Legality of knife-wielding

Cyber Wolf · 04-12-2012, 11:46 AM

Perhaps I'm not looking in the right places, but I can't seem to find a decent discussion anywhere that delves into the reasons why many kinds of guns of many kinds of calibers are allowed to be carried under condition (or at all) but, by law, I could be arrested for carrying my OSS San Mai fixed blade hunting knife or other blades I own, concealed or not, in the same places I could carry a gun legally for self-defense. I'm not even talking about actual, made-to-kill-people swords, I'm talking about utility/hunting blades, typically 8-14" long.

I don't figure the reason is simply weapon lethality, because a gun is far more lethal. Sure, a gun and a knife can both make you dead, but a single gun shot can do it from a distance and has a greater potential for internal damage than a single knife thrust, depending on where the entry is. I can't buy the concept of criminal intent either. In terms of tools, a knife is a far more useful thing to have in odd situations than a gun. You could use the gun as a hammer if you reaaaaally wanted to, but a knife (especially one like my San Mai) can be a hammer, a chisel, a screwdiver, a pencil sharpener, a light-use crowbar, a nail pick, a tooth pick, a mirror (right after a good polish), a signaling device... and it can cut stuff. A gun... shoots things. I have far more legitimate answers for the question 'Why are you carrying that knife?" than "Why are you carrying that gun?".

This is not a 'gun vs knife in self-defense' question. This is a 'why is a gun more legal to carry than a hunting knife' question. So why? Why is it illegal for me to strap my San Mai to my waist, a couple of boot knives to my legs (in my boots), and a small thrust blade around my neck but legal for me to carry a couple of .45 HP or FMJ loaded pistols and a rifle?

(This question could also be extended to blunt weapons... I have a couple of maces and a small warhammer I'd like to stash in my car but legally can't.)

ETA: I'm in VA... I know state knife laws will vary, just like gun laws, but on the whole they seem fairly prohibitive.

04-12-2012, 11:46 AM	#1
Cyber Wolf As stable as a ring of PU-239 Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: On a huge rock covered in water, highly advanced moss and 7 billion parasites Posts: 1,264	Legality of knife-wielding Perhaps I'm not looking in the right places, but I can't seem to find a decent discussion anywhere that delves into the reasons why many kinds of guns of many kinds of calibers are allowed to be carried under condition (or at all) but, by law, I could be arrested for carrying my OSS San Mai fixed blade hunting knife or other blades I own, concealed or not, in the same places I could carry a gun legally for self-defense. I'm not even talking about actual, made-to-kill-people swords, I'm talking about utility/hunting blades, typically 8-14" long. I don't figure the reason is simply weapon lethality, because a gun is far more lethal. Sure, a gun and a knife can both make you dead, but a single gun shot can do it from a distance and has a greater potential for internal damage than a single knife thrust, depending on where the entry is. I can't buy the concept of criminal intent either. In terms of tools, a knife is a far more useful thing to have in odd situations than a gun. You could use the gun as a hammer if you reaaaaally wanted to, but a knife (especially one like my San Mai) can be a hammer, a chisel, a screwdiver, a pencil sharpener, a light-use crowbar, a nail pick, a tooth pick, a mirror (right after a good polish), a signaling device... and it can cut stuff. A gun... shoots things. I have far more legitimate answers for the question 'Why are you carrying that knife?" than "Why are you carrying that gun?". This is not a 'gun vs knife in self-defense' question. This is a 'why is a gun more legal to carry than a hunting knife' question. So why? Why is it illegal for me to strap my San Mai to my waist, a couple of boot knives to my legs (in my boots), and a small thrust blade around my neck but legal for me to carry a couple of .45 HP or FMJ loaded pistols and a rifle? (This question could also be extended to blunt weapons... I have a couple of maces and a small warhammer I'd like to stash in my car but legally can't.) ETA: I'm in VA... I know state knife laws will vary, just like gun laws, but on the whole they seem fairly prohibitive. __________________ "I don't see what's so triffic about creating people as people and then getting' upset 'cos they act like people." ~Adam Young, Good Omens "I don't see why it matters what is written. Not when it's about people. It can always be crossed out." ~Adam Young, Good Omens Last edited by Cyber Wolf; 04-12-2012 at 12:00 PM.

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