Uechi-Ryu.com

I'm a transplant from Va where I carried a folding knife concealed without worries. Does anyone know the carrying laws up here? Many thanks.

Ian,

Your question about carrying a pocket folding knife should be answered by these forums as follows:

Forum: Bram's "Sharp Edge"

Topic: Blade Lenth to Usage

On March 18, 2002 I posted the excerpt on Massachusetts dangerous weapons act which does not address any blade length other than a spring loaded or ejection type blade in excess of one and one half inches.

You will also see the prohibited martial arts weapons in the same statute.

If you still have questions, please get back to me.

Alan K

Thanks, Alan.

At this point I am officially convinced that lawmakers are either afflicted with a severe mental incapacity or are deliberately trying to obfuscate what they are writing to inconvenience the public. I copy the relevant portion of the statute:

“whoever, except as provided by law, carries on his person, or carries on his person or under his control in a vehicle, any stiletto, dagger or device or case which enables a knife with a locking blade to be drawn at a locked position, [does not apply to my folding knife] any ballistic knife or any knife with a detachable blade capable of being propelled by any mechanism [doesn't apply to my folding knife] dirk knife, any knife having a double-edged blade, or a switch knife, or any knife having an automatic spring release devise by which the blade is released from the handle, having a blade of over one and one-half inches, [ok, does this clause constitute a desscriptor of the previous automatic spring knives, or does it prohibit any knife with a blade over 1.5 inches???] or a slung shot, blowgun, blackjack, metallic knuckles or knuckles of any substance which could be put to the same use with the same or similar effect as metallic knuckles, nunchaku, zoobow [a what??], also known as klackers or kung fu sticks, or any similar weapon consisting of two sticks of wood, plastic or metal connected at one end by a length of rope, chain, wire, leather, a shuriken or any similar pointed starlike object intended to injure a person, when thrown, or any armband, made with leather which as metallic spikes, points or studs or any similar devise made from any other substance or a cestus or similar material weighted with metal or other substance and worn on the hand, or a manrikigusari or similar length of chain having weighted ends; or whoever, when arrested upon a warrant for an alleged crime, or when arrested while committing a breach or disturbance of the public peace, is armed or has on his person, or on his person or under control in a vehicle, a billy or other dangerous weapon other than those mentioned and those mentioned in paragraph (a) shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than two and one-half years nor more than five years in the state prison, or for not less than six months nor more than two and one half years in a jail house or house of correction, except that, if the court finds that the defendant has not been previously convicted of a felony, he may be punished by a fine of not more than fifty dollars or by imprisonment for not more than two and one-half years in a jail or house of correction.”

I'll admit to not knowing whether a folding knife is a type of switch knife, or what a blackjack or dirk is (is this the kind of thing tom berenger nicks charlie sheen with in platton?), so can you tell me if a folding knife runs into trouble with any of those? Otherwise it sounds as if a knife that isn't drawn locked, doesn't fire blades (who uses those things??) or doesn't have a spring, is ok to carry, unless you are caught with it disturbing the peace.

Correct?

I used to think I was smart or something. What's wrong with a numbered list of what's prohibited and what's allowed? And what's wrong wtih admitting that the perfecting legal baseball bat in the car trunk is just as deadly as the nunchaku (or more so since their owner was just driving to karate class???)

In general the blade length sould not be more than 3 inches in length. But if your an expert with the knife, you can make 3 inches of cold steel work for you. Also, I don't think any state would allow a knife with a spring activated blade.

Aiki,

Most states banned spring activated knives a long time ago when the movies made their use quite popular. I find that the three inch rule has never been verified in this state, but probably has been in other states.

Alan K