Spyderco Civilian in CA?

Kaizen1

Kaizen1

Gold Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2006
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6,252
I was at a knife shop in San Jose and the guy working in the shop said that the Civilian was illegal for edc. My understand is that folders, as long as they're not autos or balisongs, are okay. Anyone have any insight on this?
 
yeah thats what i've read also... i edc an SMF with a 4 inch blade in SF and i thought i was legal ? :confused:
 
There is a thread from a member named Clark. He is a expert on CA law.....the law is pretty clear as to wheter or not it has a dent and what is a switchblade....
 
I live in California also, but for what I know is that you can carry a folder at any size unconcealed. I regularly carry a Maxx, so I hope I am right!:confused:
 
deathshead said:
I live in California also, but for what I know is that you can carry a folder at any size unconcealed. I regularly carry a Maxx, so I hope I am right!:confused:
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If you use the search feature you will find untold numbers of discussions in this legal forum setting forth in great detail with quotations from the penal code the relevant California law.

Short answer - any length or shape folder is legal to carry concealed under state law. Local city ordinances may have different size limits. Special rules apply for schools and court houses and the like. Switchblades or balis under 2" are OK too. Spyderco type folders which contain a detent and/or bias towards closing are not switchblades as defined by law.

Thus, unless the store clerk was referring to a local ordinance, or you are are student, he was full of sh*t. Which when it comes to common understanding of knife laws, is not unusual.

Best regards,

Argyll
 
They were selling it as of last month in San Diego, at 2 different places and from what they told me, it was not illegal in CA, as Folder Length was not specified in CA Law. They did say that if you were carrying anything much bigger than a Civilian, you may run into some trouble explaining yourself, but that it wouldn't be technically illegal.


Only upgraded members can sell. see here: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/payments.php
 
slugfast said:
They were selling it as of last month in San Diego, at 2 different places and from what they told me, it was not illegal in CA, as Folder Length was not specified in CA Law. They did say that if you were carrying anything much bigger than a Civilian, you may run into some trouble explaining yourself, but that it wouldn't be technically illegal.


Only upgraded members can sell. see here: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/payments.php
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Couldn't pm you for some reason, I emailed you.
 
Yeah... as per the extent of what is legal in CA....


Automatics by Protech are legal, ie: Runt and Stinger


Spring Assisted are OK...- ie: Leeks, Runts, Ciabattas, Voodoos, Weasels, Apparitions, etc


Anything fully auto=== need to be Military or LEO


Handguns=== S.O.L.
 
freediving said:
I had a run with the cops in San Jose having an EDC CRKT M16-14SF and they said it wasn't legal.
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So what ended up happening? Did yu get to keep your knife?
 
The thing it, the law is so vauge, it is difficult to know what you can and cannot carry. It is difficult to interpret it yourself, and I wouldn't trust anyone else's, including a shopkeepers opinion. Even LEO has their own intrepretation. Good luck to all of you.
 
Death's Head said:
The thing it, the law is so vauge, it is difficult to know what you can and cannot carry.
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In many place that is very true, but, thankfully not so much so in California. As explained in the website linked to earlier in this thread, the state laws authorizing concealed carry of closed tactical folders, like those made by Spyderco, are reasonably clear.

Best regards,

Argyll
 
Not all LEO's know the knife laws verbatim. Read the California EqualCCW.com website regarding knife laws. Memorize them. In a situation involving LEO's, very politely explain to them the CA knife laws and why your knife is CA legal. As long as you don't trip their "bad guy radar", you should be fine.
 
freediving said:
I had a run with the cops in San Jose having an EDC CRKT M16-14SF and they said it wasn't legal.
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Per state law that knife is legal to carry, concealed or unconcealed. San Jo might have a more restrictive city or county law, I don't know, but if you live there you should have already looked it up.

In my limited experience, most cops don't know the knife laws.
 
Let me make this clear, and by all means look at my profile:

Switchblade Knife (blade length 2 in. or more) Possess in a motor vehicle passenger or driver's area in a public place or open to public, carry on the person, or sell, offer for sale, loan, or give to a person. [Misdemeanor] Switchblade knife includes a spring-blade, snap-blade, gravity, or similiar type knife, but not a blade opened by a thumb of one hand or a thumb stud blade attachment with a device to impede opening, or turn blade back into a closed position.

A gravity knife is any folder that can be opened by the flick of a wrist.

Automatic knives are most definitely switchblades and are (supposedly) sold only to LE or military.

You can look up the actual code if you want.

And I've heard all kinds of excuses.

S/F
 
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