When, if ever, do you carry a knife that could get you in trouble with the law?

Let's see here..an illegal knife?..i own several...if concealed...but they're big enough that's impossible..and showing, blades up to six inches are legal to carry, if they can be seen...so i'm not really in any trouble...and of course, if you look suspicious or something....you'll end up getting your knife back anyway....usually anyway
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. But if i'm out and night with my sifu...i'm in big trouble if stopped by a cop...1. it's 'concealed' (in m'pocket), and 2. it's night...that alone will get me into trouble no matter WHAT the cop finds on me..considering my smallest knife is like..a spyderco endura or something...(yes i know, it's tiny by my standards too) and of course it depends on the look of the knife
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. hrm, but yea, for the question...no i don't carry illegal knives....only knives that could be illegal if carried concealed
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"I wouldn't mind you being inside my head if you weren't clearly so crazy."

"Suddenly there came a tapping, as of some one gently rapping, rapping at
my chamber door." Tis only me with my Sifu, nothing more. ;)

 
>I'm sure we all break some "law" at one time or
>another. For some its carrying a weapon all the time, for
>others its speeding alittle.

But thinking rationally about this topic precludes this kind of overly-broad comparison. For speeding, you get a ticket. For an illegal weapon, you could possibly be talking about a felony. That means wasting big time family resources to defend yourselfin court. That means possibly being away from your family. That means being in the midst of a criminal population -- and this time, you're unarmed, many of them are armed. It means not being able to own firearms when you get out.

Do you still want to draw a comparison between carrying illegal weapons and going "a few miles over the speed limit"? One is a low-risk activity with very minor consequences. The other *may* also be low-risk, but the consequences of getting caught can be astonishingly dire.

Joe
 
Great insight Joe. I have toyed with buying knives, such as a Sifu, or a large fixed blade, but all would be illegal to carry, and if I can't carry it what else would I do with it? I could just sit in my dorm room and look at it..but nah.
Getting caught and arrested for carrying an illegal weapon is more trouble than it's worth. If I felt that I needed some kind of extreme protection because I would be stepping in harms way, then perhaps I would need to re-asess my path, and avoid the danger. I know that some people find it unavoidable, and "need" to carry certain weapons of questionable legality. However, for the rest of us out there, we have to make sure we're not kidding ourselves into THINKING we "need" that super-auto concealed "tool" to defend ourselves.

Just my thoughts,
Mitch
 
I have to agree with Joe Talmadge. It isn't worth the risk to yourself and your family. There are plenty of legal tools you can use for everyday protection. Common sense is the best of them.

If you are heading someplace where you may be in need of extreme protection, perhaps you should rethink your need to be in that particular location.

Dave

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Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of More Knives

 
I'm the only knife-nut I know and the number one question sheeple ask me is "So you have an illegal ones?" My answer is always the same. No. The way I look at it, if I get arrested for carrying an illegal weapon the minimum I'm looking at is the confiscation of my knife (there goes a couple hundred bucks) and the maximum is jail time. That doesn't really appeal to me either. So, I stick to legal knives and I always make sure the pivot is adjusted properly (In Canada a knife that can be "flicked" open is illegal).

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"Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heav'n"
John Milton
There are only two types of people; those who understand this, and those who think they do.
 
Hey Dirk-If you want some interesting comments,there was a thread back in October concerning what everyone carried to protect their kids on Halloween night-trick or treating.The responses were "heavy" and you wonder how many of those were legal.

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Tim

 
Here's a link to some "Switchblade Laws". http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum14/HTML/000650.html
If you get to your State's Legislature page, you might be able to find out exactly what the limits are.

At this time, I'm playing it real safe by carrying either a Sebenza, Spyderco Police Model or a Terzuola ATCF.

All are folders with clips that are visible on the front of my pocket.
According to NJ law, I should be allowed to carry an auto as well, but most LEOs that I've spoken to have some sorta knee-jerk reaction to switchblades. "Sorry Gerbilboy, switchblades aren't legal in this state"
(Yet as long as you're carrying them for "lawfull purposes", everything should be cool.)
I don't wanna have a blade confiscated and then have to spend millions in the courts only to be found not guilty.... no "by reason of insanity" this time.... and have the blade returned to me.

Hope that link helps!

Reaching down esophogus in childish compulsion to play with my food, I remain,
VG

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Vampire Gerbil: Nosferatus Rodentus Moderatus; similar to a domestic gerbil, except for the odd accent and little black cape.



[This message has been edited by Vampire Gerbil (edited 13 December 1999).]
 
Thinking of you...

That's what I was doing when the cop puilled me over tonight. I had 4 autos in my pockets from the knife show I went to this afternoon and all I kept thinking was "don't frisk me!" (I also had 5 folders and a sword in the trunk.) Anyway to make a long story short I was doing 59 in a 45 and he gave me a warning. I think the main reason he had pulled me over was for not having any plates on my car though, I can't wait for my vanity plates to get here! Want to know what I got on 'em? Well here goes: JMWOWML

Yup, my life is pretty boring.
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Later,
John
 
Nothing....nothing I would fess up to anyway....
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j/k

The only thing that might get me in trouble is the amount of steel and not the size/type, 'cept the fixed blade in the car.
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The vague and tenuous hope that GOD is too kind to punish the ungodly has become a deadly opiate for the conscience of millions.

*A. W. Tozer

2 Cor 5:10

 
Hopefully this country never comes to a point where Federal Legislature comes into play with the emphasis being "Knives that look as if they are weapons".Could you imagine the broad interpretation the lawmakers could come up with to thwart us knifeaholics and our current carry options at a national level.Sure, some of you may say, "Nah, never happen".But I think it could.Something like that would test our knife carrying convictions.I pose the following question to all of you.

*******If your currently legal knife carrying options were made illegal tomorrow by a Federal Statute, would you comply with the new law, or would you continue your normal, everyday practice of carrying the newly found illegal piece or pieces?********


My answer:I for one believe in conviction and a life path which includes lifestyle.Carrying legal knives is part of that lifestyle now as it would be if it was made illegal to carry them tomorrow.It all boils down to conviction.One may take risk but it beats being led blindly.
 
In the immortal words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. "The hell with their stupid laws"
Click to expand...
At the risk of sounding redundant, I feel the above is worth seeing again. Enough said for my part.

Also, I find it amusing that someone mentioned leaving his 5 inch Voyager in the car, but checking his handgun, since the guards were better capable of dealing with the gun. Anyone else find that amusing?

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It's just a ****ing staple!
Maybe we should make knife blades out of staples!
Outlaw_Dogboy, Pax River NAS, Republik of Marilundt


 
as MAster Clay hath said.. everytime everywhere. There is a fine line between fanaticism, true love and just plain stupidity (stubbornness?) with usa Balisong freaks
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<A HREF="http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~soo/balisong/balisong.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~soo/balisong/balisong.html
</A> If you play with love you will be heartbroken; if you play with knives you will [bleed]


 
Thank you, Joe. I had gotten into the habit of carrying my StarMate or my Military to work in a city, Washington, DC, where the limit is 3". I cannot explain why, except that I liked the feel of them. They are SUPER knives! But they are also illegal in DC, so I will now go back to my BF Native and my Delica98. These are very nice, just not so nice as the StarMate, especially. I will miss it at work, but I will NOT miss the possible legal hassles. Again, thank you, Joe, for putting things in such clarity.

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Walk in the Light,
Hugh Fuller
Arlington, Virginia

 
Hey FullerH, you realize that the Native is illegal as well, don't you? After all, it is a 3.125 inch blade. That is, IF the official can measure it.

Although I'll admit, at least it isn't as blatant as the other two. Or my Nim Cub that I carry.

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"Absolute safety is for those who don't have the balls to live in the real world."
St. Mary's County, Republik of Marilundt



[This message has been edited by rockspyder (edited 16 December 1999).]
 
Hey O_D or rockspyder or whatever, funny thing that you should mention it. The Delica98 and the BF Native have the same length blade although Spyderco says that one is 2 7/8 and the other is 3 1/8. I'll have to take a ruler to them. In the words of an immortal film star, "I'll be back."

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Walk in the Light,
Hugh Fuller
Arlington, Virginia

 
I have yet to confirm the actual legal length for a knife in Georgia, despite numerous friends at the Sheriff's Office. Most likely, I always carry one that is longer than the limit. However, there is some kind of exepmtion for Emergency Service personel regarding knives and even automatics. From what I've gathered thus far, I can carry just about anything I want. I also have a CCP, although it seems to be purely issued for firearms.
 
Response to the following quote:

"I don't wanna have a blade confiscated and then have to spend millions in the courts only to be found not guilty.... no "by reason of insanity" this time.... and have the blade returned to me."

Had to respond to this. If they find you insane as we all know they will, they will take away all your sharp toys, and give you a rubber knife and a rubber ducky. LOL It's a bitch trying to sharpen that rubber knife on a Spyderco, you can never get the angles right.


[This message has been edited by gort (edited 16 December 1999).]
 
LOL @ Gort
maybe sharpening the rubber duckie will be a bear, but you'll be surprised what you can do with a toothbrush, plastic wrap, a lighter and a concrete floor. It might not shave, but it'll cut flesh very effectively.
 
I am a firm believer in carrying legal knives. In most of the places where a person can carry a really big knife, it also possible to carry a gun and a licensed gun used in self defense will probably be viewed more positively than a large knife. I can understand the earlier post about large dogs. If you are in a rural area and you are carrying for large dogs, I think you should just tell that to the police if they ever stop you. You might also consider a sturdy walking stick. I think a sturdy stick is better for dogs because it gives you more distance between you and the dog and a walking stick is pretty non-threatening.
 
Now that we have addressed the issue of being caught with an illegal weapon, what about actually having to use that illegal weapon? If you hurt some one in self defense with a 5in. concealed fix-blade, could you face tough lawsuits afterwards for using your weapon? Would you be on safer ground if it had been a legal 5in. folder? What if they are killed with the weapon?Regardless of whether or not it was self defense, I suspect you could get into much more trouble if the weapon was illegal.
 
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