Hi Poboy,
I've been pursuing this for years since I got my Texas CHL in 1995. As I study the heavily stick based Filipino martial art known as Modern Arnis you can understand my interest.
After talking with the Department of Public Safety and Gary Patterson, the original sponsor of the original CHL bill, I know conclusively that we can't carry an ASP legally. Mr. Patterson told me the reason they did not make the original bill a CCW was because they wanted to minimize any opposition that might exist to it. In their view that provision could be added at a later date. It is my hope that this will change at some point.
To comply with the law I simply carry a single darkly colored escrimia stick made out of hickory when I go out. It is about 26 inches long and an inch thick. This rougly equates the rattan sticks we use in Arnis as well as the F-26 ASP baton. Yet it looks like a walking stick since it has no surface features of a club. It is literally a stick, but the hickory is the same wood used to construct billy clubs. In the real world of combat the difference is moot.
Granted you can't carry it everywhere, but if asked I simply say I was chased by a large dog once and use it when I go for walks in the park several days a week for exercise. It also escapes notice when riding the train to work. If a police officer stopped me during a traffic stop I would say the same thing.
Most importantly if I can use the stick and avoid killing or maiming someone because I only had a firearm available to me all the better.
If you're interested in getting such a stick give the following link a click. I own several sticks from them and can vouch for their quality and customer service. They do custom materials and lengths as well.
www.akearmory.com
PM me should you have any further questions.
- Anthony