ONE FOR THE ROAD
Knives Illustrated|March-April 2021
CHOOSING AN “EVERYWHERE KNIFE” CAN BE DIFFICULT DUE TO COMPLICATED KNIFE LAWS
DOUGLAS S. RITTER
ONE FOR THE ROAD

PITFALLS ON THE ROAD

First off, the answer to why there is no such thing is that, in some places, no knife is legal for most people to carry. The most notorious example of this is Philadelphia. Its draconian ordinance §10-820 Cutting Weapons in Public Places prohibits any person except first responders from the “use or possess[ion of] any cutting weapon upon the public streets or upon any public property at any time” unless it is being used in a “trade, profession, or calling.” Their definition of a “cutting weapon” covers “any knife,” as well as anything else “that has a cutting edge similar to that of a knife.” The penalty is not less than $300 and imprisonment for not less than 90 days.

How often such ordinances are enforced is another matter entirely, but do you want to take the chance that you run into the odd law enforcement officer with a bad attitude or having a bad day? That’s when it can get expensive, or even potentially life-changing. Worth noting is that in our experience, most knife arrests or violations occur as a result of some other incident that brings you into contact with an officer, such as a traffic stop, being drunk and disorderly, or something similar.

There are always exceptions to every rule and New York City is the most infamous exception to this one. Most knife violations and confiscations (illegally seized, but they don’t care) in NYC result from having a knife clipped to a pocket. NYC code prohibits any legal knife (under 4-inch blade) from being visibly carried, so it must be carried completely concealed.

PENALTIES VARY

This story is from the March-April 2021 edition of Knives Illustrated.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the March-April 2021 edition of Knives Illustrated.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM KNIVES ILLUSTRATEDView All
TIP TALK
Knives Illustrated

TIP TALK

UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BLADE TIP SHAPES AND WHY IT MATTERS

time-read
7 mins  |
January-February 2021
HOLDING FIRM
Knives Illustrated

HOLDING FIRM

GETTING A GRIP ON KNIFE HANDLE BENEFITS, MATERIALS, AND FUNCTIONALITY

time-read
9 mins  |
January-February 2021
EDGE UP
Knives Illustrated

EDGE UP

TIPS, TRICKS, AND TECHNIQUES TO SHARP WHEN ADVENTURING FAR FROM HOME

time-read
6 mins  |
January-February 2021
THE COMBAT KITCHEN
Knives Illustrated

THE COMBAT KITCHEN

SLICE, DICE, CHOP, AND CUT: FOOD PREP WITH BLADES FROM POPULAR TACTICAL KNIFE COMPANIES

time-read
8 mins  |
March-April 2021
MORAKNIV Classics
Knives Illustrated

MORAKNIV Classics

THESE TIMELESS BUSHCRAFT KNIVES HAVE BEEN UPDATED AND ARE BETTER THAN EVER

time-read
8 mins  |
March-April 2021
ONE FOR THE ROAD
Knives Illustrated

ONE FOR THE ROAD

CHOOSING AN “EVERYWHERE KNIFE” CAN BE DIFFICULT DUE TO COMPLICATED KNIFE LAWS

time-read
9 mins  |
March-April 2021
TRAVELING LIGHT
Knives Illustrated

TRAVELING LIGHT

SOMETIMES, INEXPENSIVE UTILITY BLADES YOU PICK UP AT YOUR DESTINATION CAN GET THE JOB DONE

time-read
6 mins  |
March-April 2021
MATCHED PAIR
Knives Illustrated

MATCHED PAIR

JB KNIFE WORKS LAYMAN KNIFE AND GAMBIT HATCHET COMBO: ONE PICKS UP WHERE THE OTHER LEAVES OFF

time-read
9 mins  |
March-April 2021
WHEN BIGGER IS BETTER
Knives Illustrated

WHEN BIGGER IS BETTER

THE CAS IBERIA CHOP HOUSE IS A MACHETE THAT PROVIDES BIG BLADE CUTTING POWER

time-read
8 mins  |
March-April 2021
KITCHEN KNIVES DON'T HAVE TO BE DULL
Knives Illustrated

KITCHEN KNIVES DON'T HAVE TO BE DULL

I have a confession to make. See if this sounds familiar. I take meticulous care of the knives I use for everyday carry, hunting, and general woods wandering. I wipe them down with an oily cloth after use and I never let them get too dull. Seldom do I have to restore a damaged edge. Most of the time I simply touch up the edges of my pocketknives with a few careful strokes across the rough bottom of a ceramic coffee cup. That’s usually all that’s needed. I don’t use my knives as screwdrivers or pry bars. As a matter of fact, I still have the very first knife I ever owned, an old Boy Scout knife that was handed down from my older brother. The blades have a deep patina that comes with using carbon steel over the years, but the knife is very usable still.

time-read
2 mins  |
March-April 2021