PRK Knife laws

[Combat-wombat]

All I really know about Kali knife laws is that you can't have switchblades. But what are the laws about having a knife if you're under 18? Does it make any difference if it's a folder or a fixed blade? I've looked over the PRK Attorney General's site, and I can't find anything useful. Can somebody give me some info?

 

[Ledbetter]

Go here:

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/calaw.html

click on the box next to "Penal Code" and search for "knife dirk dagger."

 

[Combat-wombat]

Thanks, but I cna't find anything that has to do with age and carrying a knife.

 

[Sir Galahad]

One thing I can tell you is don't get caught carrying a butterfly knife at any age in Cali.

 

[Jim March]

http://www.equalccw.com/knifelaw.html

I've been unable to find any age-specific statute. There's a whole pile of stuff on school grounds limits, I've got all that carefully indexed in "Section 3" above.

As a practical matter, cops are going to hassle you if you're open-carrying big (or even medium-sized) fixed blades.

My recommendation is to get the best folder you can afford, as big as you want, don't ditch the thumbstud, and practice for the day you get a CCW permit: CONCEALED MEANS CONCEALED. It should be carried deep-cover, and not pulled out for utility use. Carry something else really small and non-threatening too, like a Leatherman Micra or small keychain-sized Swiss Army Knife or whatever, as your "cut up a pizza and general utility thing".

If you have access to some fairly thin scrap leather and some paracord, it's easy to build a quick'n'dirty IWB ("Inside Waist Band") sheath that can hide a Cold Steel Vaquero Grande inside your pants, and with a shirt either tucked over it or loose, will be completely undetectable. Ditch the pocket clip, it'll make it thinner. If it's in the 4" range, just dedicate your strong-side front pocket to it.

You don't pull something like that unless you are in fear of losing your life or suffering great bodily injury.

Cops won't *like* you packin' something like that, they may even arrest you - but it won't stick.

 

[Bruz]

hide a Cold Steel Vaquero Grande inside your pants

Make sure you remember to close it first!


CW, hey neighbor...how old are you? If you are close to 18 may be gooder to just wait, Atascadero aint exactly gang ridden.

 

[Combat-wombat]

nope, I'm 13. Wow, I didn't know someone on this forum lived that close to me. Lets talk sometime about gun rights. Also, I don't understand if a double edged knife is the same as a "dirk" or "dagger". I really need to know the penalties of concealed carrying a fixed blade, double edged (not double-edged for the whole blade, maybe half) knife with a 4.9 inch blade at age 13 in the PRK.

 

[Jim March]

Do NOT get popped on a genuine weapons violation, even at age 13. As an adult, concealed carry of a single OR double edge fixed blade is a felony. By the time you're age 18, there's a very high likelihood that a juvenile felony-level weapons bust will bar you from legal gun ownership. Possibly for life. Trust me, esp. in California, that's the direction the laws are going.

Lookit: as long as it's a folder, and as long as it's concealed while fully closed, you're clean. You'll get hassled, you'll possibly even get arrested, but if your parents have any guts they'll be able to file and win a wrongful arrest suit against the cop. At a minimum, you won't rack up a record.

Really good folders are too easily available to make it worth risking concealed carry of a fixed-blade.

 

[Ledbetter]

Generally, in the absence of a specific statute to the contrary, everyone is expected to follow the same law, regardless of age. The knife you have described, 5" blade shaped to a point and sharp on both sides of the point, sounds like a dirk or dagger, and would be prohibited for carry by anyone in the state.

You should make very sure you are fully aware of the responsibilities, limitations and potential dangers and penalties connected with display of any knife if you intend to carry one.

 

[Jim March]

Correction: the knife Ledbetter describes is prohibited for concealed carry. It CAN legally be open-carried but dude, the reality is, at your age the number of "cop hassles" you'll get are simply not worth it.

But if you want to go for it, hey, at least you won't rack up a juvie record.

On open carry: you're best off carrying from the belt. There ARE other ways of doing open carry, but in Penal Code 12020 there's a statement that "knives carried openly suspended from the waist are open carry". This doesn't EXCLUDE other possibilities, it's more of a "serving suggestion" but a lot of cops and DAs read it as a requirement. A friend of mine had to take a case all the way to a jury trial on felony concealed carry charges, for strapping a 6" dagger to the outside of his ankle, fully exposed. The only reason he got off was the letter I wrote for his public defender.

That's a big annoyance for zero real gain.

 

[Bruz]

CW, I agree with Jim and the others, stay within the law...would be a bummer to have a weapons violation and not be able to own a gun! So no fixed blades or blades sharpened on both sides (even a little).

Get a good inexpensive folder and use the rest for lessons. I would rather have a $5. Swiss Army Knife and training than a Bagley Hells Belle without training. I am trying to get enough people together to get Brownie or someone to grace our area for some lessons, let me know if you want on the list.

Other than a wise decision to always be prepared, is there a specific reason you feel you need to be armed? I grew up in Atascadero, all the way through college at Cal Poly, and did not start thinking of self defense till I was over 40. Atascadero has like no crime, unless you consider the neighbors pig breaking in your house as a problem...do you have any other problems we might wanna look at?

I also own property in Paso and cruise through Atascadero on occasion, if ya ever need some help with something feel free to drop me a line.

 

[Sir Galahad]

A word from the Devil's Advocate General office

I think that most of us would agree that location, location, location is an excellent point when selling real estate, but it doesn't mean "crime-free" automatically, either. Lots of people go armed not because something WILL happen, but because something MIGHT. That is the case in even low-crime areas. Some of the most horrifying crimes have occured to the nicest people in the poshest areas. Case in point: The Tate-LaBianca murders by the Manson Family. Where those murders took place was in very safe, low-crime neighborhoods. And while the neighbors might be harmless, it is that unknown wild card, the Joker in the deck of life that is dealt to us, that says to us: "Be peaceful, but prepare for war." In the case of the Tate-LaBianca murders if you had told them they would be victims of bloody murders by a crazed cult who think a nickle-and dime thug is Jesus and the Beatles are telling them to kill them through records, they would have laughed you off the premises. But murdered they were. I grew up not far from Spahn Ranch and to look at that area, you'd never guess a crazed bunch of murderers once lived there. Bad things do happen to nice people in nice areas. Even more so if they live near an interstate highway. One goes armed not because one expects to have to use the weapon, but to have it if it is needed. If 9/11 taught us anything, it is that sudden, violent death can happen anywhere, anytime, to anybody. The key is to prepare for that possibility and never lull ourselves into thinking "it can't happen here."

 

[Combat-wombat]

Right, what Sir Galahad said is the main reason. One thing is that small towns have more of a drug problem (several people in my school smoke pot), and with drugs come seedy people and people with bad judgement (which can lead to violence). I hang out a lot near the new Hwy. 41 bridge (if you know where that is, kinda near Pine Mountain). I like to ride my bike along the train tracks which take you to this pretty neat area. Anyway, that is one of the main places potheads, hobos, and bad people hang out. I have never seen them there, but you can tell they do go there. Since I spend a lot of time there, and just because anything can happen, anywhere, I just want to be safe and armed.

 

[Sir Galahad]

One thing I'd like to caution you about is getting too close to any known "hobo jungle". Years back, a lot of "hoboes" were mostly migrant workers who used to ride the rails around California and pick fruit or do seasonal farm labor. Then they'd ride back east and do something there a while. Used to see them a lot many years ago. Sure, they'd pinch a bit of fruit or vegetables out of a garden every now and then, but many were fairly harmless. They were hoboes, not bums. But some of the bums I see getting off of trains here, I wish would fall under the train. Be very careful, my friend. These guys now are highly unpredicatable. Even with a knife, they can still take you. I would urge you to avoid the railroad tracks, if possible. And where people congregate to dodrugs or other things is not a place you want to stumble across when they're going full tilt. The easiest part of self-defense is avoiding dangerous areas you absolutely don't need to be in. When I was a kid, railroad cops carried a longer-than-average nightstick and a revolver, a .38 or .357 and a few had .45 autos. Now, I've heard of railroad cops with full SWAT kit and AR-15s. Goes with the types of scumbags riding the rails these days. Just some things to consider.

 

[brownie0486]

Combat-wombat:

Previous posters have certainly given you solid advice. You are just starting your life really at your age. That you ask the question on this forum suggests you have a level of maturity above most your age.

So many young people make simple mistakes that can affect their lives forever.

My best advice for you at your age in all things and not just this subject would be to "err on the side of caution" if you are unsure of something. I reiterate this continuously to others I see daily and students of mine in defensive knife work.

Sir Galahad has given you some worldly advice about staying out of the rail yards and hangouts for the hobos/bums. Life was easier to survive when I was your age as there weren't as many predators around, society had not matured to the level of needless violence inflicted on others by bangers and thieves.
If you aren't there you can't posssibly have to deal with one of the lowlifes who may just see you as easy prey [ due to your age ].

Research, ask, listen, and attempt to understand the laws of the state which govern your actions. Carry only what is considered legal, if you have doubts, don't carry it. You will be better off in the long run. A criminal record is not something you need following you around for the rest of your life because of youthful desires. I know it may be hard to comprehend now at your age, hell, I didn't want to listen to others more worldly than I then either.

Bruz gives good advice when stating you should attempt to get some formal defensive knife instruction but that may be a few years away for you at this time. I have trained people from the age of 14 up to 65 years old over the years.

Bruz: I'd be happy to make the trip and put a class on for you folks in sunny Calif. PM sometime and we look at the particulars to get it rolling.

Brownie

 

[Jim March]

Heh. I still think the most serious threat he'll face is actually canine rather than homo sap. . But doggies CAN be a very serious threat, and in my opinion knives can be a pretty good solution if you keep your head and come in under the head to the throat.

 

[Penforhire]

Don't forget to check the city municipal codes where you want to carry. Some, like Los Angeles, are MORE restrictive than state law.

Brownie, definitely do an open-post if you come to So Cal to run a class.

 

[brownie0486]

Penforhire:

If I get something rolling for fall your way, I'll certainly let everyone know with plent of advance.

I'm going to be on the Snake River in Idaho the first week of October 03 for some more of the good stuff with my instructor.

Brownie

 

[gunsmith]

Young men need good folders!!!

There are all kinds of bizarre jerks in the PRK(most of them in political power).
Just follow Jim March's advice and carry something
like a 30$ 4inch cold steel.
Having a knife on me when I was growing up saved
my life twice.
Knives are handy tools to have.

 

[Jim March]

Penforhire: in his (rural) area, he's probably not dealing with local ordinances. Probably. The problem is, it will be very difficult to check. When you ask cops what the laws are on knives, in my experience you NEVER get a straight (or correct) answer. Literally, I've asked a LOT, starting when I was younger than him.

His city library might have the city ordinances on file. Counties usually don't pass their own knife laws, with the exception of a few very urban ones like LA.

 

[Combat-wombat]

no, my town's website has the municipal codes, and they're fine. here, you can see for yourself. http://www.atascadero.org Just go to "Municipal Code".

 

[Jim March]

Ah. Cool. Didn't think a town as small as Atascadero had their codes online .

 

[Combat-wombat]

Yeah, when I stumbled across that site I was surprised at the quality. Atascadero is getting bigger because Paso Robles is nearby, and Paso's wine industry is getting larger and becoming a tourist attraction.

 

[Bruz]

Atascadero is getting bigger

Growing up in Atascadero we had one stop light, and my first piece of property was just $800. Makes me feel old but that was only 1976. Hmmm, that was 27 years ago...I am old.