Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Carrying Bowie Knives Legally

By Dylan Sabot

One of the great joys of having a Bowie knife is showing it off. Bowie knives are elegant weapons, versatile tools and represent one of the legendary items associated with the American Frontier. In fact, it is not exaggerating to say that the Bowie knife is as much an American legend as is the claymore a Scottish one.

Carrying a Bowie knife in public is legal in certain states. This would mean, of course, that it's perfectly fine to walk around any city in Arizona with a Bowie strapped to one's leg, one might assume. One would be wrong. City laws may trump state laws, in this case, and one may still be committing a crime by carrying a Bowie in certain areas in Arizona.

Federal property should always be considered off limits for carrying Bowie knives. Many of these sites have security which will immediately consider this a threat. Carrying most weaponry onto federal property is a felony, in the vast majority of cases. Leave the Bowie in the car when heading onto federal property.

In some states, it will be permissible to carry Bowie knives on one's person, so long as they are visible. Some states have knife laws that basically allow one to carry any size of knife as long as anyone and everyone can see it. Concealment of a knife will cause legal problems in such jurisdictions.

In some places, the legality of carrying a Bowie knife will depend upon it being visible. While open carry of any weapon may be permitted, concealed carry will be illegal. Oftentimes, this is found in small towns where outdoors activities such as hunting are very common. Individuals in these places oftentimes go about their business with knives on their belts, especially around hunting and fishing season. The best advice is always to ask local law enforcement. Keep in mind that carrying a Bowie knife will almost always garner attention and, in some settings, may just be poor manners. In the right settings, however, it's likely to draw a lot of questions and a lot of curiosity about the knife.

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