Functional Sgians

[Katia]

I admit I've been thinking about getting a tactical boot knife. I like my current sgian, but while the handle is nice, it was an el-cheapo and I can't sharpen the blade. In a pinch, I suppose it could be used to cut something maybe, and of course it would work for self-defense, but for finer practical purposes... not so much.

It wouldn't be traditional-looking, but at least it would be dubh!

AA, I might be mistaken, but isn't any blade length over 2.5 inches illegal in Chicago?

I refer to the Chicago Municipal Code, where the relevant section MCC 8-24-020(f) reads, "No person shall carry concealed on or about his person...any other type or kind of knife, any blade of which is more than two and one-half inches in length."

It would break my heart to put the time and effort into making a beautiful sgian, and find out afterwards that it's a half inch too long to wear in my home town.

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You might look closer or ask around. Many of these laws also pertain to the intent of the person in question... if you're not carrying it with ill intent-- to harm another-- it may not be an issue. (Yes, that seems to negate the point of the law, but still. I think it is in part to allow for inadvertent carry, or carry as needed for another purpose). And you could also, as has been stated before, try to argue on the merit of it being an item of national dress, not a weapon. (Or, I suppose, try to argue that it's not "concealed" as it's hanging out of your hose plain as day, but that would depend on whether OPEN carry of a knife is illegal in your area.)

In the end, who will know unless you pull it out and wave it around? I assume, as was the attitude in the "Sgian dos and don'ts" thread, that the local constabulary doesn't care enough to make you pull it out randomly so they can measure it... and if you were to need to use it in self-defense, I would think the issue of the blade being half an inch too long to be legal would really be the least of your concerns.