General

[drg]

Originally Posted by DeTrevni

John, as a fencer, how do you feel about the pistol gripped cane I link to in the original post? Cold Steel advertises it's supposed to feel like a foil, but as I have yet to do fencing (one of my goals one day), I wouldn't know. Does it look right?

And seriously, I would love to know if these "blades" are legally considered as such. How would I go about checking? I've got a feeling any cop or law official I asked would be rather biased about it. I'd love an unbiased opinion some how.

Edit: Even if it is legal, it would still be classified as a concealed weapon, but I'd have no problem with that, as when I turn 21, I'm getting my concealed carry license anyway. "So get a bleedin' pistol!" C'mon. Swords are just so much classier!

Edit 2: The legal blade length in TEXAS is 5.5". It's quite a bit shorter in most other states. On the bright side of this, I can legally carry my Itallian stiletto (non automatic)!

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1.../IMG000117.jpg

Be careful with that blade ... looks to me like that is simply a deactivated switchblade, which is still considered a switchblade under Texas case law (see the link above).

And honestly, stilettos are horrible carry knives. Look into something more modern.

[ThePixelGuru]

Probably not legal - it's concealed, and it's certainly long enough to violate some laws. The "pokey" version might be technically legal, but I wouldn't want to bet my freedom on it. Better options for self-defense have been mentioned, and risking prison time for novelty or style purposes doesn't seem like a good option. However, if you bought one and kept it at home you'd probably be fine.

Obligatory CYA Statement: I'm not a lawyer, don't take my advice. Ever.

[Amoryl]

(7) "Knife" means any bladed hand instrument that is capable
of inflicting serious bodily injury or death by cutting or
stabbing a person with the instrument.

as for the definition of "blade" you can pretty much make the argument that any edge qualifies as a blade, heck most papercutters in schools "blade" is just a flat piece of metal that uses the edge of the papercuter to cut the paper, so if you put your arm across the cutter and slam the blade down, nothing'll happen. (i got an art teacher quite irritated at me when i did that) so unless your sword cane is rounded except for the tip, someone's going to be able to claim it's bladed, and since they specifically include stabbing in the law, I'd say they've got yours covered.

I worked with a lady who carries a 1.5' six flanged mace under her trench coat everywhere. some idiot pulled a knife on her and demanded her purse. she calmly informed him "I'll have you know, I have a mace" and he replied "I'm not afraid of pepper spray" so she laughed and said "I didn't say anything about pepperspray, I said A Mace" then pulled that bad boy out of her jacket. just to prove she wasn't kidding, she rapped the guy on the knuckles (and I'd imagine, broke a couple fingers) then said "you know what? you give me YOUR wallet" she still has it in fact, she even showed it to me.

[DeTrevni]

...

That's awesome. Though I think maces fall under "club" rules here, which are also illegal. And no, my stiletto is not a deactivated switchblade. What looks like the button is actually the crest of the knife maker, or the "shield." I was thinking of modifying the blade to put a rear-facing hook on the back. When I pull the knife out of my pocket, the hook will grab the edge of the pocket, pulling out the blade. In theory, it will give me almost instant access to a rather large, sharp and pokey blade.

But in all honesty, Cold Steel's fiberglass (they said 11 layers, I think) canes are starting to seem appealing. They advertise them as to being unbreakable.

[Harbinger[TG]]

Technically stilettos are not swing blade switchblades. They are spring loaded pop forwards that come straight out of the handle.

[DeTrevni]

Actually, most of the stilettos I've seen were swing blades. To be honest, I do have a switchblade stiletto. I don't carry it, I just have it in my collection. It's a swing blade. Of course, if it's a double-edged stiletto, a swing blade wouldn't be the best design. Closing the blade would be an... experience...

I've also got a few butterfly knives. Now I wish those were legal. I love them. Very versatile, and really quick if you can use them properly.

[Harbinger[TG]]

Stilettos are useless when closed. They don't have enough force to pierce paper unless they are fully extended.

[DeTrevni]

Hm? I'm afraid I don't follow. This is the knife we are talking about, correct?

http://www.myswitchblade.com/photos/categories/27.jpg

A closed stiletto would be a handle, unless I'm missing something.

Edit: Oh, I think I get what you mean. Do you mean when you hold a retracted out-the-front switchblade to a target, and release the blade? Yeah, my friend got an OTF switch from Peru. We tested it on a piece of cardboard, and it wouldn't pierce it...

[Harbinger[TG]]

Yes, I am speaking of the out the front style. I wouldn't trust most of them even if they were locked out.

[sloonan]

DeTrevni - I'm just curious how old you are? The only people I ever see with canes anymore need them to walk. (In fact, that could be an interesting side project, a sword walker.) It has pretty much gone out of fashion at least 80 years ago for gentlemen to carry canes. But maybe it can be a new trend. But you'll need the top hat to go with it.