Open carry: A right, a statement, or an indiscretion?

In most places in Canada, it is illegal to not have your knife visible. A Buck 110 on the belt is very reasonable, as are pocket clip knives as the clip is part of the knife and hence visible. There is no law in general against carrying a fixed blade of any length either. Of course, you probably wouldn't want to carry a fixed blade in the big city.

Personally, I now resemble an old biker, so I am never bothered anyway. However, as I have been carrying a knife for over 45 years, I really don't figure to stop now.
 
I see myself falling in all three categories you outlined, at least to some degree. It is my right, at least for now, to carry, I look at and describe my knives as tools, and I am a bit cautious around non-knife people to the extent that I use my slipjoint for 99% of my knife work. But I still love to carry a larger, single bladed, deep carry clipped folder in my right pocket, if for no other reason than I can, and I love to have something unique.

One thing I look for when purchasing a new folder is location of pocket clip, as it must be deep pocket carry, or be able to be set up for deep-carry, ala' STR!

Some have mentioned law enforcement and knives, it all boils down to being responsible. If you are a responsible person and don't pull out your knife and sling it open with the accompaning loud TWACK, you will probably not draw attention to yourself, or your knife. Once knew a young guy who liked knives, but he would loosen the pivot to the point that it had all sorts of bladeplay, just to be able to sling it open, and did so in public to the point that he did it in front of an off duty LE and "lost" his knife. I tried to tell him, but sometimes stupid can't be fixed!
 
I'm mostly in between the constitution quoter and the grey man with a little bit of the activist thrown in. :D

To be frank , folks who are afraid of knives and firearms etc , annoy the ever loving you know what out of me !

I got no time for wusses.

Tostig
 
Pssshhhh.
I carry a knife each day. Period.
Which knife it is, and how it looks, etc. depends on my dress, my company, or my anticipated workload, and not on social norms or standards.
 
I think a knife is a tool first and foremost. I think a lot of you probably agree with this. I also believe it is important to have the right tool for the job. Most of you probably also agree with this sentiment.

So, if you work in an office, is a 6 inch fixie the right tool for the job? Hell no. And most people in your office will think your a freak having a huge knife strapped on your belt in the office. In fact I would agree with these people. To me that would be no different than having a carpenters belt strapped on at the desk. It is silly and useless for the most part. Is a small pen knife or folder the right tool for the office? I think so, and I think most of your coworkers would agree. I have carried a knife for many years and have not been hassled once--I think this is because I take the right tool to the job.

To those people that carry like 5 blades or more on yourselves...Im sorry but your asking to be hassled. Sure you like knives, I do too, but I think thats just inappropriate. Sure if your a ninja or some kind of special job that calls for it fine, but for the most part I think its pretty ridiculous. I think if you took a poll from people (and you could go back to the good ol days if you like too) they would agree with me.

Just be smart and sensible. If you want to carry a knife as a political statement, feel free, but be ready to be hassled and get wierd looks. Also remember, some of those weird looks will be coming from knife lovers as well, not just sheeple.
 
hardheart said:
I don't even know what this means. What makes a bali a weapon and not a tool?
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I think it is because they are seen as weapons to the general public at large. Anything can be a weapon, but these knives are often portrayed by the media as such
 
Thalestin said:
I think it is because they are seen as weapons to the general public at large. Anything can be a weapon, but these knives are often portrayed by the media as such
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...this annoys me. It's no more "dangerous" than any other type of knife, but is categorized as a "weapon" and not a tool by social stigma.
 
Thalestin said:
I think a knife is a tool first and foremost. I think a lot of you probably agree with this. I also believe it is important to have the right tool for the job. Most of you probably also agree with this sentiment.

So, if you work in an office, is a 6 inch fixie the right tool for the job? Hell no. And most people in your office will think your a freak having a huge knife strapped on your belt in the office. In fact I would agree with these people. To me that would be no different than having a carpenters belt strapped on at the desk. It is silly and useless for the most part. Is a small pen knife or folder the right tool for the office? I think so, and I think most of your coworkers would agree. I have carried a knife for many years and have not been hassled once--I think this is because I take the right tool to the job.

To those people that carry like 5 blades or more on yourselves...Im sorry but your asking to be hassled. Sure you like knives, I do too, but I think thats just inappropriate. Sure if your a ninja or some kind of special job that calls for it fine, but for the most part I think its pretty ridiculous. I think if you took a poll from people (and you could go back to the good ol days if you like too) they would agree with me.

Just be smart and sensible. If you want to carry a knife as a political statement, feel free, but be ready to be hassled and get wierd looks. Also remember, some of those weird looks will be coming from knife lovers as well, not just sheeple.
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Good post!
 
Perception is a funny thing. I was talking to my (way too liberal) daughter at a sushi restaurant and was really surprised when she agreed with me about people getting too worked up about carrying a pocket knife. She said "of course you should be able to carry a pocket knife" or something along those lines.

A little later I had occasion to use my Mini-Grip and she went off about "why do you carry such a big knife?!" I told her anything much smaller just didn't work too well on the apples I take in my lunch everyday, but you could see I now had acheived "slasher" status in her mind!

I'm now a lot more discreet about showing my Grip- I'm just too low on the food chain to want to start a fuss at work and end up getting it banned- even though they use chef's knives to cut cake!
 
I carry whatever I want to, legal or not, in my home.
 
The Government said:
I think that sometimes we are the paranoid ones, not the sheeple.
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^ This.

I am currently of the opinion that you can't please everyone.
Sure, you are far more likely to be hassled for openly carrying a knife than not (hey, it could happen!) but if it's not your carry method, it's your hairstyle, the way you cough or whatever else people can find to complain about. That said, I am also more than willing to go concealed carry if the workplace or folks I am out with prefer it... but I'm no more going to change my method of carry for some random person I'm going to walk past once in Wally World than I am my driving speed for that person who just merged onto the highway behind me. It's not political and I don't have an agenda, it's just what I prefer.

Right now, the only type of knife I would not wear openly are folders and that's simply because I prefer them to ride in my pocket rather than being clipped to it. In fact, I got my first neck knife early this year and it has quickly become my favorite method of carry and I'll admit it took me a while to warm up to the idea of having it dangling from my neck in a public place. I eventually came to realize that it is no different than wearing a folder clipped to your pocket or a fixed blade on your waist. It will no doubt attract more attention from some people, but so does wearing a nice watch or jewelry... and if that attention is coming from the wrong people, I'd much rather a knife catch their eye than "bling."

Erm, that last statement makes it sound like I carry for self defense, though... and I really don't. I carry because knives are a great tool to have access to for a variety of reasons and I chose to carry them openly for the same reason others might carry a cell-phone on their waist or a watch on their wrist, because it is convenient for when I do need it.
 
hardheart said:
I don't even know what this means. What makes a bali a weapon and not a tool?
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Some knives are considered purely weapons to such a degree that it is illegal to import them into New Zealand, these include:
Bali-song knives (butterfly knives)
Push Daggers
Any knife that has a double edged blade designed for stabbing or throwing (as opposed to cutting)
Switchblade or flick knives.


But of course huge kitchen knives & cleavers are perfectly fine.
Rifles & shotguns can be purchased over the counter if you have a license.
Bows & crossbows can be purchased over the counter if you are over 18.
 
Do what you think is right, and be prepared to pay the full price for it.

For practical purposes, there is no issue with knife carry in my town. There's nothing I want to carry that would be a problem - legal or cultural. I would still tend to conceal a larger fixed blade around town though. Why irritate people? Open pistol carry is legal, but I'm not going to walk around with a sidearm. IMO, the pistol belongs out of view. There are some very good practical reasons for that.

I sometimes break the law in the name of judgment (like driving 65 in a 55). There are also things that are legal I won't do (like talking on the phone while I drive).

So, IMO, 'legal' does not equate to 'correct' and 'correct' does not equate to entitlement.
 
I think I can give you an answer to the "why is a bali a weapon?" question.

Here is the Swedish law regarding knives and other dangerous items.

1 § Knivar, andra stick- och skärvapen och andra föremål som är ägnade att användas som vapen vid brott mot liv eller hälsa får inte innehas på allmän plats, inom skolområde där grundskole- eller gymnasieundervisning bedrivs, eller i fordon på allmän plats.
Förbudet i första stycket gäller inte, om föremålet enligt särskilda föreskrifter ingår i utrustning för viss tjänst eller visst uppdrag eller om innehavet annars med hänsyn till föremålets art, innehavarens behov och övriga omständigheter är att anse som befogat.
Stickvapen eller knivar som är konstruerade så att klingan eller bladet snabbt kan fällas eller skjutas ut ur sitt skaft (springstiletter eller springknivar) får inte innehas av personer under 21 år.

2 § Knogjärn, kaststjärnor eller andra sådana föremål som är särskilt ägnade att användas som vapen vid brott mot liv eller hälsa samt springstiletter eller springknivar får inte överlåtas till personer under 21 år eller saluhållas.

If I understand it right, the law says that you are not allowed to carry knives and other items made to cause bodily harm at public places and schools and in vehicles in public places.
However the law does not apply if the item in question is required for certain types of work or if the posession, regarded type, place, situation, etc. may be considered justifiable.
Possesion of daggers or knives where the blade comes out with speed is not allowed if under 21.

Part two says that knuckledusters, throwing starts and other items designed to cause harm etc. may not be given to people under 21, nor be available for sale.

Part three, four and five of LAG 1988:254 states that the law doesnt apply to firearms and the punishments if breraking this law.

So in short, the law has a rubbery wording to NOT need to clamp down on Average Joe and his 6" fixed on his huge backpack walking through the central station on a normal workday but at the same time book the drunk guy with a sharepened screwdriver he just passed.

I think I read a court ruling stating that a SAK is OK in "restricted" areas such as bars, restaurants etc. in the evening, if you look decent etc. At lunchtime you get away with the average Mora knife without question.
 
nodh said:
I think I can give you an answer to the "why is a bali a weapon?" question.

Here is the Swedish law regarding knives and other dangerous items.

1 § Knivar, andra stick- och skärvapen och andra föremål som är ägnade att användas som vapen vid brott mot liv eller hälsa får inte innehas på allmän plats, inom skolområde där grundskole- eller gymnasieundervisning bedrivs, eller i fordon på allmän plats.
Förbudet i första stycket gäller inte, om föremålet enligt särskilda föreskrifter ingår i utrustning för viss tjänst eller visst uppdrag eller om innehavet annars med hänsyn till föremålets art, innehavarens behov och övriga omständigheter är att anse som befogat.
Stickvapen eller knivar som är konstruerade så att klingan eller bladet snabbt kan fällas eller skjutas ut ur sitt skaft (springstiletter eller springknivar) får inte innehas av personer under 21 år.

2 § Knogjärn, kaststjärnor eller andra sådana föremål som är särskilt ägnade att användas som vapen vid brott mot liv eller hälsa samt springstiletter eller springknivar får inte överlåtas till personer under 21 år eller saluhållas.

If I understand it right, the law says that you are not allowed to carry knives and other items made to cause bodily harm at public places and schools and in vehicles in public places.
However the law does not apply if the item in question is required for certain types of work or if the posession, regarded type, place, situation, etc. may be considered justifiable.
Possesion of daggers or knives where the blade comes out with speed is not allowed if under 21.

Part two says that knuckledusters, throwing starts and other items designed to cause harm etc. may not be given to people under 21, nor be available for sale.

Part three, four and five of LAG 1988:254 states that the law doesnt apply to firearms and the punishments if breraking this law.

So in short, the law has a rubbery wording to NOT need to clamp down on Average Joe and his 6" fixed on his huge backpack walking through the central station on a normal workday but at the same time book the drunk guy with a sharepened screwdriver he just passed.

I think I read a court ruling stating that a SAK is OK in "restricted" areas such as bars, restaurants etc. in the evening, if you look decent etc. At lunchtime you get away with the average Mora knife without question.
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That still does not address the "why is a balisong considered a weapon" query. The point is that balisong knives are not "made" or "intended" to injure people any more than any other type of knife. They are just knives, and as such could be used as tools or weapons in the hands of various individuals... just like pencils, forks, screwdrivers, and wrenches.
 
puukkoman said:
That still does not address the "why is a balisong considered a weapon" query. The point is that balisong knives are not "made" or "intended" to injure people any more than any other type of knife. They are just knives, and as such could be used as tools or weapons in the hands of various individuals... just like pencils, forks, screwdrivers, and wrenches.
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A basic psychological truth is that reality is 90% perception. Some people perceive it as a weapon for whatever reason, and they have convinced lawmakers of the same. Plenty of idiots perceive brothels to be immoral, LSD to be harmful, etc. and have also convinced lawmakers of the same.

Don't look for logic, look at human nature. :(
 
Someone is going to be offended no matter what you do sometimes. I personally don't openly carry a knife, unless i'm hiking or camping and want a fixed blade knife. Since I can't conceal any fixed blade in California. But I don't think twice if I see someone with a bowie knife hanging from their belt.

Even my pocket clips are usually concealed, because I carry it clipped on the inside of my waistband, with shirts untucked, unless I'm at work. The only people I've had notice me carrying and mentioned the knife have been off duty EMTs/Firefighters.
 
Even in a deployed infantry unit, you have to watch what you carry. I was reprimanded for having a MT CFO2 (dagger logo) by my platoon sergeant. Same with balisongs. OTOH, I did convince some guys to buy MT Socoms and had no problem carrying a MT D/A Socom. It is all about perception. Even infantry officers don't want their men carrying stuff that looks too heinous.
 
Great post, and I am glad that it provoked so much intellectual thought into the subject matter. If we want to make carrying the "norm", or at least attempt to get non-knifers to understand, we must attack the subject (so to speak) from an intellectual vantage point. :cool:
 
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