Public knife experiment

Well, I think it makes sense to check what the local laws say before going for a public knife experiment. Nothing wrong with this one, I guess, it went pretty well. Just want to mention that as far as I know in Canada they have got that point about knives not being allowed in some public places/gatherings, like schools, churches, pubs.... probably amusement parks. I do not know what they say about stores and malls. I guess it will be OK anyway as long as nobody sees it (while it would not be concealed) and you make no trouble.
So I am not trying to make a point or anything, just my two cents.
 
I was a truck driver and would go to Canada once a week and I open carried a Balisong in a leather sheath that had the benchmade logo on it, this is back when they made custom balisongs and I never had a problem and really did not even think about it to much. My truck would get searched ever time I went through and I would have to see a broker so I walked around the customs building a lot with my knife on my belt and never had a issue. I would not try in now but back then things were different.
 
One thing to note about Canadian laws is our Criminal code covers our entire country so laws are uniform everywhere.

I have carried fixed blades and folders for 40 years and never had an issue. Generally our laws as they relate to knives are

Pretty liberal. Knives are treated as tools until they are used as weapons , then things change dramatically.
 
This thread sucks.


What did you expect? Nobody notices a knife unless you have it in your hand.

/born and live in the canadian priaries.
 
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Quillan said:
BUT, handguns or semi-automatic weapons? NOOOOOOOOOO. You be going to jail. Highly illegal. No no nope
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So very wrong on that, dude.
I LEGALLY own handguns, including semi-auto ones.
And shoot in competition with them (not that I win those competitions...:D)
Maybe you should look at the laws.

And I've also had no issues with knives, and I don't just live in southern Ontario, I live in the MOST southern Canadian city. :)
 
bladeboss said:
I'm lucky that in my section of New York (upstate), it's very loose and full of hunters. A knife, even a sheathed knife that's visible, is normal and no one cares. I could probably carry a tifle on my shoulder around my town and no one would care.
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Here too in Dutchess County. Although not really to far upstate, it's very normal to see a knife clipped to a pocket or in a belt pouch.
I take Metro North down to NYC everyday and once in awhile I'll see someone from north of the city , exiting the train with a knife clipped to their pocket.
 
Cold steel voyager, right? And I'd like to try this experiment in my town, but it might be a bit dangerous considering locking folders are technically illegal. Nice thread, I like the discussion.
 
I started carrying a Blur clipped in my back right pocket about six years ago. A couple of years ago I decided that I was going to replace that Blur with something better.

I started hanging around the different knife forums and was surprised to read about all the knife laws, both in the US and the rest of the world. When I read about the strict knife laws in Australia, I was shocked.


I live in Oklahoma though. Just call me sheltered I guess.
 
Poez said:
Well, I think it makes sense to check what the local laws say before going for a public knife experiment. Nothing wrong with this one, I guess, it went pretty well. Just want to mention that as far as I know in Canada they have got that point about knives not being allowed in some public places/gatherings, like schools, churches, pubs.... probably amusement parks. I do not know what they say about stores and malls. I guess it will be OK anyway as long as nobody sees it (while it would not be concealed) and you make no trouble.
So I am not trying to make a point or anything, just my two cents.
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You are making seem like it is enforced... I have never ever ever ever had a problem doing any of those.
 
Nobody around here would pay any attention to the knife unless they wanted to know what model it was. (On at least 2 occasions I have pulled a knife out of a friend's pocket to see what it was.)

I was in line in a fast food restaurant over 10 years ago and noticed that the person behind me in line had a Glock in a holster on his belt. He was dressed in ordinary jeans and shirt, and I didn't see a badge, but I wasn't going to stare at him too much. (When I left I saw a law enforcement vehicle in the parking lot.) But my point was that nobody in the restaurant paid any attention to him and most probably didn't even notice his gun. Likewise most people don't notice knife clips, especially when clipped in a chest pocket like in the OP's photo.
 
I go to a very liberal university in southern California. I've had my Spyderco GB Folder clipped to my pocket tip down (which causes the blade to be partially exposed near the tang) almost every day since September, and no one's given me any trouble. Campus police (there is a police station on campus) and security look at it, and know what it is, but they don't do or say anything about it. Whenever I pull it out to use it, no one freaks out about it and starts a ruckus. I do get the occasional "What do you carry a knife around for?" and I just explain to them that it's a convenient tool (ie: not a weapon), and they're generally pretty understanding of it, and some people even ask for recommendations. One person was visibly shaken by it and stared at it but didn't seem as bothered after I put it away.
 
Handguns, semi Auto rifles, AR-15 etc all legal with a restricted license... (I own a firearms related business here)

knives, fixed or folding legal with a couple notable exceptions. The exceptions are:Balisongs, Automatics, and punch knives (blade at 90 degrees to handle), and centrifugal openers are all prohibited devices.

I live in south eastern Ontario and carry folders openly all the time, even in dreaded Toronto... IN my home town I carry a fixed blade open or concealed about 50% of the time. Its all legal and no one says anything or does anything or even looks at me funny. Legality is based on intent, rather than size or some mechanical specifics like blade length.
 
Rapt, thanks for taking the time to post, you are bang on! Everyone who has a question about Canadian laws need to read the above post.
 
People call my edc a Rambo knife (it has a 3.2 inch blade) and I honestly need it for my job and usually enamoured/jealous I have a pretty blade. I am in a retail/warehousing setting and funny the other day an old man saw me struggling to open a box and pulled out his leatherman (which had a longer blade then one) I took out mine after and he was impressed by it.

Southern Ontario here by the way.


I'll play with my knife in the company of friends and such but I wouldn't say in the mall that's just asking to make people even possibly feel threatened. Which is something I wouldn't intend to do.
 
crocmain_555076a.jpg

Do this and you might have some sprainin to do Lucy
 
I've carried a knife for years in Canada including fixed blades and never once had a problem.
 
Heck, I open-carry a pistol most of the time, and the majority of people never notice. Why? Because most people are so consumed with their own little world (which usually means their phone or other device) that they have no idea of what is happening right in front of them. Pretty sad state of affairs....
 
mnblade said:
Bing!

If you have a green mohawk and chain hanging from the stud in your nose to the hook in your ear, you'll get the attention you seek.
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You know... it is truly sad how right this is. I have a few piercings myself, but nothing extreme. I am a fairly rational, objective individual with progressive views and a healthy respect for people, the world around us, the natural order of things. Yet, I cannot count the number of nasty views I get from the most insecure portion of the population because they simply cannot handle how I choose to express myself. %^*& the pansies...

The fact of the matter is this... the vast majority of the populations of the world are so caught up on the universe revolving around themselves and their little insignificant lives that they cannot take the time pay attention to the world around themselves. Unless you pull the knife out and start waving it around, most will be none the wiser...
 
link2derek said:
Heck, I open-carry a pistol most of the time, and the majority of people never notice. Why? Because most people are so consumed with their own little world (which usually means their phone or other device) that they have no idea of what is happening right in front of them. Pretty sad state of affairs....
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LOL never saw your reply... very true. :)
 
Most people don't notice those things unless they intentionally try to look for it. And usually the person carrying whatever it is they're carrying (knife or gun) are the ones being all paranoid thinking everybody is staring at their knife or gun. I remembered the first few times I CCW'd after graduating the police academy.

Everywhere I went I thought people were staring at me because I was printing or they were able to see my holster. The fact was... nobody noticed and they were most likely not even staring at me.
 
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