Ah yes, the Republik of PDX. I grew up in eastern Washington so it's a whole different thing than west of the Cascades. Seattle's laws are pretty draconian, and probably similar to Portland's. I noticed that neither state has reciprocity with anyone else. I now live in northern Virginia, where you can carry any folder up to a 4-inch blade (and open carry of handguns is legal whether you have a permit or not). Just over the border in DC the laws are very very vague as a result of Heller, but it used to be that you could get 10 years for a spent .22 shell on the floor of your car, and I don't think there was any "peaceable passage" either. Right now it appears that knives are pretty much at the discretion of the DC police, so whatever makes them uncomfortable will get you in trouble. Strictly speaking, though, I think the Virginia laws on knives are more or less operative in the district too. No doubt they'll fix that pretty soon, and make paper clips illegal. When I moved here they had the highest murder rate in the country. It's toned down a bit since Heller. But carrying a gun in DC is out of the question. The old, infirm, and female have to make the best of it.