Switchblade legal edc? Texas.

C

Crossed Fire

Joined
Apr 20, 2017
Messages
3
Would it be legal to carry a switchblade as my edc knife in the Fort Worth area? It's a single edge and only about 2 inches long. Information I've looked up seems to be mixed and very old so some updated info would be much appreciated! If you could provide me with the law or ordinance that says I can or can't that would be perfect!
 
As long as the knife has a blade of less than 5.5 inches and is single edged, it is legal to carry in Texas, whether open or concealed. Regardless of opening mechanism.
 
zzyzzogeton said:
As long as the knife has a blade of less than 5.5 inches and is single edged, it is legal to carry in Texas, whether open or concealed. Regardless of opening mechanism.
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Can city ordinances affect this in anyway? Or is it possible to to be legal on one county and not in another? Just the auto knife part. it's less than 5inches and has only one edge.
 
No, counties and municipalities can no longer pass laws or ordinances more restrictive than the state law. The State Law is the law of the land.
 
Of course, you have to be prepared for the fact that sometimes the police aren't up to date on the law.
 
Hopefully, 2 years after implementation of the pre-emption bill, they have all gotten the word. I know that the LEOs of 2 dinky towns closest to me know about it, all 4 officers.
 
Measurement is a straight line from the tip to the guard or where the guard would be if the knife had a guard.

Think the front of the bolster on a folding knife, the back of the blade on a guardless fixed blade, such as a paring knife or butcher knife.
 
I just came across this
"In Rainer v. State, Mr. Rainer was charged with unlawfully carrying a weapon for having a large hunting knife concealed on his person when he was arrested at a lounge for failing to appear in Court the Texas Appellate Court held that blade was defined in the dictionary as the cutting part of a knife, not the sharpened part. Therefore, the blade of a knife was the part of the knife from the handle to tip, and not just the sharpened portion."
 
That is probably the court case on which the interpretation is made. By declaring the sharpened part to NOT be the governing criteria, that nixes measuring along the curved/sharpened edge.
 
Definitely err on the side of caution. I always measure my blade from the handle scale or guard to the blade tip. If it is a knife that doesn't have scales or anything covering the tang then I measure starting from where the blade is sharpened. If you reach a point where you are are borderline then err on the side of caution. Don't give 'em a reason.
 
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