Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Carry a good knife

Mine is a Spyderco police model, stainless, that I bought 25 years ago.  Here’s why police officers need a good sturdy knife, preferably with a serrated edge:
  B1-013545
Nice work saving a life, Scott. Good thing you were armed with something sturdy enough for the job at hand.

36 comments:

Ryan said...

But be aware that the Chief's knife (with a 4 inch blade) becomes an illegally concealed weapon for us commoners if dropped into a pocket.

Don't think about carrying an automatic knife (quite handy in this sort of situation) in Lincoln, either.

Ryan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Good job Ofc Parker. I'm partial to this model (the shorter version, since I'm a civilian), carried on the weak side, as a retention aid.

I'm not big on people who waste valuable police and fire resources with insincere suicide threats and half-hearted attempts. I know yopu get these all the time, even more now that cell phones and texting have made it even easier to drive around while threatening suicide. I assume that a person with significant suicidal ideation could just call 441-6000, and request to be EPCed by a law enforcement officer. That would seem like a good way to get evaluated for mental health with a minimum of fuss for all parties.

Anonymous said...

Indeed, we lowly civilians are limited to something under 3.5", if concealed. There are some decent choices in the pint-sized range, not all of them folders, like this one.

Unconcealed, well, there's The Butcher. I think he's still around, openly toting his large kitchen knife, and more power to him. Street people are commonly targets of violent crime, but the butcher is likely less of a target than most.

Tom Casady said...

10:35-

Ah, yes, the Butcher, from the early days of the Chief's Corner.

Anonymous said...

My favorite folder was a five inch Kershaw Fish Filet knife. It is illegal to carry concealed so I had a holster. I kept it sharp enough to shave and it holds an edge very well. I used it to free a buddy from his dune buggy when he crashed it. His foot was pinned and he couldn't get his leg out. We were worried that leaking gas might catch fire before I could get him out. It took me a couple minutes to cut his boot laces and the top of his boot so he could slide his foot out. The buggy never did catch fire and after I got him unpinned we were able to get the buggy flipped over and towed back to the trailer. I lost the Kershaw a few years back and could never find the exact knife again. I bought a five inch Rapala folder at Wal Mart two years ago for less than $10. The Rapala takes a razor sharp edge but it doesn't last as long as the Kershaw but for $10 it is one heckuva fine knife. If it had a serrated edge on the top it would be the almost perfect knife.

Gun Nut

Anonymous said...

Chief,
During the recent cold weather I started working on making a new fanny pack to carry things when I am on the motorcycle. I am building it so I can carry my S&W .22 Auto and a couple extra clips plus my five inch folding knife. I am putting a 1/4 inch thick(1-1/2"x2-1/2") piece of clear plexiglass as a window in the front of the fanny pack. The pistol and the knife will both be partially visible through the plexiglass. I talked to an ATF agent several years ago when I had made a similar fanny pack for a S&W model 29. That ATF agent said that as far as he knew it would not violate any Federal guidelines but to check with local law enforcement. So I am asking you if my fanny pack holster would be legal for open carry in Lincoln? I don't really want to spend all the money to obtain a CCW permit yet I don't want to violate concealed carry laws.

Gun Nut

ARRRRG!!!! said...

Nice save Ofc. Parker.

A good pirate always has a knife.

Anonymous said...

Good work ofc Parker!

How often to Officers foil suicide plots? I'm sure lots of complaints are just for attention, and their loved ones make the call, better safe than sorry though.

The cheese stands alone said...

Frankly I'm saddened that people find this post a more appropriate place to b*itch about CCW and blade length issues between citizen and cop than to acknowledge and praise Ofc Parker for saving a life. GREAT JOB SCOTT!

Anonymous said...

Nice sharp switchblade would have been faster.
Can't a person even end there own life, without police interference? This dude wanted to die. He should have the right.

Anonymous said...

Tell me, Mr. Tom, why are switch-blades and blades longer than 4" illegal? Seems to me like another senseless law. ALL knives can cut.

Tom Casady said...

5:38-

Mr. Anonymous, how would I know? I think these laws date from well before I was born. It's 3.5 inches, by the way, and no dirks. What's a dirk? Had to Google that one.

Tom Casady said...

Gun Nut-

Sorry, I just can't say. First, I haven't seen it, second, I'm no lawyer. You want my opinion, fanny packs are for cellphones and cameras. Sticking a M29 in a fanny pack would be like packing your fly-fishing gear in a grocery bag: it works, but pullleeeze! Handguns belong in a high quality holster--Bianchi, Safariland, Milt Sparks, Gould & Goodrich, etc.. A custom Juilfs would be the best,, but I'm not sure he markets those works of leather art any longer.

Anonymous said...

I love how people bash the cops for the laws. Uhmmmm hello...McFly. The people in the stat Capital building are the ones making the laws and they expect the police to enforce those laws.

Also I highly doubt the 1 millisecond quicker time of a switchblade over a folding knife would have made any difference.

Steve said...

See, I told you. That poor kid at Lux might have been able to save a fellow classmate's life had he been able to bring his pocket knife to school. When I said there were thousdands of other uses for a pocket knife, cutting the instrument of a suicidal hanging wasn't really in my mind.

Steve said...

By the way, Chief; at the risk of being called a traitor by my fellow CHP holders and other "gun nuts" (no offense to anyone), I don't feel you deserve the condemnation many of them have heaped on you whenever firearms or concealed weapons topics appear here. While I may not agree with your perspective on everything, I feel you are not "anti-gun" and that you have the best interests of the citizenry and your employees at heart. I'm almost embarrassed at times by the things some of my fellow enthusiasts have to say on the subject.

Tom Casady said...

Steve,

Thanks. Thanks very much.

6:45-

I have an old Gerber bolt-action drop point that deploys with a flick of the wrist on the draw faster than any auto-switchblade I've ever handled. I carried it in a mag pouch for years, as it fit perfectly in a single stack 9mm case. Now it's my weapon of choice on weekends when I must confront plastic ties and packaging tape. I just Googled it--it has actully appreciated quite a bit. One of my grandkids is going to enjoy this someday!

Anonymous said...

Chief-I hadn't ever really thought about it until I read one of the posts here, but I know Nebraska is an open carry state but allows cities to not allow it. Could you tell me what the rule is in Lincoln and Omaha. Just curious, no plans to carry the Colt SAA's in the Lone Ranger rig.

Congrats to Officer Parker. Job well done.

256

Anonymous said...

"What's a dirk?"

Dirk? That's the guy that played Faceman on the A-Team series. If he ever shows up here, please have him autograph my DVD box set, before you stuff him in the evidence locker.

J said...

So will this guy later qualify fow a ccw permit?

J said...

Later this guy will get a ccw permit.

Anonymous said...

Chief,

Didn't Sgt. Klem have an almost identical incident to this one at one of the hospitals a few years back.

Good Job to the Officer in this case as well.

Tango Juliet said...

Good job Officer Parker!!

To no one's surprise I'm sure, I'm never without a knife (bedtime excluded). Otherwise, a Benchmade Griptillian Jr with a serrated D2 blade goes with me everywhere.

Should I ever need to cut through a seat belt strap in an emergency, I hope it's up to the job.

Anonymous said...

Great story, on a side note, I've been confused about the knife length issue as it is related to concealed. If cliped to your pocket with the top showing is this concealed? Assuming no long shirt/coat covering the top of the knife?
Love the blog by the way.

Anonymous said...

Chief let me know if you disagree but in my ccw class we were taught that a fannypack would be concealed just as if it were in your pocket.

If you think the class is expensive, think about fines/legal fees of carrying an illegal concealed weapon charge..

I have used lumbar packs for ccw (with permit) on the bike, but it was also in a small iwb holster to protect the trigger from an accidental discharge. Far from ideal ccw method but better than needing it and having it in the safe at home.

Anonymous said...

"This dude wanted to die"

No, if he'd wanted to die, he wouldn't have called mom or anyone else, telling them he was going to do it, nor would he have told them how and where he was. He'd have just hung himself after leaving a note to be found with his corpse, or mailed a note right before he did it, so that it wouldn't arrive before he was dead.

People who really want to die don't text or call beforehand. They don't post their intention to commit suicide on a social networking site. They just do it, with no hesitation or forewarning. This guy did not want to die.

Anonymous said...

256,
I think the CCW law was amended during the last session of the Unicameral to NOT allow cities to prohibit Concealed Carry. I know AG Bruning gave his opinion that cities could not prevent CC.

Chief,
I agree a good holster is essential for any officer or other person that needs immediate access to their weapon. I am not concerned about the need for immediate access to my handgun or knife. I use my motorcycle as transportation 90% of the time, weather permitting. The Fanny Pack lets me carry my pistol or knife completely protected from the weather. In off the cuff conversations with friends who are attorneys, ATF and FBI they think it would be considered just like a holster. I just wondered if you saw it the same way.

Gun Nut

Anonymous said...

Gun Nut and Chief:

My question on open carry is basically this. I have a CCW and according to the law as I understand it, I'm supposed to carry CONCEALED. So I get out of my car and my jacket lifts up a little and somebody accidently observes my gun and calls the police. Because of OPEN carry laws in the state, am I OK? Frankly, I don't want to expose my weapon, I can just see it may accidentally happen and I want to be aware of the law. It's not clear as I look through the mire of the internet. Just curious.

256

Anonymous said...

To Anon 9:23AM,
I am the one that carries in the Fanny Pack. If you reread my post I stated that I have a clear plexiglass window in it. That allows the weapon to be seen making it a LEGAL way to carry. I have seen many full flap holsters that some LEO's carry that hides more than my fanny pack.

Gun Nut

Anonymous said...

State: 28-1202 says
1)(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, any person who carries a weapon or weapons concealed on or about his or her person, such as a handgun, a knife, brass or iron knuckles, or any other deadly weapon, commits the offense of carrying a concealed weapon.
From:
http://www.lincoln.ne.gov/city/police/pdf/gun.pdf
IN A VEHICLE—
When transporting a weapon in a vehicle it is considered a concealed weapon when it is concealed in a manner readily accessible to the driver or passenger of the vehicle. The firearm must be unloaded, and neither the firearm nor any ammunition being transported is readily accessible or is directly accessible from the driver/passenger compartment of such transporting vehicle.

Boston said...

I have a "Juilfs" modle for my Kahr .45 cal. Best darn holster I have!

Anonymous said...

chief, of the suicidal party calls, how many of those were repeat customers? It would be interesting to see the number of calls compared to the number of "victims". I'm guessing lots of repeats.

Tom Casady said...

256-

If you have a concealed handgun permit, you could still carry a firearm in view, just like anyone else, so I don't think the scenario you describe would constitute any kind of violation.

Anonymous said...

Chief-Thanks. Some of the places I go don't have open carry. I had it drilled into me that I need to make every effort to stay concealed. Hadn't really given it much thought. Thanks for your help.

256

Anonymous said...

Chief, I know we are wayyyy off topic here. But by your logic in the last post, by carrying a handgun openly on our hip, in a place posted with the State Patrol approved "No Concealed Carry" sign, we are within the law. Is this correct?
JT