Carrying Knife in Texas/Uni for Self Defense

[Seaxy]

The thing is I'm going off to college in Lubbock next year. I'd like to have a 3-5 in fixed blade to carry for self defense for if I go out into the city at night. Ordinarily I don't carry anything for self defense but I've heard some bad stories from friends who live there and I'd feel much more secure carrying a knife since I'm going to be on my own now.

The basic laws for knives in Texas I'm already aware of, under 5 1/2 in, no daggers, no throwing knives, no switchblades etc. But is it legal to even carry any knife onto a college campus? From what I've read it seems to be illegal to carry one onto schools, courthouses, airports, or polling places but I'm not sure if universities are included in that. If Lubbock has any local ordinances that limit what I can carry then I'd like to hear that as well. I couldn't find any school-specific rules on the subject.

 

[elijames21]

Take everything i say with a grain of sand. All of those buildings have their own policies, this means yours does to. If it says nothing on the subject than you could just do it, or you could make some calls and ask.

 

[Talley1013]

I can't help with any specifics but I can tell you about my personal experience with knives on campus in Tx. I am a student @ U of H and always carry a folder clipped in my pocket. I have never been stopped by a UH cop or harassed by anyone else on campus for carrying a knife. Of course I carry a folder clipped in a pocket which may be less obvious that a fixed blade(depending on how its carried). My advice for an easily concealed, quickly deployed SD blade would be a folder with a wave like a Spyderco waved Endura. Like I said this is just my personal experience and isn't based on any actual knowledge of applicable knife laws.

Have fun in Lubbock! I hear its a pretty wild party school. I understand your concern and desire to carry a SD blade on campus. U of H is right on the edge of one of the worst areas in Houston and there is a lot of crime on campus. Last year there were several assaults, robberies, car jackings and even a kidnapping! As far as I'm concerned I don't really care what the official rule concerning blades on campus is. As long as there is that kind of crime on campus I will carry something.

 

[glistam]

According to the part of the Texas Penal Code relating to weapons:

"School" means a private or public elementary or secondary school.

So colleges do not count for that purpose.

Lubbock only has this law on weapons:

Sec. 14.02.001 Carrying of certain weapons

(a) Prohibited. It shall be unlawful for any person within the city to carry on or about his person any pellet gun, air rifle or air pistol of any description, by whatever name known, that, by means of compressed air, compressed gas, springs or any other means, is capable of discharging shots, pellets or any other solid object a distance of fifty (50) feet or more.

Nothing else of note.

However, one important matter to consider is your university's own policy. School policy cannot result in criminal prosecution, but it can result in internal consequences.

A knife should never be carried as one's sole means of self-defense. A knife is not a complete self-defense solution, especially in the hands of a untrained person.

 

[Seaxy]

However, one important matter to consider is your university's own policy. School policy cannot result in criminal prosecution, but it can result in internal consequences.

Yeah, I was planning on checking with the school first. The last thing I would want is to be expelled over this or something.

A knife should never be carried as one's sole means of self-defense. A knife is not a complete self-defense solution, especially in the hands of a untrained person.

Yeah, I have no training whatsoever.
Not to stray too far from the original topic, but what would you recommend when carrying a firearm is not an option? Mace/pepper spray?

 

[glistam]

Not to stray too far from the original topic, but what would you recommend when carrying a firearm is not an option? Mace/pepper spray?

No problem at all. I'm from Maryland where we can't get pistol permits (we're a "may issue, but almost never do" state), so non-firearm SD weapons get a lot of discussion and testing in my circle of friends. Now please pardon if I get a bit longwinded.

Knives have their place, but are limited. A knife does only two things in self-defense: Scare, and kill. I and hundreds of others have scared a potential attacker away by brandishing a knife. But it becomes a problem if the attacker is drunk or just plain stupid and calls your bluff. Then you have two choices: switch to another weapon, or kill them. Knives cannot be reliable used in a non-lethal manner, and I have read several court cases were an unarmed criminal attacked someone who was carrying a knife, the knife was used in defense and unintentionally killed the attacker, and defender ended up going to jail for manslaughter (because it was considered unjustifiable deadly force against a non-deadly threat). Only two cases I read where a knife was used and the defender was acquitted, and both involved the defender being knocked prone with the attacker on top of them.

Pepper spray is not to be underestimated. I have found that most of the reluctance to carry it is based on unreasonable or unfounded stereotypes. Often I have noticed that males tend not carry it (favoring a knife instead) because they think it's a "girls weapon." That's dumb, why should any weapon have a gender tag? It does the same thing to anybody, and obviously cops carry it and put it to use all the time. Another is the alleged "effectiveness," the argument that some people may not respond to it or can fight through it. Well, some people don't respond to bullets in the center mass either. No weapon is a magic wand that works 100% of the time. And pepper spray is actually more successful when used by a civilian than a cop, because the civilian isn't concerned about subduing and cuffing. You just have to run the other way and your pursuer is now blind and dyspneal. Fat chance catching you.

Last item is blunt-force weapons. While a lot of purpose-made weapons might be restricted, a surprising number of non-weapon objects perform the task just as well. Anything that is a 16-36" cylinder of reasonable density and durability is a perfectly good billy club. Maglites, pieces of wood, walking sticks. When I was in college my friend used to carry a 24" piece of thick heavy duty fiberoptic cable sticking out of his backpack. He was a communication engineer so it was easily explained as one of several "spare parts for his class project." Get creative, I'm sure there's something you could explain away easily that would do the job.