If laws and public perception were no issue, would you carry a different knife?

[vivi]

I recently traded a forum member here for a 5.5" bladed pocket knife.

I've found that for a lot of things I use a pocket knife for, this size works better than the 3.5-4" blades I'd often carry instead.

One of the reasons he traded it was being unable to carry it legally.

So it got me thinking - would you guys carry a different sized knife if there were no blade length laws and no potential issues with public perception?

Or would you carry the same size you normally do?

[Scandi Grind]

Yes, I would carry a fixed blade with a 4 inch blade virtually everywhere if that suited the general public better than it does. Most of the time I carry my Endura and my Izula in my pockets when I go out and don't know exactly where I'll be stopping, but if I'm going to the grocery store where I live, they don't mind my fixed blades a bit, so those do get carried sometimes when I leave the house for food.

[ladybug93]

i enjoy large knives and can make them work for most tasks. i do think the 3-4" size is the most practical though. i know 3-4" is kind of a large range, but the delica is about as small as i'm willing to carry and feel like i've actually got a knife on me that's useful, and larger than 4" can get unwieldy in some tasks.

i would probably carry larger knives like my voyager tanto xl occasionally, but would most often keep larger knives like the rajah 2 in a backpack instead of my pockets, or just carry larger fixed blades on my belt.

i forgot where i was once and opened a 5.5" folder without thinking about it. all conversations stopped and all eyes went straight to the knife. fortunately, they were just shocked and not afraid. that's not the kind of attention i want, and i don't really need the extra size for anything in my day-to-day.

[JoviAl]

Absolutely. I would carry an autonomy in my pocket and a ~6inch fixed blade on my belt. I’m constantly having to compromise functionality with legality - it’s very frustrating.

@Vivi - well played on the new signature

[sal]

Thanx Vivi,

Great question.

sal

[Wandering_About]

There are a few knives with 3.6" blades that I would carry sometimes if there were not a 3.5" blade length limit where I live. Otherwise, things would not change a whole lot as I tend to favor knives in the 3-3.5" range anyway.

[Danke]

I wouldn't drop anything but I would add switchblades and balis to the rotation.

Not worried about perception but they are classed as prohibited here so kinda big trouble if you get found out.

[Tristan_david2001]

Good question. I would carry the same knives. For a edc knife I rarely need a blade longer than my calypso. My jr. Can do like 98% of my edc cutting work, the calypso comes in handy with some bigger utility cutting and some larger food prep versatility. That said I’m still not afraid to carry my temperance in public. But folders are much more convenient and safer to store and retrieve most of the time

[James Y]

From the thread title, I thought it meant ANY knife if laws and public perceptions were different. In that case, I would have said a good balisong.

If we're only talking about a blade's length, then no, I would still carry 3" to 4"-bladed folders. I do own 5" and 6"-bladed folders, but when folders get that large, I'd rather carry a fixed blade.

Jim

[Coastal]

I'd carry the same knives. Texas has reasonable knife laws, so they're no obstacle, but 4" is about the maximum blade length that's comfortable in my clothing. I usually carry 3-4". Automatics are legal, so that's also not a problem.

[Zive]

Yes, absolutely. I live in a jurisdiction with a 2.5” limit so most of what I own is not legal for street carry.

For around the house use I gravitate toward 3”-4” blades like

• Endela

• Endura

• Police 4

• Native Chief

Local laws being as they are I end up leaving the house with

• Dragonfly 2

• Lil’ Native

• Urban

• Meerkat

Laws seem to shape perception. With few people carrying any knife around me given the laws, I’ve still gotten looks and the occasional question when taking out a <2.5” folder for EDC tasks.

[Doc Dan]

If the laws were different I'd still carry a small knife in my pocket, but I would carry an Endura everywhere. Sadly, the laws are whatever the cops say they are, so it is best not to be seen with a knife.

[RustyIron]

So it got me thinking - would you guys carry a different sized knife if there were no blade length laws and no potential issues with public perception?

Ohhhhh... noooooo... I would nevvvvvver carry a knife that was forbidden by our benevolent leaders who lovingly care for our well being.

But seriously, I don't really give a flying... fig... about how some woke nincompoop might become triggered when I slice my sushi. If they find themselves with a case of the vapors, they're welcome to leave my presence until they regain their composure.

I find cutting my food with a fork to be distasteful, for the most part. Cutting food with a dull restaurant-style knife is equally unappealing. I'm discreet with my knife. It's improper to go waving around knives and guns in public. But if someone does notice what I'm doing, perhaps they'll see me as a guy who's dressed conservatively, who doesn't look like a gangster or a tweaker, cutting his steak with a pocket knife, and maybe consider the notion that normal people really CAN carry a knife to perform everyday tasks.

Sometime around the holidays I was eating something and using my pocketknife so I didn't have to gobble giant bites like a starving dog. A lady wrinkled her nose and snarled, "Ewww. Where's that knife been?" I informed her that my knives are probably better cared for and cleaner than those in her kitchen. She shut up and moved away, which was fine, because she's a bit of a snot on her best days.

So to answer your question, "Rusty carries what Rusty wants."

[R100]

I would probably carry a Military or Police sized knife nearly all the time rather than just when I can get away with it. I would also throw away all my deep carry clips. Laws and particularly public perception are strong considerations in Australia.

Dan

[Wartstein]

I can carry whatever I want here in Austria, so I rather sometimes ask myself:

Would actually change what I carry IF there where restricting laws...resp. could I bring myself to obey to such for me completely nonsensical laws or would I rather still carry what I want and risk that they might take a knife from me - ?

But this is not the topic which I´ll reply to in another post.

[Mr_Whiskerz]

I live in Texas, so I can carry a sword if I'm so inclined.

The largest thing I carry is a Goddard or Endura. The largest fixed blades I'd wear are also in the 3-4in range. Anything larger just seems more than I'd ever need walking around

[Wartstein]

No restricting laws here in Austria/Europe, but public perception is another story:

Weirdly almost no one carries a knife, not even a folder, let alone a fixed blade. I get sceptical looks for the folder in my pocket pretty often (though people always find it nice that I have one on me when a knife is needed...), carrying a fixed blade would come across as really weird around here...

Luckily all this does not affect me.

In my day to day life a folder of Endura size is perfect, as said I could legally carry a larger one or a fixed blade, but I most likely normally would not do so even if the puplic perception would find this completely normal.

In the outdoors I do need and prefer and bring fixed blades sometimes for obvious reasons, but in more urban settings an Endura is perfect ( any smaller would tend to be too small): Still convenient in carry, strong enough lock up to do the tasks I use it for pretty much as well as a fixed blade, long enough cutting edge for some food prep (cutting a bred loaf and so on).

"More urban setting" perhaps is not the right term anyway, cause in MY case this actually includes starting a small fire sometimes and cook a little meal (I can do that between appointments) or doing a lot of unpacking / cutting open of helicopter loads and so on.
Still an Endura / Stretch XL / Pac Salt / Goddard (-sized folder) is perfectly fine for that.

Only if I really "go into the woods" and plan on a lot of woodwork,making a fire not only for cooking but for heat and an overnighter or something like that I want and bring a fixed blade.

[Brock O Lee]

Yes, I'd carry any of my 3-4 inch folders in public that I now carry at home.

In my part of Aus it is not lawful to carry any folder (not even a tiny Vic Classic) unless "for a good and specific reason". "General utility" is not a good reason.

[RamZar]

Would you guys carry a different sized knife if there were no blade length laws and no potential issues with public perception?

I’d definitely carry a slim folder (narrow & thin when closed) with a 4”+ blade instead of 3” blades due to local restrictions. However, even without legal restrictions, there are many venues which prohibit knives of any size (concerts, stadiums, theme parks, etc.).

Added:

As for perceptions, I open folders slowly in public without noise because the noise of a fast opening alarms some people and I’m conscious of that.

The two large folders I’ve carried in the past are Spyderco Military (4”) and Zero Tolerance 0452CF (4.1”). I prefer the latter because of its slimness.

[kobold]

Pole mounted. Nothing crazy like a halberd, but maybe a CS Bushman. :-)
Otherwise, I already carry what I want, legal or not, nobody really cares.