How Big a Blade?

[kingpin008]

I'll be looking into buying a decent folding knife soon, and I'm eager to stay on the legal side of things as far as blade length goes.

Does anyone here know what the legal blade length is for a folding knife in Maryland? How about a fixed blade? This would be carried with me on a daily basis, so I need to make absolutely sure that if I'm stopped and the blade is checked, I'm good to go.

Thanks!

Also - suggestions for a good folding knife under $100? I really, really can't spend more than that but I do want to get as much as I can for my money.

 

[jahwarrior]

most places where knife carry is legal have similar guidelines; 3" seems to be the biggest you'd want to go. i've heard of places where 4" or longer are fine, but if you're carrying a folder, then 3" is big enough. as far as maryland is concerned, they're not very clear on knives, but if their gun laws are any indication, you'd better go with a smaller blade.

if you want good quality folders, i'd look at cold steel, kershaw, spyderco, and crkt. according to your parameters, your best bet might be the spyderco delica. it's just around 3", lightweight, not too scary looking, razor sharp, and you can find it for less than $50 at most websites. also, gander mountain, dick's sporting goods and walmart carry spydercos, kershaws and crkts, at very good prices. my local walmart sells the spyderco endura, delica and native, the kershaw leek, whirlwind and vapor, some models from gerber and crkt, and almost all of them retail under $70. check this link: http://www.walmart.com/search/browse-ng.do?ic=24_0&ref=125872.413065&catNavId=4128

good luck!

 

[wulfbyte]

Disclaimer - this is not legal advice in any way - seek a qualified attorney for that.

OK - a quick google of "maryland knife laws" turned up a few interesting links:

A few pages about knife laws in various states:
http://www.donath.org/Rants/StateKnifeLaws/
http://pweb.netcom.com/~brlevine/sta-law.htm

A link to the actual statutes themselves:
http://pweb.netcom.com/~brlevine/md.txt

A VERY on topic discussion between civilians and law enforcement officers on another board:
http://forums.officer.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-51338.html

And lastly (that I'm going to link in here) the first lawyer to come up on the search as specifically defending those accused of weapons charges in Maryland:
http://www.srislawyer.com/PracticeAreas/MARYLAND-CONCEALED-WEAPON-FIREARM-OFFENSE-ATTORNEY-MD-LAWYERS-LAWS.asp

And my own personal favorite is Benchmade. I carry a 730 or a 710 as my EDC, but then I'm in Colorado. As a smaller, very cost effective alternative I would recommend the 10300 - you can find it new on ebay for under $40.

 

[357wheelgunner]

When I travel to states like California or Colorado, where the max length is 3", I carry my Emerson Combat Karambit. It's not a good utility knife, but it's natural for SD and it's legal.



Day to day in PA I carry either my Super CQC-7 or my Commander, both are amazing knives and have the wave for instant opening out of the pocket:

 

[hso]

No blade length is mentioned in MD law, but you pretty much don't need an EDC with a blade over 3.5" to do just about everything a pocket knife can do (you don't really need anything over 2.5").

What sort of ever day choirs will you ask of the knife?

 

[kingpin008]

Nothing serious - opening boxes/letters, opening packages, cutting cords/string, peeling fruit, etc. I'm a suburban boy with a relatively boring life, lol. No hacking down trees to build a shelter or skinning a water buffalo for me.

Oh, and it will serve as an option for personal defense, should the need arise.

 

[mercop]

I am a police officer in MD. Any folding knife no matter how big it is would be considered a "pen knife" and is legal to carry.

Any fixed blade no matter the size is considered a "bowie knife" and is illegal.

No razor knives, box cutters, dirks or daggers.

 

[hso]

Pick anything comfortable that rides in your pocket well with a price between $75 and $100 and handle it for several minutes in the store. Open and close it several times. Don't goof around with it flipping it open, just open and close it using the thumb stud/saucer/hole and decide if it's comfortable to open.

If you're interesting in an assist, make sure that you can open it easily if the assisted opening mechanism fails (get something with a good stud/saucer/hole).

I'm a huge fan of Kit Carson's M4 and am terribly happy to see the M4 in a production version from CRKT.

 

[kingpin008]

Mercop - thanks for the heads up - it's always nice to hear from the "horse's mouth" as it were, what will and won't get you in hot water.

Where are you based out of? My fiancee is a court reporter in Howard County, you might have met her at some point.

Hso - I'm pretty satisfied with both the Vapor and the random Winchester special. I didn't have an opportunity to handle either, as they were sold in plastic "clamshell" packaging, but I was also being impatient looking for them. I could have gone to the Bass pro near me, but the Wal-Mart was closer and less of a hassle to get to. Next time I'll shop more carefully, and make sure to actually evaluate before buying.

Now, I'm slightly ignorant of terms here - Assisted opening, that simply means a little "hook" or some other feature on the knife that gives you a little extra grip or way to open it easier, correct? It has nothing to do with springs, buttons, or any of that "automatic knife" stuff, right? Because if so, I can't mess with it. I actually brought a pair of auto knives back home with me last year after a trip to see my mom in FL, but when I realized they were illegal, I broke both and tossed 'em in the trash, lol.

 

[mercop]

I work in Harford County. The list of knives I would advocate as a Primary Defensive Folder is short.

Spyderco Military
Spyderco Endura
Benchmade Skirmish and Mini Skirmish

 

[kingpin008]

Thanks for the list - I'll have to find a dealer for some of the different brands and try 'em all out. The two I got this afternoon are suitable for now, but they were fairly cheap and I don't expect them to last forever. I'll keep your recommendations in mind.

 

[mercop]

Contact Seth at www.bladeart.com and tell him I sent you.