Pocket knives in public

R

Runawayemu

Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Messages
79
Okay, so I had this thought a minute ago, why do I carry knives in public. My usual answer is cuz what if i need to cut something? But I think about it, and how often do i need to open boxes or something going to the store? Can u guys help me out? I am starting to question my knife faith and posting on the forum usually turns it around :)

p.s. this kinda helps if a cop were to ask me "Why the heck do u have a knife on u?" seeing that it is illegal to carry a concealed weapon in my state but a knife isn't a weapon to me. It just looks better if i have multiple reasons to back it up.
 
Shouldn't a "pocket" knife remain in your pocket?

If you need to perform a chore, then it makes sense to have your knife available, otherwise, pocket it.

What are you planning to do that will get police attention, brandish it?
 
and how often do i need to open boxes or something going to the store?
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probably never!! but that one time that hot chick needs a blade and you whip out a knife, you are like a knight in shining armor!!!
for me its a tool, especially when somebody asks!!
 
CWL said:
Shouldn't a "pocket" knife remain in your pocket?

If you need to perform a chore, then it makes sense to have your knife available, otherwise, pocket it.

What are you planning to do that will get police attention, brandish it?
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What if i get pulled over? I have to disclose the fact that i have a knife in my pocket when he or she asks me. I am not a bad driver but nobody's perfect. Only an idiot would brandish it and your response was obviously not meant to help answer my question. Thanks.
 
I've never been questioned about why I carry a knife. If you carry and use responsibly, chances are that nobody will ever ask the question--should be pretty obvious what you're needing a knife for when you're actually using it!

But should the question arise, tell the truth. A knife is a very handy dandy tool to have on you--never know when you'll need to open a letter or package, cut a piece of string, slice up some food, cut someone free of a seatbelt or a pantleg from an escalator, etc, etc...
 
smeecogg said:
probably never!! but that one time that hot chick needs a blade and you whip out a knife, you are like a knight in shining armor!!!
for me its a tool, especially when somebody asks!!
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lol, or she uses it and backs away wondering why the crazy man has a knife on him at walmart!
 
You don't have to brandish the knife to get a cops attention. You could get pulled over for having a busted tail light and get searched, you could be involved in an accident and get searched, it could fall out of your pocket accidentally and seen, and the list goes on.

To answer the OP question, try to find a knife that is legal for you to carry, if no knife is legal, I would recommend a multi-tool so that you can explain that it's not only a knife, but a tool that you might need to tighten the battery connectors on your car if it decides not to start, open a bottle of soda if you get thirsty, cut the itchy tag off of your shirt if it's bothering you, etc. If you don't see yourself using a knife much throughout your day, then you can probably do with a smaller multi tool like a Squirt.
 
Runawayemu said:
What if i get pulled over? I have to disclose the fact that i have a knife in my pocket when he or she asks me. I am not a bad driver but nobody's perfect. Only an idiot would brandish it and your response was obviously not meant to help answer my question. Thanks.
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So are you asking for suggestions on how to illegally carry a knife and evade police detection?
 
or she uses it and backs away wondering why the crazy man has a knife on him at walmart!
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lets hope not!! but now i think your just over thinking it, my knife goes in my pocket just like my keys and my wallet.
 
I don't know a man around here that doesn't carry a knife. Its not a weapon, its a tool.

A friend of mine went through a road block not long ago, and had forgot his wallet(had his license in it). The officer asked him to step out and empty his pockets. When he pulled out his orange Spyderco Military the officer went on about how much he liked it, and told him he may check into getting one for himself. Then sent him on his way with a warning for not having his licence on him.

They have these road blocks just hoping to find drugs, and could care less about knives. Or at least they don't care if you have knives on you around here. They may think you were odd if you didn't:p
 
You know, OP, I've asked myself that same question many times.
My conclusion usually comes back 'round to something along the lines of "it's better to have and not need than to need and not have."

I know a few local policemen where I am and asked them about Kentucky legalities (each state is different). Their consensus has basically been that a knife is a tool and as long as there's no problem, then there's no problem...be it concealed or otherwise. But as soon as there's a problem then, well, they wouldn't call it trumping up the charges, but... ;)

Y'all gotta keep in mind that a knife is a tool and only an improvised weapon...and a pretty poor one as well. While, yes, there are knife-like objects that are meant to be weapons, they shouldn't be grouped together.

Oh, and Simioh, if you're getting searched for a busted tail light then there's something very wrong with the police for wanting to do it, and with you as well for letting them do it without a warrant.
There are state-by-state restrictions on what sort of knife can be carried, but I don't recall anywhere that says it's outright illegal. And I wouldn't bank on a multitool to save you from the potential backlash of carrying a weapon. Remember, if a knife, a tool first and foremost, can be called deadly, then so can any tool (so can your hands or even hot french fries [sadly, I'm not kidding]).

Know yours laws, y'all, and do your damndest to work within them. A guiding principle of mine is: don't want none, don't start none. If you're still getting hassled for any reason even though you've done nothing wrong, then you have bigger problem to be dealing with than whether or not to carry a knife.

-Joe
 
Runawayemu said:
What if i get pulled over? I have to disclose the fact that i have a knife in my pocket when he or she asks me. I am not a bad driver but nobody's perfect. Only an idiot would brandish it and your response was obviously not meant to help answer my question. Thanks.
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First off, I see no reason not to carry a pocket knife. I don't know of any state that considers a folding knife with a blade length of three inches or less to be a concealed weapon. I know that it's not here in North Carolina where it's illegal to carry a concealed weapon (other than a firearm with a permit). Folding knives are fine here as long as they're around three inches or so (no actual stated blade length limit). Second of all, know your rights when it comes to dealing with law enforcement.

  • You have the right to remain silent. If you wish to exercise that right, say so out loud.
  • You have the right to refuse to consent to a search of yourself, your car or your home.
  • If you are not under arrest, you have the right to calmly leave.

In short, even if they ask you if you have a knife on you, you do not have to answer the question. Also, if they use the term 'weapon' even if I felt like answering, I would answer 'no' even if I had a knife on me. The reason being, my pocket knife is not a weapon, but a tool.
 
The ol' scout motto... Be Prepared!

It's not so much that you'll need your pocket knife regularly at the grocery store, but you might. Could be something as mundane as opening something you just bought to eat in your car to something more extreme like cutting a seat belt off a child choking on one (Google "child seat belt choking" - there are a few such accounts). Granted, the latter isn't common, but it can (and does) happen.

You really can't anticipate every possible situation you might encounter and when you might face them. Certain tools (blades, pliers, screwdrivers, prybars, flashlights, etc.) can help you in your ability to deal with them when they come up.

As for the legality of pocket knives, that varies by location. The police should be familiar with the local laws in their jurisdiction, so they may be a good resource to ask. In general, though, as long as you behave responsibly with your knife (use it in the appropriate context), it shouldn't be an issue.
 
It is a Gibbs rule "always carry a knife"... What more reason do you need? In all seriousness though, I have never been in a situation where I thought "man, I wish I didn't have my knife on me", but I have thought the opposite before.
 
I'm curious as to where you live and what kind of knife you are carrying that you're worried about it.

Any modest size pocket knife is not going to excite a police officer unless there's some circumstances about how it is discovered. I happen to live near one of the most security conscious areas in the nation, Washington D.C. I pass through security checkpoints on a regular basis in both federal buildings, the Smithsonian, the National Gallery Of Art, the D.C Metro system, and more. Of course, I carry a inconspicuous slip joint or a small SAK when I go "downtown" but nobody has ever said a thing about my knife.

But...

Twice in my life I was glad to have a knife when it was real emergency. One occasion, the better half and I were in a department store, and while going up an escalator there was some screaming up ahead. A girl had got an untied sneaker lace caught in the folding stairs, and it was pulling in the sneaker and trapping her foot. My pocket knife was able to cut the shoe lace and get her out. In January of 1991, I was witness to a car wreak where an old Datsun 210 had rolled, and a lady was trapped hanging upside down in her seatbelt and the car was starting to burn. No amount of pushing on the seat belt release was working. I used a very common Buck stockman pocket knife to cut the seat belt and get her out. Contrary to what some knife companies would have you believe, any small sharp pocket knife will cut seat belt webbing. I was damm glad that cold morning I had a sharp knife on me. One time in my entire life, I desperately needed a knife. I hope that was the only time that having a knife really was a matter of life and death, but I can't bank on it. Nobody can, because nobody can predict the future.

So go and carry a knife, and hope you don't need it for a life and death situation. But it is a handy tool to have on hand to open UPS boxes or any other mundane use. Better to have and not need, than need badly and not have. But nobody is going to hassle you over a non threatening pocket knife. Just don't make it some outsize outlandish looking thing that a cop will make an issue out of. Pay attention to local laws and you should be fine.
 
So why do you carry a credit card in your wallet every time you go out? You dont need it do you?

A knife is a tool and if you one when needed, that is the key. It could be to just cut a loose thread of your jacket you just noticed was there to opening a clamshell pack from the store you just purchased.

It also depends on what kinda knife you are carrying and you didnt say, unless I missed that. Is it a SAK, fixed blade or some big folder?
 
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