Knife Carry Laws in Ohio

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steelewasik
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Knife Carry Laws in Ohio

Post by steelewasik »

So I live in Ohio but am going to school in Texas and have recently purchased a HK OTF knife. When I return for the summer I will not be able to carry this knife on me, correct? Even though I have a CHL license?
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Re: Knife Carry Laws in Ohio

Post by JustaShooter »

In Ohio, a license only covers carrying a concealed handgun. As this knife looks like it would easily be considered a deadly weapon under Ohio law, you would not be able to legally carry it concealed. It is legal to possess as far as I can tell, you just can't carry it concealed.
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Re: Knife Carry Laws in Ohio

Post by steelewasik »

So if I can still open carry it. Can you explain how I would do that? Clip it on the outside of my pants instead of in the pocket?
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Re: Knife Carry Laws in Ohio

Post by DontTreadOnMe »

JustaShooter wrote:In Ohio, a license only covers carrying a concealed handgun. As this knife looks like it would easily be considered a deadly weapon under Ohio law, you would not be able to legally carry it concealed. It is legal to possess as far as I can tell
I'm not even sure about that. I'm pretty sure it would be classified as a 'ballistic knife' ("a knife with a detachable blade that is propelled by a spring-operated mechanism") and therefore would be a "dangerous ordnance" under Ohio law.

ORC 2923.11
(K) "Dangerous ordnance" means any of the following, except as provided in division (L) of this section:

(1) Any automatic or sawed-off firearm, zip-gun, or ballistic knife;
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Re: Knife Carry Laws in Ohio

Post by steelewasik »

No a ballistic knife is a spring that shoots a knife out. This is just a different type of OTF knife.
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Re: Knife Carry Laws in Ohio

Post by JustaShooter »

DontTreadOnMe wrote:
JustaShooter wrote:In Ohio, a license only covers carrying a concealed handgun. As this knife looks like it would easily be considered a deadly weapon under Ohio law, you would not be able to legally carry it concealed. It is legal to possess as far as I can tell
I'm not even sure about that. I'm pretty sure it would be classified as a 'ballistic knife' ("a knife with a detachable blade that is propelled by a spring-operated mechanism") and therefore would be a "dangerous ordnance" under Ohio law.

ORC 2923.11
(K) "Dangerous ordnance" means any of the following, except as provided in division (L) of this section:

(1) Any automatic or sawed-off firearm, zip-gun, or ballistic knife;
Except that it isn't a knife with a detachable blade as far as I can tell, it's an automatic knife - a stiletto is what we called them when I were a lad. Push button forward, blade extends and locks. Pull button back, blade retracts and locks.
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Re: Knife Carry Laws in Ohio

Post by DontTreadOnMe »

I looked up a video that shows how to take it apart, including removing the blade from the plastic housing (it's held in by a pin that can be removed by hand). That's why I thought that. Although I'll admit I'm not very knife knowledgeable so maybe that's not what this means?
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Re: Knife Carry Laws in Ohio

Post by JustaShooter »

steelewasik wrote:So if I can still open carry it. Can you explain how I would do that? Clip it on the outside of my pants instead of in the pocket?
I'm no expert on open carry of a knife, but even though as I understand it if the clip and part of the knife are exposed that counts as open carry, having it on the outside of the pocket would certainly be safest.

Not sure how to legally carry one in an automobile so that it would not be considered concealed, unless it was out of reach or something.

(As you might have gathered, Ohio's knife laws are not very black & white...)
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Re: Knife Carry Laws in Ohio

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DontTreadOnMe wrote:I looked up a video that shows how to take it apart, including removing the blade from the plastic housing (it's held in by a pin that can be removed by hand). That's why I thought that. Although I'll admit I'm not very knife knowledgeable so maybe that's not what this means?
I don't think that's what that means - that would make any springblade knife that can be disassembled a ballistic knife. As I understand it, the blade must be able to be ejected by the spring to be a ballistic knife. (Ballistic = relating to projectiles or their flight.)
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Re: Knife Carry Laws in Ohio

Post by DontTreadOnMe »

JustaShooter wrote:
DontTreadOnMe wrote:I looked up a video that shows how to take it apart, including removing the blade from the plastic housing (it's held in by a pin that can be removed by hand). That's why I thought that. Although I'll admit I'm not very knife knowledgeable so maybe that's not what this means?
I don't think that's what that means - that would make any springblade knife that can be disassembled a ballistic knife. As I understand it, the blade must be able to be ejected by the spring to be a ballistic knife. (Ballistic = relating to projectiles or their flight.)
That makes sense, thanks.
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Re: Knife Carry Laws in Ohio

Post by TSiWRX »

Play with this if you want to, steelewaisk, but remember what you're playing with, when you take this chance. Weigh your risks, and do as you please.

First and foremost, as JustaShooter noted, Ohio's CHL is just that - a (C)oncealed (H)andgun (L)icense. No other weapons are covered.

Second, there is currently no knife preemption in Ohio. Here in NE-Ohio, we've got municipalities that are right up against each other where ordinances are different enough that you could be just fine in one, and have a weapons violation in another.

And as for that pocket clip - or even wearing that knife in full view - making it not concealed? Look at how Michael Porschein was violated:

http://www.ohioccwforums.org/viewtopic. ... knife+laws" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Do you really want to risk that much hassle, even if you are eventually proven correct, to the letter of the law?

OTFs are super fun. I collected knives at one point - I still sorta do - I was made Suspect in '03. I sold a couple of my OTFs (a Brend Combat Talon and a Scarab Executive). I still have my Microholics HALO II. They're tremendous fun to show off.

But if you want to carry something that's "fast," a Waved Emerson/Emerson collaboration or something that's "ghetto-Waved" will be even faster than an auto, on the draw, and even more importantly, you should be able to find something that will fit the blade-length restrictions that's all-too-commonly found in Ohio's various local codes and ordinances.
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steelewasik
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Re: Knife Carry Laws in Ohio

Post by steelewasik »

See that's the problem... there are literally no specifications at all. No blade length no operations no nothing. Just is it a "deadly weapon". But it's a knife... so obviously it's a deadly weapon.
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Re: Knife Carry Laws in Ohio

Post by Cloudwraith »

JustaShooter wrote:
steelewasik wrote:So if I can still open carry it. Can you explain how I would do that? Clip it on the outside of my pants instead of in the pocket?
I'm no expert on open carry of a knife, but even though as I understand it if the clip and part of the knife are exposed that counts as open carry, having it on the outside of the pocket would certainly be safest.

Not sure how to legally carry one in an automobile so that it would not be considered concealed, unless it was out of reach or something.

(As you might have gathered, Ohio's knife laws are not very black & white...)
Interesting. I normally carry a pocket knife with me with the clip on my front pocket. A couple of years ago, I visited the Dublin Irish Festival in Dublin, OH and the security guard at the entrance noticed my clip. He told me to put the knife inside my pocket so it wasn't showing. I assume it was to make it less easily accessible but it now sounds like he was making me unlawfully conceal a weapon. At the time it was like the molehill next to the mountain since I was carrying my firearm with me as well and I just complied.
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Re: Knife Carry Laws in Ohio

Post by deanimator »

All this is why I only carry a knife when required for work, like when I was opening twenty or thirty monitor or PC boxes at night at the Clinic.

Legally, it's safer for me to carry a 3 1/2" M1911.
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Re: Knife Carry Laws in Ohio

Post by jeep45238 »

deanimator wrote:All this is why I only carry a knife when required for work, like when I was opening twenty or thirty monitor or PC boxes at night at the Clinic.

Legally, it's safer for me to carry a 3 1/2" M1911.
And why any knife I do carry is a folder that I actually do use in a utilitarian sense. If I can't articulate how the knife is used as a tool, and only a tool, I don't carry it. Too many grey areas in the law and no standard knife law in Ohio.
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