blade around your neck, make it a Delica in a neck sheath.

Hank
 
HankS said:
OK, let me try "Lame Man's terms" on this one. Calif. state law deals with knife types and method of carry, not carry systems. If you want to carry a knife concealed, it can only be a folder that is in a folded state. Period. Any fixed blade, whether it's in a neck sheath, on your hip, horizontal carry, etc., doesn't matter. It cannot be concealed. Period. If you want to carry a blade around your neck, make it a Delica in a neck sheath.

Hank
about as clear as ive ever read , thanks i fully understand now..

i'm mainly a folder carrier, but just bought a necker, well cause it looked cool and was reletivly inexpensive ..
when i jog i usually have a 4 inch folder in my right palm and can deploy the blade in a fraction of a second , pretty safe for dog attacks or muggers lol ..
i thought a necker would be a nice carry also but since cali laws and the sheeple public might be thinking i'm some robber fleeing from a scene with a neck swinging around my neck maybe it might not be such a good idea ??
mental picture fellas ;) stalky mexican covered in tattoos jogging in a predominatly white neighbor hood with a knife swinging around neck ....

maybe i'll stick to the folder in my palm lol

thanks for all the help
 
Death's Head said:
Must be a really small folder.
usually around a 4 inch blade , and whats the corralation to the size ?

what if i jogged with a large sebenza ??
i dont see where your going with this ???
 
if you are seen carrying a knife in your hand, an officer may view this as ready for use. while your intentions are for self defense, stating this may also have an unhappy ending. at the very least expect a to see a gun barrel and possibly the pavement.
 
MORIMOTOM said:
if you are seen carrying a knife in your hand, an officer may view this as ready for use. while your intentions are for self defense, stating this may also have an unhappy ending. at the very least expect a to see a gun barrel and possibly the pavement.
point, i can see from the side your coming from , i also can see it clear from my side , jogging pre dawn or lat late night , ID and phone in one hand and folder in the othe ..
 
i see your point as well. while i may agree with you personally, other officers and likely the courts will not. if carried while jogging, it will be difficult to argue your knife is for anything other than a weapon. even as an leo, i do not carry any weapon in the open other than a folder in my pocket which may or may not have the clip visible depending on dress. if carried in a pocket or waistband, which i do while jogging, a knife can be accessed quickly. if you need to, practice until you are comfortable with your draw. again, in my opinion, expect to be stopped eventually by the local police.
 
anyone running around with a weapon in their hands should be stopped and talked to. the outcome may depend on the officer or other circumstances. that being said, my gun would be out and pointed in your direction. im not telling you not to do it, only to be aware of what might happen. like you said earlier, a stalky mexican with tattoos may seem suspicious to your all white neighbors, especially if he's carrying a knife.
 
and remember, you are not being stopped for jogging. you would be stopped for being armed with a knife.
 
12020 is a simple law (most laws are simple for that matter).

You can not carry any fixed blade knife (over 2" blade) concealed.

You can carry ANY fixed blade openly. This means daggers, dirks, steak knives neck knives ect. ALL fixed blades are legal to carry in CA so long as they are in plain view. And this does not mean just on your belt. It can be carried in any manner so long as it is in plain view.
 
This thread is interesting to me. Ron, are you saying that if the blade is under 2" on a neck knife then it's OK to wear under your shirt? I'm really curious because I got a Jim Burke Snitch as a gift and have wanted to wear it in traditional necker fashion, but don't want to get into trouble. I'm a mid 40s conservative sales rep who's usually well dressed and doesn't interact with LEOs often, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.
 
In CA any knife under 2" is not considered to be a dangerous or deadly weapon. So since it is not a deadly weapon it does not fall under 12020.

This is based on a case law ruling and basically stems from the size listings in both 653k and 12020. In 653k a switchblade is a deadly weapon, that is, unless it is under 2". A balisong is a deadly weapon, unless it is under 2". In 12020 a belt buckle knife is illegal unless it is under 2.5".

So based on those the courts ruled that a sub 2" knife is not a weapon.

A small fixed blade knife such as my Mini MAU, ShivWorks "Lil'Loco" or the Burke can be legally carried as a keychain (pocket carry), neck knife or any other manner.
 
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