What 'weapon'?

M

Merek

Joined
Sep 24, 2004
Messages
738
Where does a bladed tool cross the line to become a weapon?
I am not asking about the laws here, but your personal feelings.
Is it a particular blade length which allows penetration of vital organs?
Profile? Color? Serrations? Style (dirks, daggers, bayonets, ballisongs, autos, etc.)? Reputation? Who is carrying it and/or their attitude? What aspect(s) of a knife causes it to be 'bad' in your eyes?
Obviously we all feel differently about what we carry and have a variety of reasons for why we carry, so I expect there will be a broad range of answers illustrating why our knife laws ARE so vague as to be all encompassing.
Whereas I'll carry a 7" Bowie in my truck and in the brush and feel 'at ease' and within my rights if an LEO pops out, I would not be comfortable with a 7" dagger simply because it is not useful or designed for anything other than the specific purpose of killing humans (whether defensively or offensively).
 
For me "weapon" vs. "tool" is an issue of intent and behaviour.

If you threaten someone with a Victorinox paring knife, it's a weapon. If you use a kukri for chopping weeds, it's a tool. Same goes for firearms, vehicles, and every other inanimate object.

The trouble with knives currently is the marketing. Many manufacturers advertise their products as weapons by using phrases such as "military," "combat," or "tactical."

That's my 2c.
-Bob
 
Bob W said:
For me "weapon" vs. "tool" is an issue of intent and behaviour.

If you threaten someone with a Victorinox paring knife, it's a weapon. If you use a kukri for chopping weeds, it's a tool. Same goes for firearms, vehicles, and every other inanimate object.

The trouble with knives currently is the marketing. Many manufacturers advertise their products as weapons by using phrases such as "military," "combat," or "tactical."

That's my 2c.
-Bob
Click to expand...
Exactly!

I'd say you're selling yourself short, your 2c worth would, in my estimation, be worth at least .. oh .... 4c or 5c minimum. :)
 
Bob W said:
For me "weapon" vs. "tool" is an issue of intent and behaviour.

If you threaten someone with a Victorinox paring knife, it's a weapon. If you use a kukri for chopping weeds, it's a tool. Same goes for firearms, vehicles, and every other inanimate object.

The trouble with knives currently is the marketing. Many manufacturers advertise their products as weapons by using phrases such as "military," "combat," or "tactical."

That's my 2c.
-Bob
Click to expand...
Yeah, that about defines it for me.
 
Weapons are defined as something (as a club, knife, or gun) used to injure, defeat, or destroy. It probably has to have something done with it for it to be classified as one.
 
Where I live, user intent is the key. Of course, this means that policemen get to decide wether you are a criminal or not (which isn't that nice in South America).

However, some designs are prone to get more attention, and be classified as weapons with ease. If you carry a SAK (specially the regular non-locking ones) you're OK anywhere, but if you pull out a double edged push-dagger you're probably going to have some explaining to do.

I think that there are some knives that are designed to fight and are of little use for anything else. I wouldn't try to argue that my CS Safe Keeper II is a general purpose knife.
 
The Colonel's got it, IMO. I don't know if there's more to it, legally or practically, than that.
 
Yes, but please do remember that intent alone possibly cannot hold up in trial. Concurrence of Act and Intent is also needed. Simply because a weapon cannot kill somebody, someone has to use a weapon.
 
Any object, not just a knife, becomes a weapon when it is used to inflict pain, damage or death upon someone.

My feeling is that a weapon is in the usage, not the thing itself and I think that the majority of society views any tool with a sharp edge as a potential man killer.

Intent is certainly the key. Excepting the freakest of accidents a weapon by itself can not kill someone. It generally takes intent for that.

Your bowie is and will always be a tool as long as it is used as a tool. The laws might see that differently of course...
 
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