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

If i may put my younger opinion in here when i was young (back in the early 90's) alot of guys had decent sized knives on them and just seemed as relaxed as everyone else. In your case its seems its not so much a matter of right or wrong by gov law it seems to come down to social laws and they seem to change so much in such a short time. I bet the large majority of adult population has some sort of pocket knife weather it be a cheap one or custom maid how ever how they carry and display it greatly varies.

Alot of what i am seeing now is a small swiss on a key chain or multi tools not belt knives i have all kinds in each type but now with the great folders out there with a good size and blade steel avail i find unless hunting or something of that nature there's no good reason to carry a belt knife or a neck knife. Most of the general population or sheep as so many call them (scared of there own shadow's) would assume its for trouble or defense but still make a fuss about it then there are others general workmen, knife lovers and straight forward people who wouldn't think twice on it in my case being 17 makes it even harder. People always ask why carry a knife ? whats the use at this age? its almost insulting and i always say well why not ? The other thing is I ALWAYS get questioned if i bring them in or near any schools i always say no and i never have never will but there's even more questioning in my situation and social anxtz.

Now i relize you may read this and say well thats good for you whats that help me with but think on how situations vary from person to person law to law state to state etc.
 
Charlie Mike said:
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.
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:eek:

If not in war, then where? Unbelievable.
 
i did not read all three wonderful pages of content, but i have to add that i don't open carry to often, i truly believe here in Southern California it's not really a subculture. But i do quite open carry when i do outdoor activities such as fishing in even local places and pretty rural areas. I even had a 15 min conversation with a Dept Fish & Game Warden, with my 6 inch fixed blade Winchester Knife on my side openly carried, he didn't even say a thing about it. Truthfully, i think you can open carry a fixed blade knife and there won't be much negative attention brought to you unless your profile fits a thug.
 
Don't open carry a large (or small) fixed blade if your arms are sleeved with tats. :D
 
Yup, sleeves with tats unfortunately no. bald head, wife beater, shorts with high socks, lightening tats nope. Gota be clean cut, look like a mountain person, look like a outdoors type person.
 
l_7581bf659813469a966cfb04f9bcba32.jpg

:D
 
It's weird, here in Canada it's like people don't even recognize the thing sticking out of my pocket as a knife... there are so few people carrying one openly, it's not something most people have seen, I guess. I bring one everywhere I go, college, downtown, into bars, whatever, and no one has ever said anything unless they were one of my friends who already -knew- it was a knife. That's including security at school, bars and even at my workplace. :\?

Odd, huh?
 
Glock26 said:
i did not read all three wonderful pages of content, but i have to add that i don't open carry to often, i truly believe here in Southern California it's not really a subculture. But i do quite open carry when i do outdoor activities such as fishing in even local places and pretty rural areas. I even had a 15 min conversation with a Dept Fish & Game Warden, with my 6 inch fixed blade Winchester Knife on my side openly carried, he didn't even say a thing about it. Truthfully, i think you can open carry a fixed blade knife and there won't be much negative attention brought to you unless your profile fits a thug.
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be careful with your assumptions.

there is an exemption in the penal code for lawful carry to and from recreation. ie, fishing, hunting, camping.

however, in and around the city/county of los angeles (and others) open carry of a fixed blade is a no-no. even if you don't look like a "thug", you are still in violation of the local laws, and subject to arrest.

and often times thugs don't look like thugs. dress is only one factor in criminal profiling.
 
Very true Mark. I was arrested once while wearing a Tag Heuer auto and carrying a BM42 and a MT Combat Troodon. I clean up nice at times but the law is the law. Lambskin blazer or not, you are catching a case.
 
Charlie Mike said:
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.
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Right... but for the same reasons they wouldn't allow you to walk around base with a 4" red mohawk or tattoos of baby Jesus with an assault rifle on your forehead.
The army is no different than an office with respect to appearances; whilst the suits represent the company, you represent the USA as a whole.
 
I carry mine concealed when I can, if someone sees my pocket clip if my shirt rides up then oh well, although that's usually not too noticeable unless one is looking for it.

For fixed blades they only get carried when in the field where they are needed.

It's about using common since I believe.

If one whats to draw attention to themselves for whatever reason that's their choice.

It's kinda like people who dress certain ways to be different, well they do draw attention to themselves, usually in a negative way, but that's their choice to do so and they shouldn't complain when it happens.

That's the same as if you wore a 9" fixed blade on your belt into a public area, expect to have problems, there are exceptions in some areas but for the most part it won't be see in a favorable light.
 
Charlie Mike said:
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.
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That must be the new PC Military, back when I was in the USMC back in 82-86 they didn't care what we carried.
 
Ankerson said:
That must be the new PC Military, back when I was in the USMC back in 82-86 they didn't care what we carried.
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There is no PC military in country,

The gear SOP is set by the skipper. There may or may not be political things taken into consieration, or it may be a weight issue. I can assure you that the combat arms units of the military are just as ready and willing to kill bodies as they have ever been.

edit: i meant the politics of the country being occupied, e.g. what type of image we want to project to the locals. this is a supposed "insurgency" after all, not a uniformed enemy and bilateral warfare...ok i digress.
 
emperorwang said:
There is no PC military in country,

The gear SOP is set by the skipper. There may or may not be political things taken into consieration, or it may be a weight issue. I can assure you that the combat arms units of the military are just as ready and willing to kill bodies as they have ever been.
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They were back in the 80's too, but they didn't care what knife we carried. ;)
 
axtalan0 said:
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. :(
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Agreed. We're on the same page.
 
Fascion said:
Right... but for the same reasons they wouldn't allow you to walk around base with a 4" red mohawk or tattoos of baby Jesus with an assault rifle on your forehead.
The army is no different than an office with respect to appearances; whilst the suits represent the company, you represent the USA as a whole.
Click to expand...

emperorwang said:
There is no PC military in country,

The gear SOP is set by the skipper. There may or may not be political things taken into consieration, or it may be a weight issue. I can assure you that the combat arms units of the military are just as ready and willing to kill bodies as they have ever been.

edit: i meant the politics of the country being occupied, e.g. what type of image we want to project to the locals. this is a supposed "insurgency" after all, not a uniformed enemy and bilateral warfare...ok i digress.
Click to expand...
Absolutely, do not carry a knife on your forehead and remember that knives are scarier than an M4 with a 68 and PEQ4
 
Very interesting thread. Perception is definitely important & so is where you are (The area & the general mindset about guns & knives).

When I lived with my Parents in N. Los Angeles (Northern part of SF Valley), & even now when I visit them, you'll see an occassional person with a FB on his belt, but looking at the person, they "look" to be people that use their knife for work (Construction, phone line-man, etc). When I moved further north, not even 15-20 miles north, but still in LA County, open carrying a FB wasn't an issue. Of course, the area was much more rural & I lived on ranch at the time.

I don't seem to see open carry as much as I used to, but the people that do carry it seem to "look" like the type that use it for work.

A funny story about sheeple & perceptions. When I started working in the Det. Bureau, I had to go to a High School for an incident. I forget why, but I pulled my knife out to cut something (An Emerson CQC-7). The Vice Principal, a female who I later found out lives with a Cop, looked at me & said, "What a scary knife!" I just looked at her & had to chuckle. I asked her if the knife bothered her & she said, yes, & wondered why I couldn't have NOT brought it on school grounds. I laughed & asked her why this relatively small knife bothered her, but the .45 on my hip didn't even make her bat an eye (It was a Glock 21 at the time, so it was a lg. pistol). She just laughed it off.

Sometimes, I think people are more scared of knives than they are of guns, although I know there are many out there that are afraid, period, of both.

I don't even bother carrying a FB on my belt. I do carry a HAK, open carry, on my key-chain that dangles out of my pocket. No one says a word about it, but then I think they don't know what it is.

I live in S. Calif., but we go to Oregon quite a bit because my wife's family is up there. As liberal as Oregon's becoming (Not that far behind Calif, IMHO), it's still nice to carry pretty much whatever you want & autos, if that's your thing.

I guess I'm more of a moderate in that I will talk to people about guns & knives, but only if they bring it up. If someone's anti G/K, then I usually listen to what they say & then either ignore them, realizing no rational discussion will do anything, or make my points. I do not go out of my way to let others know I'm carrying several knives & a handgun, though. I'm just more comfortable with people not knowing what I have on me. I do find myself nowadays EDCing a slip-joint (Along with a folder & the HAK), to use if I'm around people so as not to "shock" them.

However, I was at my Daughter's Dojo last night & she got a new Gi. W/O thinking I pulled out my folder (I believe it was a Spyderco Caly3 ZDP), & cut the tags off of it. There were several people in the front area, including 3-4 Mothers & no one said anything or even appeared to be bothered & 1 Mother just watched me, making sure I tied my Daughters Gi correctly, lol.

I guess you never know how people will respond, but I think I'm at the point in my life that, while I don't care what people think of my pro-G/K thoughts, I also don't go out of my way to find out theirs.
 
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