State Knife Laws

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ScottyD

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May 19, 2008
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Does anybody know what usually happens if you carry a knife longer than the state laws permit? In WV it's 3.5 inches unless hunting.
EDC is 3.5 inches but what happens when camping in a National Forest or in the woods; especially when trout fishing at a trout lake.
 
If you find out anything, how abt posting it. I guess I should have known but I had no idea it was only 3.5 inches.
 
Scott as suggested I would post this question over in the Knife Laws forum. But I can say that in my experience the legal limit is for non dedicated purposes, such as hunting. If you are hunting you are legally allowed to carry a knife of greater length then 3.5". The same theory applies when hiking, backpacking, fishing or other activities of the sort. I would check into WV knife laws to be sure but that has been my experience while looking through MI and some other states laws.
 
ScottyD said:
Does anybody know what usually happens if you carry a knife longer than the state laws permit?
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Depends on who catches you. Depends on who you are, where you are, and what you're doing when you're caught.

I've never in my life seen a cop, out of the blue, ask someone for their knife, then measure it to see if it's legal, but if you're acting suspicious, or you're somewhere where you shouldn't be, or doing something you shouldn't be doing, then it might come up. Most of those laws are to give the cops leverage to make it easier to bust gang bangers and other criminals, not to harass ordinary people who are going about their business.
 
shangchi108 said:
Depends on who catches you. Depends on who you are, where you are, and what you're doing when you're caught.

I've never in my life seen a cop, out of the blue, ask someone for their knife, then measure it to see if it's legal, but if you're acting suspicious, or you're somewhere where you shouldn't be, or doing something you shouldn't be doing, then it might come up. Most of those laws are to give the cops leverage to make it easier to bust gang bangers and other criminals, not to harass ordinary people who are going about their business.
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Many knife laws, especially in Southern and Western states, date back to the pre-Civil-war days. These laws, still on the books and fully enforceable by modern-day LEOs, usually refer to "dirks" (which were original British Royal Navy fighting knives carried by officers and young midshipmen) and Bowie knives (a commonly-carried knife in the mid-1800s).
 
Most state's it's a misdemeanor. In your home of WV, it's actually only illegal to carry knives over 3.5 inches concealed.
http://www.legis.state.wv.us/WVCODE/61/code/WVC 61 - 7 - 3 .htm

Generally speaking when you are carrying a hunting or fishing knife, it is not concealed but rather carried openly on a belt. WV of all places I would think is pretty tolerant of open carry, and doing so out in a rural setting is not going to get much attention at all.

The exact outcome of any knife carry can have many outcomes and considerations to take into account. I wrote this article on the matter and you may find it helpful:
http://weaponlaws.wikidot.com/start
 
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