non-metal knives

TRX [OP]
November 18th, 2013
Since my state has rolled back its previously-restrictive knife laws, I'm going to start carrying my Leatherman tool again. And some kind of defensive knife.

Of course, things couldn't be as simple as that... the Post Office is the main hassle whenever I go anywhere, due to its restrictions on CCW. Now I can leave the gun in the little lockbox in the car, which is better than it was before, but once I enter the building, the Federal "weapon" laws define a knife with a blade over 2-1/2" long as a "weapon", and therefore prohibit them.

Fine. I ordered a 3" ceramic paring knife. When it comes in, I'll make a 1/2" ferrule to bring the exposed blade down to the 2-1/2" limit.

As I interpret the section of the Federal regulations I looked up, a 2-1/2" or shorter blade is specifically exempted from "weapon" status, and therefore should be okay in any Federal building that doesn't have some kind of supplementary signage like "no knives, no even box cutters."

Also, as I interpret my state regulations, even though knives are basically deregulated, this does not apply to school properties, which don't seem to actually define what a "knife" is. I wonder what kids use to dissect frogs now. They probably just watch videos now. Anyway, unless/until I find further information, even the 2-1/2" knife won't get carried on school property.

I care about "school property" because some libraries, meeting rooms, parking areas, concert halls, athletic venues, etc. are owned or managed by schools, and therefore are "school property."

I'm going with a non-metal blade to reduce the hassle with metal detectors. In practice, I could probably carry a "real fighting knife" on my leg or a cutlass stuffed down my pants; most detectors only work from the waist up. Many times, I've had to remove by glasses, watch, and tie tac to make it through without setting off the detector, which remained silent about the 18" steel rod in my lower leg and my steel-shanked boots. Some places, of course, are more diligent.

I'm not trying to carry a knife into a place I'm not supposed to have one, I'm just trying to minimize the hassle when I'm carrying one about my lawful business in a non-restricted area that has those *@&@ detectors.

Some ceramic knives have chunks of metal embedded in the handles; lore has it some have metal powder fused into the blades. I'll see how mine makes it through the detectors, and one of my neodymium supermagnets should tell me if there's metal in the handle. If it's "metal", it's probably cheap iron or mild steel, not something fancy and nonmagnetic. If it's fused into the blade, what the heck, at least I'll have a new kitchen knife...

TRX [OP]
November 18th, 2013
Ah! It turns out my town has just put its "municipal code" online. 987 pages of it... a search shows that "discharging a firearm" is regulated, but the words "blade" or "knife" return nothing, and there are only three hits on "firearm" and none for "gun." So it looks like there never was a city blade length restriction.

TRX [OP]
November 26th, 2013
I'm still waiting for the ceramic knife to arrive. However, I've also been looking at glass and obsidian knives. I can't get over how cheap a hand- knapped obsidian blade sells for - generally, $45-ish for a bare 6-1/2" blade. Wrap some grip tape or paracord to make a handle, and you're ready to go.

TRX [OP]
November 29th, 2013
My knife showed up today. It wasn't supposed to arrive until the first week of December. Somehow, I can't seem to work myself into a case of righteous consumer outrage...

It weighs almost nothing, and the blade looks for all the world like white plastic. And it's very sharp...

Now to figure out some kind of sheath.