Question for knowledgeable Texas knife/gun owners. Curious if I understand the law regarding section 46.02 below. Does 46.02 permit you to carry/possess otherwise "illegal" knives if you are on your premise, walking directly to your motor vehicle, in your motor vehicle? A "motor vehicle" includes your motorcycle as defined in Texas Transportation Code - Section 522.003 (21) So... the law permits me to carry any of these "illegal" knives while sitting on or riding my motorcycle? (correct link)

Sec. 46.02. UNLAWFUL CARRYING WEAPONS. (a) A person commits an offense if the person intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly carries on or about his or her person a handgun, illegal knife, or club if the person is not:


(1) on the person's own premises or premises under the person's control; or


(2) inside of or directly en route to a motor vehicle that is owned by the person or under the person's control.




Sec. 46.01. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:


(6) "Illegal knife" means a: (A) knife with a blade over five and one-half inches;

(B) hand instrument designed to cut or stab another by being thrown;
(C) dagger, including but not limited to a dirk, stiletto, and poniard;
(D) bowie knife;
(E) sword; or
(F) spear.

 

I carry a pocket knife as a tool and sometimes a belt or boot knife within the legal description of Texas law. Knife laws are stupid. The bigger the knife the easier to see.

 

CCW and armed but -------- Buck 110 that's been on my belt since the early 70s. And I've used it ----- to cut away torn cloth and rig up enough of a splint and bandages to get to the hospital. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

 

The only time you can carry an “illegal knife” is if used in some kind of sporting activity (camping, hunting, fishing, etc.). That does not include daily carry nor does that include on your person while on a motorcycle or within any area immediately accessible. For example, you can have a bowie knife in your saddlebag, locked up, but not on your belt. A CCW permit does not relax the law in this regard.

As for what I carry for self defense, a Glock 26 9mm (sometimes). Problem is you can’t carry it into a bar and I’ll be damned if I leave it with my bike. I also carry a tiny thing of pepper spray (which is more effective than you might think). I also have a knife (Kershaw Tremor or Buck 110 folder or sometimes a fixed blade with 5 inches or SOG Pentagon Elite II). All of them are under the state of Texas’ 5 ½ inch rule.


As an aside the norm is that nobody wins in a “knife fight”, everyone usually gets cut and sometimes the “winner” is the guy who bleeds slowest. If you do ever use a knife it is almost a guarantee you’ll be arrested and because of the nature of the weapons and forensics there will be oodles of physical evidence on you, the floor, and anything or anyone else in the vicinity. It should be the last ditch weapon of all last ditch weapons.

Honestly a kubaton and or pepper spray can enable even a little dude to bring down a giant and yeah I know peppers aren’t 100% effective but they are in over 9 out of 10 cases (about the same statistical effectiveness of most popular defensive handgun calibers). I don’t care how tough someone is, it’s hard to fight when you can’t see or breathe plus of all the times I've seen pepper spray used in a fight, almost every time it was the a-hole who got sprayed who was arrested, not the sprayer. Something about that blue dye says "guilty" to cops. Beats sitting in jail waiting for trial.

 

Spyderco Delica 4, like the wallet and phone.

 

Thanx for the clarity.

 

I suppose I'm curious where you guys are riding that you need to carry large knives and guns?

 

i live in Illinois and I have cousins that are local city cops and county sheriffs. Altho we may not have cc for guns I was told I can carry any type of blade I want from a basic folder up to a sword and it would be legal until I use it then its a deadly weapon. My daily blade is my trust butterfly it goes everywhere but am always looking for new blades.

 

Philly, reading, allentown. Depending on where you go in those areas not the safest places in the country.

 

I always carry a knife when riding - heck I always carry a knife period.

But then, I'm a Cajun and one never knows when one will encounter edible roadkill