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

It is worth stating again, more bluntly -- as Cougar Allen has already hinted in what I thought was a very funny post -- that

THE STUPIDEST THING IN THE WORLD YOU CAN DO IS ADMIT TO REGULARLY BREAKING THE LAW IN A PUBLIC FORUM!

Just how anonymous do you think this is?

Illegal carry is not only unnecessary, but stupid, stupid, stupid.

Razor

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AKTI #A000845
And tomorrow when you wake up it will be worse.

 
You know, I thought about that before I posted... then I posted anyway. Sometimes, it's just too much trouble to worry. Also, I have no intention of using any knife that I carry for self defense. I carry them for utility. Every knife I carry I chose for it's usefulness as a utility blade. Seriously.
If that utility ever becomes defending myself against anything, the legal ramifications will be the last thing on my mind. If I'm actually in an area where I really expect trouble, I still won't be relying on a knife for defense.
Until then, I carry what I want, everywhere I can get away with it. If I don't, then I have been beaten by the sheep, not by the wolves. And that truly is pitiful.

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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).]
 
"Your Honor, I was NOT carrying a weapon, I was carrying a tool. Sebenza is a Zulu word meaning WORK, how clear can that be?"
 
I've not carried anything illegal, nor do I have plans to do so in the future unless a total breakdown of society is imminent. My usual carry is a Delica or Wegner Jr. A Wayne Goddard if I'm fishing or Harpy if I'm out walking at night. I have others that I would love to carry, but don't like the thought of carrying something I shouldn't be.

I can't think of much worse than giving my hard earned money to a lawyer or bad guy's family.

I just don't think it's worth it. Besides, a 3" blade can do alot of damage.

A bad law is still the law.

[This message has been edited by Greg Clem (edited 16 December 1999).]
 
Your right Joe, but its still a law that is broken. I don't recommend anyone carry any thing illegal. You shouldn't speed either. But both will happen no matter what I say or what you say. I don't carry anything illegal, but I do carry more then one pocket knife.(Do I need more then one, no.) Like it was said earlier you have to decide for yourself and your loved ones what your are going to carry. As "tools", weapons or whatever. Just be careful.
smile.gif



Blades
 
And bad/stupid laws were made to be broken.

It used to be illegal for an African-American to drink from a White fountain. It used to be illegal for you to sit anywhere other than in the back of the bus if you weren't white. Wasn't it illegal in Nazi Germany for private citizens to own a radio?

Yeah, these are extreme examples and probably don't apply. But, the bottom line is, bad laws have been written in the past, and have been broken, to the betterment of man-kind. Bad laws are still written. You obey them.

Geez, I feel like ... Oh, I dunno. Sorry for my rant. But, I don't want to delete anything I said, because I feel it needs to be said. I would go back and try to tone it down, but it would take too much time.

Sorry if I offended anybody. I tried to be as politically correct as I could. But, I try to make it a point to not think pc; then, when I try to just so I won't offend, I'm not very good at it.

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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

 
Choosing to break a bad law is one thing. Openly admitting it is quite another. It's like the threads where posters ask about how people choose to defend their homes and families, and reams of posts start stacking up in which we learn all about the placement of every last gun and knife in the forumites' homes. There is certain information that should not be posted publicly, and I can't help but think this is one of those topics.

Except for the most extreme cases and localities, there are perfectly legal alternatives to the illegally carried items that have been mentioned. For instance, a balisong will get you fried in a lot of states where you could carry a lockback with the same length blade. Yes, the balisong is a hell of a lot more fun, and has a lot more style. It's still foolish to expose yourself to legal liability when you could protect yourself legally. (No slight meant against you, Clay, and the other balisong fans. I like them too -- I just can't bring myself to risk it.)

Razor

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AKTI #A000845
And tomorrow when you wake up it will be worse.



[This message has been edited by Razoredj (edited 17 December 1999).]
 
From razoredj:And tomorrow when you wake up it will be worse.
Click to expand...
Every day when I wake up, it is worse. That is why I'm ranting, I guess. If you want to carry a particular blade, do, but don't want to talk about it, that's one thing. It is your perogative, and I am not worthy to tell you different. If you want to carry a particular blade, but don't because you are afraid of stupid, bad laws, that is another thing. Of course, I am still not worthy to tell you differently.

I think that I have tip-toed around whether I actually carry an illegal blade. To be truthful, I don't know whether I do or not. I used to keep a balisong in my Jeep. One evening, one of the deputies of my county was riding with me, and mentioned something about an incident of some kid carrying an illegal balisong. So, I pull mine out and said, "So, I guess I should get rid of this." His answer was that balisong itself was not "illegal," but he would strongly discourage me from playing with it in public. Well, I didn't, don't, and won't.

Finally, razoredj, I have actually in the past been on the same side of the discussion as you are now. I just got tired of it, and tired of worrying about it. I don't carry a gun. But, if I lived in an area where I really thought I needed to...

And not everyone just has the choice to move away.

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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

 
Fair enough. A word concerning my tag, since you've brought it up: While it may look that way, I don't think it's altogether a pessimistic statement. Rather, it's my [hopefully] wry comment that things are always getting worse, but if you're aware of it and do your very best to stay prepared for it, you'll get through it.

Razor

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AKTI #A000845
And tomorrow when you wake up it will be worse.

 
Rockspyder, I said that I 'd be back and I am. The closest measurement that I am able to obtain with my ruler is that my Delica98 is 3+1/32" long instead of the advertised 2+7/8", and my BF Native is 3+3/32" long instead of the advertised 3+1/8". I wonder if Sal is aware of this? I am going to post this in the Spyderco forum and see what developes.

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Walk in the Light,
Hugh Fuller
Arlington, Virginia

 
There are numerous different ways of measuring blade length ... it sounds like Spyderco is measuring only the sharpened part and you're including the choil.

The way governments measure it varies even within the same jurisdiction, and often they will refuse to tell you what measurement the law applies to, for convenience in selective enforcement.

The strangest story I've seen posted was in a jurisdiction where the law specified the length of the sharpened edge, and in one case the police used a fractal computer program to calculate the length of a serrated edge as considerably longer than the blade....

-Cougar Allen :{)
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This post is not merely the author's opinions; it is the trrrrrruth. This post is intended to cause dissension and unrest and upset people, and ultimately drive them mad. Please do not misinterpret my intentions in posting this.


[This message has been edited by Cougar Allen (edited 18 December 1999).]
 
Gentlemen.. the law in Illinois can be defined as to make it illegal to carry ANY knife concealed. I go so far as to carry the knives I sell in a locked case in the trunk of the car. However, a while back a thug tried to rob me with a knife, I now have an extra 110 look-alike, sure nice of him to give it to me, amazing how the sound of cocking a hammer makes people so generous...
 
Gentlemen.. the law in Illinois can be defined as to make it illegal to carry ANY knife concealed. I go so far as to carry the knives I sell in a locked case in the trunk of the car. However, a while back a thug tried to rob me with a knife, I now have an extra 110 look-alike, sure nice of him to give it to me, amazing how the sound of cocking a hammer makes people so generous...
 
Hugh and Cougar, I have seen somewhere, I think on the old Spyderco site, where the blade length and the edge length were given. Anyway.... I think I remember reading somewhere that the Delica was slightly lengthened for the '98 series. Both my Natives come in at 3 1/8, or as close as I can measure. I think Hugh is measuring more precisely than I am even trying to, though. OBTW, I do know that the edge length on the Native was given as 2 1/2 inches, where ever it was that gave the edge length separately.

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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

 
i tried to scan through all 50 posts, but i don't think i missed this point being made. does the extra inch (i'm assuming we're discussing a 4" blade as being legal) in blade length give you enough of an "edge"(sorry) to warrant being arrested and charged criminally?
i'm a full time cop, and i make it a rule not to bust anybodies stones for having an illegal knife if the intention behind having it is not maliscious. i know that's alot of descretion on my part,too, but i am the one who determines whether or not to make the arrest. but let's play out a scenerio:
suppose i get a report of a man exposing himself. you, out for your innocent walk with your 5" bladed knife roughly fits the description. i ask you to open your jacket, thereby exposing the knife. do you think i would make the arrest. let's just say, there would be some 'splainin' to do.
but i cannot speak for my fellow officers. there are plenty who are not flexible when it comes to the letter of the law, and those officers are the ones you must think about. go with the 4" and be safe.

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www.geocities.com/chrishatin/hatintec.html
 
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