Carrying a fixed blade etc.

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  • cb51

    Active Member
    I was born and bred in D.C. and lived most my life in and aired the place. Family moved out to the Maryland suburbs when I was 10 and lived in Wheaton when it was a solid blue collar type of place. Later I moved out to Germantown as my job was out that way.

    All this had an effect on how I saw knives. I always had a love for knives, and collected them and carried a few on me all the time. Mostly slip joint pocket knives. Maryland was funny about sheath knives, and one concealed was a no-no. But a folding knife, as long as it was not a "switchblade" was okay even I fit had a 8 inch blade. So I never got to carry my fixed blades much, so most of them got sold off along the way.

    Moving to Texas in 2015 was a real change in environment. Not only did I get a license to carry a firearm, they are very liberal on knife laws to boot. Last year they actually got more liberal, and I've seen more people carrying a fixed blade on a belt than a few years ago. I've always prefer a fixed blade knife, no lock to worry about failing, no hidden areas in blade slots to gather gunk, and no opening to use. Just pull out and cut, wipe off and put back in sheath.

    It's taken me a few years to get away from the Maryland mind set, and I've been wearing my old well used Buck 102 woodsman on my hip. In hot weather I usually have a Magellan fishing shirt on, so it covers the knife. That would have been illegal in Maryland. It's so refreshing to just reach down and pull out the knife to open a box or cut some twine for the tomato plants out back. Plus it frees up pocket space for a small pistol and spare mag of ammo.

    The Buck 102 has been with me for 20 years, and it's so light weight I can forget it's even there. I may have to investigate a small custom.
     

    CrazySanMan

    2013'er
    Mar 4, 2013
    11,390
    Colorful Colorado
    I was born and bred in D.C. and lived most my life in and aired the place. Family moved out to the Maryland suburbs when I was 10 and lived in Wheaton when it was a solid blue collar type of place. Later I moved out to Germantown as my job was out that way.

    All this had an effect on how I saw knives. I always had a love for knives, and collected them and carried a few on me all the time. Mostly slip joint pocket knives. Maryland was funny about sheath knives, and one concealed was a no-no. But a folding knife, as long as it was not a "switchblade" was okay even I fit had a 8 inch blade. So I never got to carry my fixed blades much, so most of them got sold off along the way.

    Moving to Texas in 2015 was a real change in environment. Not only did I get a license to carry a firearm, they are very liberal on knife laws to boot. Last year they actually got more liberal, and I've seen more people carrying a fixed blade on a belt than a few years ago. I've always prefer a fixed blade knife, no lock to worry about failing, no hidden areas in blade slots to gather gunk, and no opening to use. Just pull out and cut, wipe off and put back in sheath.

    It's taken me a few years to get away from the Maryland mind set, and I've been wearing my old well used Buck 102 woodsman on my hip. In hot weather I usually have a Magellan fishing shirt on, so it covers the knife. That would have been illegal in Maryland. It's so refreshing to just reach down and pull out the knife to open a box or cut some twine for the tomato plants out back. Plus it frees up pocket space for a small pistol and spare mag of ammo.

    The Buck 102 has been with me for 20 years, and it's so light weight I can forget it's even there. I may have to investigate a small custom.

    After growing up in Maryland and it's repression, regulation, taxation, and oppression, It's hard to get used to freedom. Whenever people from Maryland come to visit me in Colorado they constantly ask "Can you do that here?" "Are you allowed to do that?" "Isn't that illegal?"
     

    aklax11

    Active Member
    Jan 8, 2015
    531
    NYC allows for fixed blade concealed carry (but obv not any sort of folding blade)....thats a good thing to know haha
     

    cb51

    Active Member
    After growing up in Maryland and it's repression, regulation, taxation, and oppression, It's hard to get used to freedom. Whenever people from Maryland come to visit me in Colorado they constantly ask "Can you do that here?" "Are you allowed to do that?" "Isn't that illegal?"

    Yeah, I'm sooo used to the repression that it's taken me a couple years to realize I can do things differently now. In Texas, you can conceal up to a 5 1/2 inch blade with no trouble. Looking around here in Georgetown, I see sheath knives on hips and nobody gives a hoot.

    The Maryland mentality is pervasive and take a while to get out of.
     

    engineerbrian

    JMB fan club
    Sep 3, 2010
    10,148
    Fredneck
    Yeah, I'm sooo used to the repression that it's taken me a couple years to realize I can do things differently now. In Texas, you can conceal up to a 5 1/2 inch blade with no trouble. Looking around here in Georgetown, I see sheath knives on hips and nobody gives a hoot.

    The Maryland mentality is pervasive and take a while to get out of.

    Just as a comparison, what is the legal limit in MD for carrying a fixed blade (assuming its legal at all)?
     

    fidelity

    piled higher and deeper
    MDS Supporter
    Aug 15, 2012
    22,400
    Frederick County
    Just as a comparison, what is the legal limit in MD for carrying a fixed blade (assuming its legal at all)?
    Has to be open carry, but not illegal as it would hit hunters and others. Length, I don't know if there is one, but I'm guessing sword carry might be restricted.

    Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
     

    fidelity

    piled higher and deeper
    MDS Supporter
    Aug 15, 2012
    22,400
    Frederick County
    Intent is important too. Can't carry a fixed blade for self defense against another human or with the intent to harm others. Have to have an articulable, credible, other reason for the carry. Minors have more restrictions related to time of day for folding and fixed blades.

    Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
     

    engineerbrian

    JMB fan club
    Sep 3, 2010
    10,148
    Fredneck
    Intent is important too. Can't carry a fixed blade for self defense against another human or with the intent to harm others. Have to have an articulable, credible, other reason for the carry. Minors have more restrictions related to time of day for folding and fixed blades.

    Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

    Funny you say that. My soon to be 16 yo took his folder out of his pocket and put it on the counter before going to Baker Park to watch fireworks with friends tonight. He said minors cant carry knives an hour after sunset.

    I dont agree with the law, but at least he knows it and follows it.
     

    cb51

    Active Member
    In Maryland, you can't have the fixed blade concealed in any way. That gets to be ridiculous when summer time is Magellan fishing shirts worn outside waistband. And in winter you can't have a coat or jacket over it. Means any field jacket or warm coat covers it and you're then illegal.
     

    alucard0822

    For great Justice
    Oct 29, 2007
    17,643
    PA
    In PA fixed blades are OK open or concealed provided they are not a "dagger" aka double edged. Have tried to like EDCing them, but I still just like the small size and convenience of a folder, especially being I usually carry 2. I'll carry my Mosier trigonaught, or a few 5-7" field /hunting knives in the woods, or if I need more blade than my large folders have to offer, but that is a rarity.
     

    CrazySanMan

    2013'er
    Mar 4, 2013
    11,390
    Colorful Colorado
    The way I understand Maryland's knife laws (and I never go anywhere without at least one knife) is that non-automatic folding knives are good to go with no blade size limit. Any fixed blade, no matter what size, cannot be carried concealed. A large folding knife can be legally carried concealed even with the blade locked open.

    It always irked me that I could concealed carry my Cold Steel Pocket Bushman with 4.5" blade locked open by it's strong lock but I could not slip my Esee Candiru (5" overall, 2" blade) into my pants pocket without carrying a concealed and deadly weapon.

    In Colorado the laws say I can concealed carry a knife with a blade length (measured from the end of the handle) that is 3.5" or less (3.25" inside Denver) and there is no difference between carrying a folding or fixed blade knife. Up in the small mountain towns it's common to see people open carrying Kabars on their belt.
     

    Roneut

    Active Member
    Oct 10, 2010
    279
    Concealed fixed blades are not "per se" illegal in Maryland. The statute just says "a dangerous weapon" and gives dirks and bowies as examples, while explicitly excluding non-auto folders. It's just that the statute is too vague for anyone to feel secure doing so, as it leaves the legality of the fixed blade up to the authorities to judge. I do have at least one case where the court threw out the charges for a fixed blade because the circumstances of the discovery by police showed the defendant had no criminal intentions. Ironically the law has a self-defense exception, but leaves it to the court to decide on a case by case basis, and I've not found case law on that defense being used.

    So, yeah, not really illegal to carry a fixed concealed, just too risky to feel completely secure doing so.
     

    CrazySanMan

    2013'er
    Mar 4, 2013
    11,390
    Colorful Colorado
    Concealed fixed blades are not "per se" illegal in Maryland. The statute just says "a dangerous weapon" and gives dirks and bowies as examples, while explicitly excluding non-auto folders. It's just that the statute is too vague for anyone to feel secure doing so, as it leaves the legality of the fixed blade up to the authorities to judge. I do have at least one case where the court threw out the charges for a fixed blade because the circumstances of the discovery by police showed the defendant had no criminal intentions. Ironically the law has a self-defense exception, but leaves it to the court to decide on a case by case basis, and I've not found case law on that defense being used.

    So, yeah, not really illegal to carry a fixed concealed, just too risky to feel completely secure doing so.

    The law is very vague. Here are the definitions:

    Definitions
    (a)(1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.
    (2) “Nunchaku” means a device constructed of two pieces of any substance, including wood, metal, or plastic, connected by any chain, rope, leather, or other flexible material not exceeding 24 inches in length.
    (3)(i) “Pepper mace” means an aerosol propelled combination of highly disabling irritant pepper-based products.
    (ii) “Pepper mace” is also known as oleoresin capsicum (o.c.) spray.
    (4) “Star knife” means a device used as a throwing weapon, consisting of several sharp or pointed blades arrayed as radially disposed arms about a central disk.
    (5)(i) “Weapon” includes a dirk knife, bowie knife, switchblade knife, star knife, sandclub, metal knuckles, razor, and nunchaku.
    (ii) “Weapon” does not include:
    1. a handgun; or
    2. a penknife without a switchblade.

    So I'm assuming any knife that is not a penknife without a switchblade is a "weapon" and illegal to carry concealed. I've always understood that the accepted definition of a "bowie knife" is any fixed blade knife, though it's not defined in the law.
     

    Dovk0802

    Active Member
    Sep 20, 2017
    255
    DC
    Sticking it to the man...
    Bark River Little Creek as in addition to living in MD, I work in a federal building in DC with a 2.5” max rule.
     

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    Moorvogi

    Firearm Advocate
    Dec 28, 2014
    855
    I wanted to say there's a blade length restriction even on folding blades. The woman/owner at Worth-A-Shot said there was a limit.. but.. she is also Baltimurder police force. Personally "i hunt after work and have forgotten my knife enough times i carry it all the time now." Most of the time.. they aren't going to care unless you do something stupid with it.

    Should you need to use it for self defense, don't loose control of it and give the attacker a weapon. Learn how to use it.
     

    hdatontodo

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 29, 2012
    4,073
    So. Central Balto Co
    ...I wanted to say there's a blade length restriction even on folding blades...

    From an old thread (which was also requoted in the past month here)

    The case that established the lack of length restriction was decided in 1978, called Mackall vs State. It outright states:

    Penknives today are commonly considered to encompass any knife with the blade folding into the handle, some very large.
    This case has been quoted numerous times by judges since then, and has held firm even in the state's highest courts, and in federal court.
     

    WeaponsCollector

    EXTREME GUN OWNER
    Mar 30, 2009
    12,120
    Southern MD
    My favorite everyday carry knife for the last 10+ years is bigger than a Kabar, I carry it in my waist band everywhere I go and nobody knows unless I show it to them. Cold Steel Voyager XL first generation.
     

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