If this needs moved, please tell me but I felt its a relevant story/post to do with non-firearms weapons and peoples concerns about legalities of carrying them.
Back when I was in the Army, a battle buddy of mine was having a tough time. He made some bad choices and was facing a discharge for it. His family had nowhere to stay and couldn't stay in the barracks with him. So, I stepped up to help my battle buddy when he really needed it. I accompanied his wife, young son (3'ish i think at the time) and her sister to an off-base hotel and paid for them to stay the night. When we got back on post to pick their stuff up, my battles wife got in an argument with her sister and slammed on the brakes, drawing attention to us. A different units staff duty/CQ called the PD. They stopped us right out front of the barracks for the issue. On my person I had one kershaw knife in my right pocket, one other folder (i forget which) in my left pocket, and a buck 110 in a belt sheath in plain sight. All of these knives where not only legal according to Texas law but also given that I was an active duty soldier, I saw no issue. None of them where automatics. (dident matter, active duty soldiers are permitted and even issued automatics as some of you know). The arresting officer asked me if I had anything to drink tonight. I told him approximately three or more hours ago I had a beer with my steak. Simply the truth. I foolishly consented to a personal search where my knives where confiscated. The officer "informed" me that all of these knives where illegal for anyone to possess and that he would have to call my staff duty to inform them I was going to jail for intox and carrying a concealed weapon. After disputing that with him, my staff duty E-7 showed up in uniform to inform him that not only are we soldiers issued automatic knives (of which none I had), we are on a government (federal) installation and the MP's would have to be called, that I was not drunk and was not carrying illegal weapons. So, after tossing me about the hood and harassing me the regular PD uncuffed me and handed said NCO my blades and told him to "confiscate these illegal blades from my possession". What do you think he did? Turned right around and handed me my property back. This is not to debate the law or whether or not the cop was right, just to relate that no matter where or who you are LEO WILL harass you on your pocket knives. Irregardless if its legal or not. IMHO regular PD had a chip on their shoulder about SM's on post. Im not anti-leo either before any of you post that I am. At some point or another for those of you who have not dealt with it, you will. Another instance was when I was denied entry to post when returning from a bar. The regular PD detained me, confiscated my Emerson (and kept my damn knife) and subjected me to other issues before my 1sg showed up to bail me out of their grasp. I was a passenger in a car full of sober people. Anyone else have any ballpark/similar experiences?
Back when I was in the Army, a battle buddy of mine was having a tough time. He made some bad choices and was facing a discharge for it. His family had nowhere to stay and couldn't stay in the barracks with him. So, I stepped up to help my battle buddy when he really needed it. I accompanied his wife, young son (3'ish i think at the time) and her sister to an off-base hotel and paid for them to stay the night. When we got back on post to pick their stuff up, my battles wife got in an argument with her sister and slammed on the brakes, drawing attention to us. A different units staff duty/CQ called the PD. They stopped us right out front of the barracks for the issue. On my person I had one kershaw knife in my right pocket, one other folder (i forget which) in my left pocket, and a buck 110 in a belt sheath in plain sight. All of these knives where not only legal according to Texas law but also given that I was an active duty soldier, I saw no issue. None of them where automatics. (dident matter, active duty soldiers are permitted and even issued automatics as some of you know). The arresting officer asked me if I had anything to drink tonight. I told him approximately three or more hours ago I had a beer with my steak. Simply the truth. I foolishly consented to a personal search where my knives where confiscated. The officer "informed" me that all of these knives where illegal for anyone to possess and that he would have to call my staff duty to inform them I was going to jail for intox and carrying a concealed weapon. After disputing that with him, my staff duty E-7 showed up in uniform to inform him that not only are we soldiers issued automatic knives (of which none I had), we are on a government (federal) installation and the MP's would have to be called, that I was not drunk and was not carrying illegal weapons. So, after tossing me about the hood and harassing me the regular PD uncuffed me and handed said NCO my blades and told him to "confiscate these illegal blades from my possession". What do you think he did? Turned right around and handed me my property back. This is not to debate the law or whether or not the cop was right, just to relate that no matter where or who you are LEO WILL harass you on your pocket knives. Irregardless if its legal or not. IMHO regular PD had a chip on their shoulder about SM's on post. Im not anti-leo either before any of you post that I am. At some point or another for those of you who have not dealt with it, you will. Another instance was when I was denied entry to post when returning from a bar. The regular PD detained me, confiscated my Emerson (and kept my damn knife) and subjected me to other issues before my 1sg showed up to bail me out of their grasp. I was a passenger in a car full of sober people. Anyone else have any ballpark/similar experiences?