Spyderco Forums

So I recently picked up my first spyderco I love carrying it in my pocket. I am a minor and I already read my state laws on where I can and can not carry but I have a question about my situation. See I go to a school witch is also a church at nights school hours end at 6:00pm and church hours start at 6:30pm can I carry my pocket knife with me at 6:30 or will that still be considered school :spyder:

That's going to be a hard question to answer. Local and state laws can vary quite a bit. Some states have laws banning "weapons" on school grounds and they don't discriminate between times when school is in session and when it is not. The more important thing may be how your school officials or how your church officials would deal with the situation. I suggest you or your parents ask them. In the community which I live it would not be problem but I know plenty of places where it would be.

BTW Welcome to the forum.

I'm not a lawyer, but most state laws that prohibit carrying a knife or firearm on school grounds do not specify that it is only prohibited when the school is open. So, depending on how your state's law is worded it may, or may not be legal to have your knife with you during church hours.

I would definitely check with your local and state and school/church rules before proceeding. Like The Deacon said, I am not a lawyer. Recently I contacted a school I attended in my youth. Back then, the school policy was very laid back and easy going when it came to non-violent carry of knives as cutting tools. Well, I contacted this school, and their head principal told me the new rules are an absolute zero tolerance policy for all cutting tools like knives, even small things like pen knives and Swiss Army Knives. The principal was busy and did not want to get into a discussion about the "whys" or the ridiculous nonsense of such rules and policies. But that is very sad, to me. And this particular school was in a rural area, NOT an urban area, an area with a lot of farm families and where people are very familiar with hunting and fishing. I had hoped they would not have gone the way of other more urban schools but, they did. Isn't that sad, Deacon, and others? They told me if a youth or child attending the school was found to be carrying on their person even a small Swiss Army Knife, the student would be immediately reprimanded, suspended for a time, and possibly expelled, and the local authorities would be called in. And this is for NON-violent use of a knife/carry of a knife. Insane.

imma_dude wrote:So I recently picked up my first spyderco I love carrying it in my pocket. I am a minor and I already read my state laws on where I can and can not carry but I have a question about my situation. See I go to a school witch is also a church at nights school hours end at 6:00pm and church hours start at 6:30pm can I carry my pocket knife with me at 6:30 or will that still be considered school :spyder:

Short answer: No. Don't be foolish. The climate and even students are not the same as when I was in school. Most of us carried knives but we never used them as weapons. Culturally, a person that did that would be an outcast, socially. There was too much pressure not to do such things. Later generations did not have that same idea and administrators and politicians became afraid after too many incidents. Nowadays, in most places there is a zero tolerance policy regarding anything that can be considered a weapon. Don't carry it. You do not want to ruin your life over something like that. Just leave it at home and carry it when you are not in school or at church.

It's a lot easier to get a bad reputation than to lose it. Take the safe option.

This is what the Baliyo was designed for.

I am not a student, I am an adult. I think the schools here have "no knife" rules, also. I go to some basketball games and stuff. I used to do some "work" in schools, I have never been looked at funny for carrying a knife during school hours if you are a "working" person.

The schools hire police for sporting event security and I see other adults carrying knives, but I carry a ladybug hawkbill in my watch pocket to try not to draw attention. I would make sure to only use it if someone's safety would be compromised if I didn't.

I think a lot of it has to do with being civil. I am not one to start trouble or draw attention to myself.

This is not to say that teachers or principals or security are not going to pre-judge you based on unreliable actions from your peers. I agree that being safer than you need to be would be your best option until you are confident that what you are doing isn't going to cause problems.

Donut and others, here is a related question for you: If you are say at a school or professional sports game or movie theater, and say you have a package of candy or some snack, and you want to use your folder to open it, would you try to so do as unobtrusively as you can, or just do what makes you comfortable? How do you think many would react in say a modern crowded movie theater if you pulled out a Spyderco Pacific Salt or Endura, to slice open that package of candy or potato chips?

SpyderEdgeForever wrote:Donut and others, here is a related question for you: If you are say at a school or professional sports game or movie theater, and say you have a package of candy or some snack, and you want to use your folder to open it, would you try to so do as unobtrusively as you can, or just do what makes you comfortable? How do you think many would react in say a modern crowded movie theater if you pulled out a Spyderco Pacific Salt or Endura, to slice open that package of candy or potato chips?

Common sense says you just don't do it... you keep your knife in your pocket and you simply find some other way to open your package of snacks... you simply deal with it without resorting to using a knife... and, even the most stubborn packages of snacks will open eventually with use of only your hands if enough careful and determined effort is put forth. Pulling out your knife in the privacy of your home to open your snacks is one thing... doing it in a public area or in someone else's home is simply asking for trouble that you don't need.

If in doubt, there are small multitools with no knife blade one could use.

https://www.leatherman.com/style-ps-25.html

Personally I've never had an issue using my knife anywhere.

I follow the laws to a T and I don't pull out my knife unless something needs cut. I've used my Police 3 in office settings, my Military at kids birthday parties, my Szabo folder to open packages at work, and I've walked into gas stations with a Scrapyard Dogfather on my belt. If something needs to be cut, and you use your knife to cut it and don't make a big deal about it, most people aren't going to care in my experience.

Of course, things may be different depending on where you live and who you are around. Regardless, always follow your local laws and be respectful of those around you. If you think you'll scare someone, play it safe and keep your knife in your pocket.

OP, I wouldn't risk it if I were you. I would carry something like a small multi-tool if you were going to carry anything to your school / church, but even that might be technically illegal. Knives and school are a horrible mix in this day and age, and its something you'll want to be extra cautious with if you are a minor.

I think if you need a pacific salt to open a package of chips, its time to hit the gym

SpyderEdgeForever wrote:Donut and others, here is a related question for you: If you are say at a school or professional sports game or movie theater, and say you have a package of candy or some snack, and you want to use your folder to open it, would you try to so do as unobtrusively as you can, or just do what makes you comfortable? How do you think many would react in say a modern crowded movie theater if you pulled out a Spyderco Pacific Salt or Endura, to slice open that package of candy or potato chips?

Dude, what do you think? At a school, where we're just discussing it generally isn't legal, you're asking if you'd just whip it out and use it? Or a pro sporting event....where they have, at the least, a 'no weapons' policy, and may wand people? Use your brain and tell us what you would do?

I carry a Vic Jetsetter. No blade, just scissors and screw drivers.