I'm new and have a question

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Plasmio

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Jun 20, 2012
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I'm new to this forum. I'm 15, I live in California, I have a question though. I'm taking a trip to Yosemite very soon, and I would like to know if anyone has info on fixed blade carry in National Parks. I'd like to take a Ka-Bar combat knife with me on the trip. To be honest, I'm not even sure that it's legal for a minor to be carrying a blade that large? I'd probably openly carry it on my backpack so it wasn't illegal concealing of a weapon, but I'd like to be assured that it's legal for someone my age to carry a medium fixed blade knife into a National Park. If I couldn't take the Ka-Bar, would an SOG SEAL pup be a better option? :confused:
 
I dont think there are any law here in CA restricting age to carry a blade. As long as your not doing any thing stupid with it then you'll be fine. The only state law is that you can't carry a fixed blade concealed.
 
Plasmio said:
Is there a size limit on fixed blade knives carried in public?
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I am going to give you an answer that I've heard, so that if I'm wrong, someone will try to correct me and you'll eventually get a proper answer.

The limit is 3.5 inches. (again, I may be wrong.)
 
It depends on where you live. In CA where I live, there isn't a size limit. I'm not sure if National Parks have their own limit or what.
 
If it's state law, you can carry any sized fixed blade as long as it is not concealed. You can sling a sword over your back if you really wanted to. It's hard to tell what the "weapons policy" is.
 
I lived in oceanside and oceanside pd told me that if its less then four inches it can be concealed but over that and it has to be visible. But they also strongly advised that if I went into san diego OR LA that I should probably think twice. So my advise is just call down to the police department there as well as the national park . It will take you only a couple minutes and Then you will have an answer straight from the horses mouth. that will eliminate the uncertainty factor.
 
Probably the best idea. My Mom's nervous about carrying a knife openly in public because she's used to the mentality of the people from my town. It's considered the 6th safest city in the US, yet kids my age are constantly dealing and doing drugs. Otherwise the people from around here are in my opinion, wimpy, when it comes to any kind of weapons.
 
I don't think you will have a problem in Yosemite NP. With knives, what gets you in trouble besides doing something stupid that draws attention to the knife is wearing it in places where it simply is not appropriate. Walking around Macy's with a big knife of your belt may draw attention to it where as wearing the same knife inside the park on a trail or at a campsite is perfectly normal.
 
I don't think we'll be having a problem either, but I'll call tomorrow so my Mom stops being a spaz about it.
 
What do you plan on using the knife for? If you want to use it for general backpacking/hiking tasks such as cutting/chopping wood (I don't know about Yosemite, but in Rocky Mountain Natl PK, you can't do much cutting/chopping), I'd leave the KaBar USMC at home. I think the Seal Pup is a full-tang design isn't it? If so, I'd take it over the KaBar. The USMC is a fighting knife and has a scrawny tang and a guard made of some sort of metal that is barely stronger than cardboard.

If you just want it to stab a bear/mountain lion should the need arise (self-defense against a bear/mountain lion still probably won't convince the CA media that you're not a hardened killer), then either would probably suffice.
 
EZ Bake said:
What do you plan on using the knife for? If you want to use it for general backpacking/hiking tasks such as cutting/chopping wood (I don't know about Yosemite, but in Rocky Mountain Natl PK, you can't do much cutting/chopping), I'd leave the KaBar USMC at home. I think the Seal Pup is a full-tang design isn't it? If so, I'd take it over the KaBar. The USMC is a fighting knife and has a scrawny tang and a guard made of some sort of metal that is barely stronger than cardboard.

If you just want it to stab a bear/mountain lion should the need arise (self-defense against a bear/mountain lion still probably won't convince the CA media that you're not a hardened killer), then either would probably suffice.
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Very well put.

Probably a SAK would be enough in a National Park.

As far as fixed blades, a smallish (4 inch blade) knife will probably suffice. Mora might be a good choice.

The point that I'm getting at is that, in a place with ambiguous knife laws, carrying what even you consider a "combat" knife might draw unwanted attention.

Just out of curiousity, when you say, "Otherwise the people from around here are in my opinion, wimpy, when it comes to any kind of weapons." do you consider knives primarily weapons?
 
I also believe the SOG is enough knife along with a Swiss Army Knife (SAK). I have the Seal Pup Elite which is a good general purpose knife for in the woods. It's a tough knife and stays sharp. Actually the SOG Field Pup is probably enough knife for Yosemite NP. I do understand how wearing a knife in the outdoors is kind of cool especially when you might live in the city and never feel you can wear a fixed blade knife.
 
As with any knife if you seem to be to carrying it in a mature manner you should be fine. Of course that might be subjective, but generally do what you would do if you did not have it on you, dont bring any attention to the knife if you dont have to.
 
Open carry fixed is OK for Yosemite. People may look at you weird since Yosemite is almost as busy & crowded as downtown NYC during the summer. You won't have much opportunity to use it though as you care not allowed to cut trees or even harvest dead wood. If you want to beat on logs that your family brought into the park for firewood, that's fine, as I've seen all sorts of blades get swung around the campsites.

Only warning is that, even though it is legal to open carry a knife, the Rangers and adjoining LEOs can nail you for intent. So if you appear to be menacing or threatening people with that knife, that knife becomes a weapon and you will get arrested.
 
As already noted, a fixed blade knife in Yosemite is not going to provide the same usefulness as a traditional campground. CWL touched on the most important point, you cannot harvest, gather, pick up or whatever else method of wood procurement you had in mind, do in Yosemite without risking getting in trouble. If you are bringing in firewood I would go ahead and bring in an ax as well.

With Yosemite having such a larger number of people everywhere but the back-country you will get many odd looks having a fixed blade knife strapped on. While I love Yosemite to death, it doesn't give me the feel of camping much with everything and everyone that is there, you are more likely to see strands of colored lights than a fixed blade knife. I would go ahead and play the tourist roll while walking around the valley, if you plan to get away and do some more obscure hikes then feel free to bring the knife along. If you plan to do the traditional thing such as; Half Dome, the various falls in the valley, Glacier Point to name a few I would just bring along a folder.

Either way, enjoy your trip.
 
Yes. When people think Yosemite, they picture this:
yosemite.jpg


Unfortunately, in reality, you will see this:
_MG_7644.jpg


and this:
_MG_6412.jpg


and this:
20100731-131442-pic-865945552_t607.jpg


BTW, I'm not trying to turn you off about Yosemite. If you've never been there, it is worth going and seeing.

I've been there too many times and the crowds are not worth it for me. There are plenty of other places to go to in the Sierras where you can wander for days without running into anybody.
 
marcinek said:
Very well put.

Probably a SAK would be enough in a National Park.

As far as fixed blades, a smallish (4 inch blade) knife will probably suffice. Mora might be a good choice.

The point that I'm getting at is that, in a place with ambiguous knife laws, carrying what even you consider a "combat" knife might draw unwanted attention.

Just out of curiousity, when you say, "Otherwise the people from around here are in my opinion, wimpy, when it comes to any kind of weapons." do you consider knives primarily weapons?
Click to expand...
I do not consider knives weapons, I consider them tools. That's not how people around my town see them though, they see that as sharp steel (and some times ceramic) that you use to hurt or kill someone/something. I also said that because I have more than knives; I've got an axe, a tomahawk, a Katana, etc.
 
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