Knife Carrying in NC

Just blowing off a little steam here. I can't believe the state of NC will trust me to carry a concealed handgun, but I can't carry a concealed blade longer than 3 inches and it has to qualify as a pocket knife. I have a Ka-bar TDI I got in the army and would love to carry it. NC has made gun headway in the way of gun laws, now we just need to fix these knife laws a little bit.

You can carry it openly, in NC, save for certain locations, and in the city of Charlotte, which has, if I recall correctly, a maximum blade length of 3.5 inches. That said, if I recall correctly once more, concealing weaponry was originally conceived in the founding as a privilege to be managed by the States themselves, whereas carrying a weapon or firearm publicly was a right. Firearms, generally, have more proponents than blades, and thus its likely that the thought of having a concealed "blade" weapon permit never occurred to anyone. That said, I'm no expert, and a CCW may even cover bladed weaponry.

Shimmer said:

That said, I'm no expert, and a CCW may even cover bladed weaponry.

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It does in some states, just NOT in NC. Also a couple of relevant points from the statute and a link to it. I carry a couple fixed blades in my pack when I am hiking, fishing, or hunting. This statute covers my ability to do that, IMO.

§ 14‑269. Carrying concealed weapons.

(b1) It is a defense to a prosecution under this section that:
(1) The weapon was not a firearm;
(2) The defendant was engaged in, or on the way to or from, an activity in which he legitimately used the weapon;
(3) The defendant possessed the weapon for that legitimate use; and
(4) The defendant did not use or attempt to use the weapon for an illegal purpose.

(d) This section does not apply to an ordinary pocket knife carried in a closed position. As used in this section, "ordinary pocket knife" means a small knife, designed for carrying in a pocket or purse, that has its cutting edge and point entirely enclosed by its handle, and that may not be opened by a throwing, explosive, or spring action.


http://www.ncleg.net/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_14/GS_14-269.html

CCH not CWP

In NC it is a CCH- concealed carry Handgun Permit not a weapons permit. It ONLY covers handguns!

I carry a wicked gerber with a 3.5 inch folding tanto style blade that I can pull and pop in about a second. And by pop, I don't mean it's assisted, other than the thumb screw or whatever it's called. I've never carried a fixed blade of any kind, although one might be nice, but as far as blades go you don't really need much more than 3.5 inches, even for self defense, IMHO. Blades might not have been included, because they were probably common place. Who didn't have a knife of some sort back then? It's pretty sad though, that everything has to be regulated to the point so that a person has to do a bunch of research just to make sure he/she isn't breaking the law by trying to protect themselves.

BGreenberg said:

In NC it is a CCH- concealed carry Handgun Permit not a weapons permit. It ONLY covers handguns!

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Just a note here: Per 14-415.11, it's Concealed Handgun Permit.