Legality of knife-wielding

[glatt]

I think context plays a pretty big role too. They sell machetes at the hardware store a mile away from me, so they must be legal in Virginia. You have to get them home from the store somehow. If you walk down the street with an uncovered machete in your raised hand, you're liable to get some attention. But if you are cutting brush by the side of the road, I doubt the police would bug you.

[Cyber Wolf]

Originally Posted by glatt

I think context plays a pretty big role too. They sell machetes at the hardware store a mile away from me, so they must be legal in Virginia. You have to get them home from the store somehow. If you walk down the street with an uncovered machete in your raised hand, you're liable to get some attention. But if you are cutting brush by the side of the road, I doubt the police would bug you.

True. At the same time, northern VA has a couple of gangs whose weapon of choice is the machete, the same kind you can get at the store. So then it comes down to (criminal) intent and it's still different. If I open-carry a .45 down the street I don't have to explain what I'm doing with it to a curious officer. But I don't have an explanation for the brush machete (or hunting knife as I'd prefer) strapped to my person, it could cause Paperwork. That there is the discrepancy I'm curious about.