Pro-Bladesmithing in California vs The Law

Epsilon

Epsilon

Joined
Jan 15, 2002
Messages
430
Hey guys, in May or June I will be moving to California, the Whittier area. I wanted to hear any advice on dealing with the law as it pertains to making a living building knives and swords in that state. What are the knife/sword/weapon/gun/concealed carry laws? Do you guys have a concealed weapon permit available in that state? How do I legally transport blades (in and out of state) from sizes ranging from neck knives to katana? How do you California pro-makers make a living without hassle from the law? I am from Arizona. Knife laws are non-existant here, except for concealed weapon laws, its a knife lovers paradise. I've heard CA isn't knife friendly AT ALL. But, you guys have all kinds of martial arts schools and knife shows. What gives? ANY advice would be appreciated. Thanx in advance.

-Jason
 
I'm sorry to hear you will be leaving the United States of America. Once you enter the first circle of Hell, life as you now know it is over!:( :mad: :barf:
 
Peter you got that right, I live 19 miles from the
Peoples Republic of Kaliforina and that is close
enough, Life will change for sure. Good luck Gib
 
Oh...I forgot something. Someone posted a pic the other day with a pink handle. That's a must have if your going to San Francisco!!!:D :D :o :D :D
 
Jason:

Our progressive state doesn't allow much to be carried concealed. Forget a CCW. Don't carry that katana around in public unless you're willing to face the boys in blue about disturbing the peace. And forget those black guns. That being said, you can own and use firearms, swords, and knives of most sorts. Generally, you can carry concealed any size folder you need. Some local jurisdictions and schools may limit folders. San Diego's not too bad...
 
getting a carry permit is very difficult in this state as a whole. you can get them in some city's, if your rich of course:rolleyes: there is a theme here that you have to have a reason for knife carry over about 3 1/2". my reason is real simple, i am a knife maker. i have not every been challanged on this but i always have biz cards with me. jason the main thing is down get mouthy or smell like alcohol etc, and you won't give them any reason to shake you down. i have a couple of customers that are with the PDs around here and most of them dig knives. i just take the knife off my belt if i am going into a bank or hospital etc, let me know when you get settled?
 
Rhino -

What part of Santa Monica do you call home?

My Grandparents lived on 24th near Ocean Park. I also "did" a couple of years at Santa Monica College. I was living in Culver City at the time.
 
First thing is to join the California Knifemakers Association. The next meeting will be at my house in May. If you are here by then feel free to drop by and check us out. You will cut ten years off your learning curve in the first year. I promise!!

Second, is to make sure and duck when we meet. Cause there will be a shot coming at the side of your head;)! What in the world are you thinking! I am trying my hardest to get back to the USA and you want to come here! :rolleyes: WHATEVER!

Forget about a CCW. I was a Fed and I still can't get one. Don't worry about having a shop in your home. So long as it does not have a coal forge no one will care. Oh and don't fire up a power hammer at 0800 on Saturday morning. Just use common sense and you will be fine. Just DO NOT make butterflies or automatics with out a special permit you will be looking at five years min. No problem transporting knives and swords. If you are ever hassled just remember that your fate is decided in the first 30 seconds. If you pass the ahole test you should be good. Most LEOs think that knifemaking is the coolest thing in the world. They are more likely to try to get into your shop to watch than they are to run you in.

But be sure to cover your butt. As soon as you can get down to your local Uniform shop and pick up a current copy of the CA Penal Code. Learn the laws. Also stop by the local station house and introduce yourself. Let them know who you are and what you do and ask about the local muni codes. You will likely drum up some business at the same time.

Well, I am just about 30min from Whittier so be sure to look me up when you get here.
 
Check the Knife Laws Forum for lots of information about CA knife laws. State law isn't quite as bad as some make it out to be. Also check for city and county laws which may be more restrictive. What kind of knives do you make?
 
Well, good thing I don't make butterflies or auto's. Thank you everyone for all your information. That's what I needed to know. Also, I just may take you up on that invitation Mr. Clark.

By the way, this is all my girlfriend's fault. We are moving so she can get schooling in special effects cosmetics. That's why I am going to the land of California.

-Jason
 
Hey totally give me a call. If she is any good I can hook you up with the right people. Thats what my sister does, and my close friends fall into two groups....Knifemakers and Effects Artists (well and a few producers). Don't waste money on schooling, thats mostly for suckers. Remember its not what you know......
 
If your making lots of noise just crank up some Mexican radio station on your stereo, nobody will say a thing!:) I cant wait to get outta this state myself.. I grew up about 10 miles from Whittier, its not a bad place.. Then again I havent been there in a long time.. Good Luck.

Take Care
Trace Rinaldi
www.thrblades.com
 
Trace, you ain't been there in a LONG TIME buddy! Your dead on about the music, the louder it is the less people will notice.
 
If you compare the knife laws of California to other states, you will see that they are about the same if not less restrictive that many other states. I can't figure out why just the name "California" strikes fear in so many people minds. A couple of movies about bad guys,bad press and the fact that the bad stuff is always somewhere else, not where you live, might have a little to do with it. Compare it to the rest of the nation and you will see why so many people live here. Go figure. As far as the mexican radio station at full blast, it don't sell in my neighborhood. Loveless, among many others, seems to have done OK here.
Greg
 
Well Greg, I just spent the last fifteen minutes responding to your post but because I dearly like many of the people here who are from California, I deleted it.
I can't figure out why just the name "California" strikes fear in so many people minds. Bad press and the fact that the bad stuff is always somewhere else, not where you live, might have a little
Click to expand...
It is not fear that it strikes with me, it's disgust and anger!:o RW pretty much summed it up....a felony for a knife making offence.......Murder charge for a dog mauling
 
peter, alot of the pc stuff and politics anger me here. but that women deserved what she got. that was not a pet, it was a weapon, that she could not or would not control. besides here B.S. tears on the stand she did little to stop the attack.she may have had some bite marks. they estimite that it went on for over twenty minutes. she did not go back in her apartment door to get a hammer or something to knock the dog out with. i have a dog and have trained and worked with many on a informal basis. ok, time to get back to knives
 
Rhino, totally agree!

Epsilon, just a thought that you might want to pass along to your better half. You can go through all the schooling in the world and it will in no way affect her chances of getting work. She still has to get into the union (forgot the exact union number for effects) to get into the union you have to have x number of hours on the job. To get jobs you have to be in the union. Its a catch 22. What she needs to do is to intern. This is unpaid of course. She can save allot of money by skipping the school and go straight to interning. By the time she can get into the union she will have learned on the job everything she would have learned in school. Its a hard road all along the way. A very good friend of mine is an effects artist. He has a killer resume (Aliens IV, Startrek Next Gen, Godzilla, Mighty Joe Young, Mission To Mars, Enterprise et al). He still has a hard time getting jobs. But when he does get work he makes in a day what most of us make in three weeks. He only works about three months out of the year. All of the people I know have no formal schooling in the area of work they are doing for the studios.

Just a word of caution. I have seen alot of talented people work themselves to death and not get anywhere. Just let me know and I will do whatever I can to help out with connections. Even if she has to start out as a loader (great pay! and producers love female loaders, nothing sexual of course they just like to have women around) at least it is a foot in the door.
 
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