I have a friend who lives in Philadelphia county and he carries a Buck 119 almost every where he goes. He knows three Philadelphia police officers and they told him he can carry it, the knife just has to be kept in a sheath and on the belt and you can’t carry in restaurants, malls, and hospitals. I was looking up and it looks like you can legally carry a fixed blade, but I’m getting a lot of flak from my uncle and especially my best friend who says it’s a concealed weapon which I don’t know how since it’s in a sheath and on my waist. They say if I get pulled over I can be arrested for that but since it’s legal I don’t see how they will have a problem with that unless I get an a**hole or over sensitive cop. After a internet search

here’s the only thing I can find:

Pennsylvania – Pa. C.S.A. 18.908. Prohibited offensive
weapons. (a) Offense defined.–A person commits a
misdemeanor of the first degree if, except as authorized
by law, he makes, repairs, sells, or otherwise deals in,
uses, or possesses any offensive weapon. (b) Exception.–
It is a defense under this section for the defendant to
prove by a preponderance of evidence that he possessed of
dealt with the weapon solely as a curio or in a dramatic
performance, or that he possessed it briefly in
consequence of having found it or taken it from an
aggressor, or under circumstances similarly negativing any
intent or likelihood that the would be used unlawfully.
(c) Definition.–As used in this section “offensive
weapon” means… any… dagger, knife, razor or cutting
instrument, the blade of which is exposed in an automatic
way by switch, push-button, spring mechanism, or
otherwise…
- also see 24 P.S. 13-1317.2. re: students bringing weapons
on to school property.]

Pennsylvania case law:
Where opening knife required lock to be released, and
once lock was released blade could be exposed by flip of
wrist, knife did not have blade which could be “exposed in
an automatic way”… by “otherwise” legislature referred
to knives that were opened by some sort of mechanism which
is not a “switch,” “push-button,” or “spring” mechanism
but still a mechanism… (1979)

The state defines offensive weapons as:
“Offensive weapons.”
Any bomb, grenade, machine gun, sawed-off shotgun with a barrel less than 18 inches,
firearm specially made or specially adapted for concealment or silent discharge,
any blackjack, sandbag, metal knuckles, dagger, knife, razor or cutting instrument,
the blade of which is exposed in an automatic way by switch, push-button, spring
mechanism, or otherwise, or other implement for the infliction of serious bodily
injury which serves no common lawful purpose.

My understanding of this is that the state of Pennsylvania prohibits you from carrying any dagger, knife, razor or cutting edge instrument that can be opened atomically like a switchblade or spring assisted knife. I can’t see anything regulating the carrying of fixed blade knives so I assume there are no blade length requirements as long as it’s a reasonable length. I assume I can have it on my belt but does it have to be visible 100% or can my jacket cover most of it or does the handle have to be visible to every body around. Specifically how about carrying in Bucks, Philadelphia and Delaware counties.

Any insight on this will be helpful.