Carrying a knife as a minor?

natedog · July 13, 2004, 05:57 PM

I would like to get a small (3-4") folding knife just for general use and utility. I was curious if it is legal for a minor to carry a small knife (not on campus, of course). I live in California. I understand the blade has to be less than 4", and that it cannot be a switchblade, correct?

fyrestarter · July 14, 2004, 01:26 PM

Are you planning to get a matching T-Shirt that says "I have a knife"? If you want a knife for "general purposes", then get a swiss army -- they're legal everywhere. If you truly want one for defense, then don't. An untrained knifefighter is more dangerous to himself than to the assailant.

Of course, with a little poking around, you'll see I have no less than three knives on my person at all times

Get a Kubotan or the like, and put it on your keychain. It can actually be more effective than a knife in some situations.

Denny Hansen · July 14, 2004, 02:46 PM

According to one website I looked at, any knife with a blade over 2-1/4 inches was illegal on a school campus in California. This link may help to answer some of your questions.
http://www.equalccw.com/knifelaw.html

Denny

mordak · August 14, 2004, 03:20 PM

Quote:

fyrestarter: Of course, with a little poking around, you'll see I have no less than three knives on my person at all times

LOL now that I think about it I have 4 on my person right now.

ETA: What about a Leatherman (Wave) or one of the similarly made multi tools? I always have one and use it frequently.

Brasso · September 6, 2004, 02:17 PM

Well, we carried knives in school when I was a kid, but I don't live in Kalifornia, and PC wasn't run amuck. I would suggest you get a good defensive flashlight as suggested. It can be carried in the open and provide better quick response action than a knife. I would still get a knife, just not one geared toward self defense.

Quartus · September 6, 2004, 04:27 PM

Knife laws are even more convoluted and nonsensical than gun laws, ESPECIALLY in Kalifornia. In some cities you might be committing a felony for a knife that wouldn't be a problem in the city next door.

DO check your local laws.

Given the current state of things in Kalifornia, you are probably in more danger from the law than from bad guys, at least as far as the probability of having serious trouble.

abelew · January 7, 2005, 07:03 PM

Kali believes in adding more nonsensical laws to make up for the nonsensical laws that dont work, but not removing the old law that was messed up. So I would walk around in a leotard, so that you could not be committing any crime, except that against nature

mikikanazawa · January 8, 2005, 01:10 AM

Two anecdotes.

When I was 16 or 17 I carried a Blackjack push dagger from time to time. (Blackjack is now defunct.) I simply stuck it in the front of my pants for the whole world to see. I was a pretty geeky, skinny kid and NOBODY paid attention to me, or the knife. Yeah, it was totally illegal for me to carry because it was double-edged. It ended up getting confiscated when I was in college - the police were questioning me in my dorm room, which I foolishly allowed them in to, and saw it sitting on my desk. In reality, I think the cop just wanted it for himself, LOL.

Now, I carry a CRKT M16 "Big Dog." Few weeks ago I was in Starbucks with the wife (one of those Starbucks built into a Barnes & Noble). My wife was having a hard time opening her brownie, so I discreetly clicked open the CRKT and slit the cellophane. Like 10 mins later a copper taps me on the shoulder and asks if I have any weapons. Older and wiser, I said, "Who wants to know?" The copper recognized my defensive posture and said "People have been coming to me and telling me you've been flashing around a big knife." I laughed out loud and said are you serious? The officer said we could settle it by letting him frisk me, to which I said NO. "Look, I'm just enjoying a quiet cup of coffee with my wife, if someone's brandishing a knife, A, do you honestly think it's me and B, don't you think you should be finding him?" He didn't put up much of a fight, but the moral is, people in Cali don't like weapons of any sort. Or rather, they don't like YOU to have weapons of any sort. So be careful.

guntotin_fool · January 8, 2005, 05:03 AM

ahhhhh sweet youth

I remember being in Massachusetts public schools in the 60's and the big step was the 4th grade because then you could carry your Boy Scout knife to school. I still have the "student guidebook" that says it in writing.

All through high school in Illinois I carried a Buck Ranger on my belt, never once was questioned.

Quite frankly the smaller the blade the more likely you are you going to use it for general utility use. Do not buy a cheap knife and try to buy american. The Gerber LST and the like are decent knives that can be bought very reasonable.

or for a bit more buy a spyderco.

July 13, 2004, 05:57 PM	#1
natedog Senior Member Join Date: December 3, 2002 Posts: 105	Carrying a knife as a minor? I would like to get a small (3-4") folding knife just for general use and utility. I was curious if it is legal for a minor to carry a small knife (not on campus, of course). I live in California. I understand the blade has to be less than 4", and that it cannot be a switchblade, correct?

July 14, 2004, 01:26 PM	#2
fyrestarter Senior Member Join Date: May 29, 2004 Posts: 323	Are you planning to get a matching T-Shirt that says "I have a knife"? If you want a knife for "general purposes", then get a swiss army -- they're legal everywhere. If you truly want one for defense, then don't. An untrained knifefighter is more dangerous to himself than to the assailant. Of course, with a little poking around, you'll see I have no less than three knives on my person at all times Get a Kubotan or the like, and put it on your keychain. It can actually be more effective than a knife in some situations. __________________ "Get yourself a Glock and lose that nickel-plated sissy pistol." --Sam Gerard "A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine." --Thomas Jefferson

July 14, 2004, 02:46 PM	#3
Denny Hansen Staff Emeritus Join Date: June 29, 2001 Location: Prescott Valley, AZ Posts: 2,422	According to one website I looked at, any knife with a blade over 2-1/4 inches was illegal on a school campus in California. This link may help to answer some of your questions. http://www.equalccw.com/knifelaw.html Denny __________________ S.W.A.T. Magazine Weapons, Training and Tactics for the Real World Join us at TFL or at AR15.com or on Facebook

September 6, 2004, 02:17 PM	#5
Brasso Senior Member Join Date: October 28, 1999 Location: AL Posts: 472	Well, we carried knives in school when I was a kid, but I don't live in Kalifornia, and PC wasn't run amuck. I would suggest you get a good defensive flashlight as suggested. It can be carried in the open and provide better quick response action than a knife. I would still get a knife, just not one geared toward self defense. __________________ ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕʹ ICQ# 214858548

September 6, 2004, 04:27 PM	#6
Quartus Senior Member Join Date: May 8, 2001 Location: Virginia Posts: 3,823	Knife laws are even more convoluted and nonsensical than gun laws, ESPECIALLY in Kalifornia. In some cities you might be committing a felony for a knife that wouldn't be a problem in the city next door. DO check your local laws. Given the current state of things in Kalifornia, you are probably in more danger from the law than from bad guys, at least as far as the probability of having serious trouble. __________________ . Better to know what you don't know than to think you know what you don't know.

January 7, 2005, 07:03 PM	#7
abelew Senior Member Join Date: November 29, 2004 Location: Florida Posts: 778	Kali believes in adding more nonsensical laws to make up for the nonsensical laws that dont work, but not removing the old law that was messed up. So I would walk around in a leotard, so that you could not be committing any crime, except that against nature __________________ "Where the choice is between only violence and cowardice, I would advise violence." ~ Mohatma Gandhi

January 8, 2005, 01:10 AM	#8
mikikanazawa Senior Member Join Date: September 26, 2004 Posts: 449	Two anecdotes. When I was 16 or 17 I carried a Blackjack push dagger from time to time. (Blackjack is now defunct.) I simply stuck it in the front of my pants for the whole world to see. I was a pretty geeky, skinny kid and NOBODY paid attention to me, or the knife. Yeah, it was totally illegal for me to carry because it was double-edged. It ended up getting confiscated when I was in college - the police were questioning me in my dorm room, which I foolishly allowed them in to, and saw it sitting on my desk. In reality, I think the cop just wanted it for himself, LOL. Now, I carry a CRKT M16 "Big Dog." Few weeks ago I was in Starbucks with the wife (one of those Starbucks built into a Barnes & Noble). My wife was having a hard time opening her brownie, so I discreetly clicked open the CRKT and slit the cellophane. Like 10 mins later a copper taps me on the shoulder and asks if I have any weapons. Older and wiser, I said, "Who wants to know?" The copper recognized my defensive posture and said "People have been coming to me and telling me you've been flashing around a big knife." I laughed out loud and said are you serious? The officer said we could settle it by letting him frisk me, to which I said NO. "Look, I'm just enjoying a quiet cup of coffee with my wife, if someone's brandishing a knife, A, do you honestly think it's me and B, don't you think you should be finding him?" He didn't put up much of a fight, but the moral is, people in Cali don't like weapons of any sort. Or rather, they don't like YOU to have weapons of any sort. So be careful.

January 8, 2005, 05:03 AM	#9
guntotin_fool Senior Member Join Date: November 18, 2004 Posts: 1,446	ahhhhh sweet youth I remember being in Massachusetts public schools in the 60's and the big step was the 4th grade because then you could carry your Boy Scout knife to school. I still have the "student guidebook" that says it in writing. All through high school in Illinois I carried a Buck Ranger on my belt, never once was questioned. Quite frankly the smaller the blade the more likely you are you going to use it for general utility use. Do not buy a cheap knife and try to buy american. The Gerber LST and the like are decent knives that can be bought very reasonable. or for a bit more buy a spyderco.