Do you carry a concealed knife?

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

I always see people with sizeable pocket knives clipped to their pants pocket and am starting to wonder if they're legal. They're so common, I can't imagine police don't notice them. I even see them in places where almost no one can carry a gun legally. I'm thinking of getting one for those times when I can't have a gun on me (which is rare). But since I always have a tiny Swiss Army knife on me and always have a use for one, maybe I can kill two birds with one stone and get a bigger, but still legal one.

legion · 01-21-2008, 03:27 PM

I have a lot of knives, I don't carry any of them. I keep a pocket knife in my glovebox, that's it.

azasadny · azasadny's Garage

No, they get in the way of my Sig P239... (just kidding, I don't have a carry permit)...

Mule · 01-21-2008, 03:32 PM

You mean my money clip? Only when I have my pants on.

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

Mule, that's the kind of knife I'm talking about. I see them everywhere, every day. Even the convenience store where I buy smokes sells them.

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

hey, i own one of those. Sharper than crap. Opens really fast. Quite dangerous actually...

targa911S · 04:12 PM

Yes, I carry a Frank Beltrame 9" switchblade. Kriss blade, buffalo slabs. It's not for cuttin' it's for pokin'.

Where's Milu with his Burn push buttons?

MRM · 01-21-2008, 04:06 PM

I used to be a prosecutor in a big city. I then did antifraud litigation for a major insurer. One of my adjusters got beaten up by the Russian Mafia (actually, I think they were Polish). I now office downtown and regularly walk past foul smelling homeless people to my dark parking ramp after dark. I wear a suit that screams "Middle Class Twit".

I have never carried a gun, except when hunting. I have never carried a knife for self protection. I have never needed either. I seriously doubt that 99% of the people obsessed with guns, knives and self defense will have a legitimate need for a weapon. No homeless guy is going to mess with a guy in a suit who doesn't mess with him and who in response to aggressive panhandling gives a steady stare and say "No.". I've walked into two fights between homeless people and stopped it with not much more than that. I've never been frightened on the street. I was a couple of times in court, but that guy went away for a long time. For killing a bartender in a knife fight.

Edged weapons are allowed depending on state law and local ordinance. Six inch blades are a common limit, some places it is 7, some are as small as 4. Some states make an exception for openly displayed weapons, others don't. It's just too localized of a thing to generalize about what is allowed in your state or city. Call the local DA and they should be able to give you a quick answer.

johnco · 01-21-2008, 04:08 PM

my two new knives. the lower one fits in my cell phone case, haven't carried the upper one yet. I also carry my pocket knife similar to the one in the previous photo and my moneyclip knife. there's usually 3 or 4 more in the truck and several on and in my desk. I have a tendency to lose more knives than I can hold on to so there's always an extra close by. sharpened every day or so since they get plenty of use in my job.

Mule · 01-21-2008, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

Mule, that's the kind of knife I'm talking about. I see them everywhere, every day. Even the convenience store where I buy smokes sells them.

Great piece. Mine is 3" closed, 4 3/4" open. Opens in a gnat's heartbeat. Yet to injure anybody, not even me. Statistically, much safer than Ted Kennedy's car!

stevepaa · 01-21-2008, 04:27 PM

I carry one of those multi-use Leatherman ones.

cab83_750 · 01-21-2008, 04:40 PM

MRM is correct. In some areas:

1. X-Number of inches (unfolded) and it is considered as a pocket knife.
2. Over x-# of inches, it must be carried on the belt and visible.

I no longer know the current rules so you may want to call your local Police Dept. In most cases, a knife-store would know the current rules.

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mule

You mean my money clip? Only when I have my pants on.

I used to carry a chive, but I gave it to my brother in law and haven't replaced it. I carry the Chive's bigger brother, the Leek.

Yes, I carry it in rainbow gay. Think of how embarrassed you'd be to be stabbed by that!

Not that there's anything wrong with that....

greglepore · 01-21-2008, 05:01 PM

Targa, that's a beaut, but don't advertise that you carry it, in Pa its a prohibited offensive weapon, as is ANY gravity or spring assisted knife, and a 1st degree misdemeanor to merely possess it. Easier to get a CCW permit, actually.

The Boker Kalashnikovs are very nice cheap autos, btw.

Danny_Ocean · 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MRM

I seriously doubt that 99% of the people obsessed with guns, knives and self defense will have a legitimate need for a weapon.

Yeah...come to Miami sometime.

A near daily occurence:

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sfl-121pbcarjacking,0,2994934.story?coll=sofla_tab01_l ayout

Mom/daughter robbed, bound, shot in the (Upscale) mall parking lot:

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-flpmemorial0121pnjan21,0,4510809.story

Woman shot as she opens her front door:

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-flbkilling0121sbjan21,0,63581.story

And so on, and so on...

billyboy · 01-21-2008, 05:14 PM

Goes with the car and the heritage

74cookiecutter · 74cookiecutter's Garage

"pocket" knife? Carl Schlieper, Solingen-Germany.

SlowToady · 01-21-2008, 06:21 PM

Bet your ass I do. And, no, it's not quite legal...Way I figure, if I'd ever need it, I've got bigger problems than whether my steel is legal or not.

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

I sure hope I'll never need my carry gun in any situation and I hope I'll never need that fire extunguisher in my garage and kitchen. The knife could be a decent back up where CCW is not possible and it has other uses anyway. No one in the office would think twice if I used the knife to open a package or pull out a splinter. Drawing a gun to take care of a rat would probably not go over too well.

masraum · 01-21-2008, 06:22 PM

I carry a pocket knife daily and have for years. I started carrying a knife when I tended bar. I used it to cut lemons and limes (couldn't stand using the dull kitchen knives from the bar). I still carry one even though I don't bartend. It's a tool for me. I open boxes, cut zip-ties, string, the occasionaly loose thread on my sock, etc....

I suspect that carrying a knife, even a decent sized one won't get you a second look as long as you don't look like a hoodlum and you don't get caught acting like one.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danny_Ocean

Yeah...come to Miami sometime.

A near daily occurence:

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sfl-121pbcarjacking,0,2994934.story?coll=sofla_tab01_l ayout

Mom/daughter robbed, bound, shot in the (Upscale) mall parking lot:

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-flpmemorial0121pnjan21,0,4510809.story

Woman shot as she opens her front door:

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-flbkilling0121sbjan21,0,63581.story

And so on, and so on...

I'm sure a 3.25" bladed pocket knife or even a 6" bladed pocket knife would surely have helped these folks. It's probably not best to bring a knife to a gun fight.

I'm sure that there are probably a few folks who have fought back with bladed weapons and turned the tide, but I suspect that's probably less than .5%. Guns probably yield much better odds.

Even then, I suspect that 99% of the population even if carrying a gun/knife, if attacked, would probably fare, no better than if not armed. I suspect that most situations are a suprise, so you aren't prepared, and I suspect that most people in those situations, are probably too shocked to react or probably don't have their weapons readily enough available when the situation occurs.

But, if they give folks a piece of mind, then it's not a bad thing.