Can I carry knives?

[Rungus]

Are there regulations about carrying weapons on the playa? My costume would look cooler with a belt of throwing knives.

[ygmir]

there are rules, which can be found on the Burning Man main site.

[Rungus]

http://journal.burningman.org/2014/08/n ... the-playa/ - looks like I'm cool for anything up to ten inches

[Ratty]

Please quote current info. Not 2014 info. Rules change and you wouldn't want to spread rumors or be evicted from the event.

I see that the 2015 blm closure notice is identical to the one you posted. My question to you is. Really? Throwing knives? I think it would be cooler to bring fake knives, light up laser knives or bacon knives. You will sometimes be ass hole to elbow in huge crowds. You'll be climbing tall unwieldy structures and laying about in a pile of stuffed animals. Your weapons would be out of place in most of BRC. It won't make a bit of difference to me whether you have knives or giant ball point pens hanging on your belt. Do what you must.

I feel that weapons of all types add to the statistics of violence.

[^Rhino!]

When confronted by a wiring problem recently, one of my friends asked me for a knife.

Gave me the perfect reason to hand him my Leatherman multi-tool with the Crocodile Dundee line: "Now THAT's a knife!".

It has a knife blade AND wire strippers on it.

[trilobyte]

Speaking personally, I think Ratty's got a point. I also think that if you're walking around wearing a costume that's got a bunch of knives on it, even if they're under the limit you make yourself a target for law enforcement... and may find you're unwelcome in places that aren't cool with someone walking around wearing a bunch of knives.

If it's part of a performance, save that for the actual show (rather than walking around the city with it), or consider using (or making) prop knives if your goal is to create a cool look without making people feel ill-at-ease.

[graidawg]

Bacon Knives? that's a thing? why can i not find them on the internet? I WANT BACON KNIVES

[Thecatman]

looks like I'm cool for anything up to ten inches

You got me beat

[The Rod]

The dudes walking around the event with loaded guns make me feel way more ill at ease than some dude with a belt of throwing knives would. But that's just me..


Knives are part of my 'thing' as well. They look cool and can be incredibly useful. Like sunrise at the trash fence and you want to share your pineapple with your new friends.

LE has never hassled me about them, and I usually make it a point to have a couple of interactions with them during the two weeks I'm on playa (positive interactions of course! helps me get over the fact that they have guns...) and I get more flack from the hippies at the event about my furs and dead things. No one has ever said anything negative to me about my knives.

[ygmir]

make really sure you are correct, about blades.
It could end at Gate if you're not.

[DerbyDave 18]

I don't like the idea. Too much chance of accidental injuries especially with all the drinking and drugs and partying. At night the chances are worse. I don't think knives look cool at all but I guess some people do.

[BBadger]

Sometimes it's nice having the authentic article in a costume though, rather than some imitation or parody of the real thing. Having such knives securely fastened to the clothing is also probably not much more dangerous than some stuff people wear. Abusing the knives is another matter, but not automatically implied by having such knives.

[maladroit]

It's not a great plan given the way the event is now. But I agree that it would be pretty cool if you could just walk around with machetes or real swords or whatever the fuck you wanted. Wait until the apocalypse I guess.

[Token]

It's not a great plan given the way the event is now. But I agree that it would be pretty cool if you could just walk around with machetes or real swords or whatever the fuck you wanted. Wait until the apocalypse I guess.

You can't do that anymore? No one told me back in the day. I guess I got away with it.

[dustyfux]

Seriously, if I'm out and see a costume of throwing knives? Yeah, they very well might be thrown at something.

Because I have bad impulse control.

You may very well be a willing participant.

Because I can be quite convincing.

You might wake up in the morning feeling guilty and hungover.

Because I'm a bad influence.

[Chowski]

CAN you carry knives? Yes.
SHOULD you carry knives? That is the question.

Please consider you will be in a densely packed city of 70,000 people, many of whom will be intoxicated. Some will be seriously intoxicated. Some will be seeing dragons and rainbows.

I can only imagine seeing someone walk up to me covered in knives would be a serious buzzkill. I'm sure your intentions are, well, I'm not sure what your intentions are, but the consequences of walking around like some armed teabagger in a Walmart will most likely cause somebody else significant anxiety or a really, really bad trip.

Do what you want, but you asked for opinions. Leave the weapons at home. You are probably going to find that people at burning man think they are much less cool than you imagine wearing them will be.

[^Rhino!]

CAN you carry knives? Yes.
SHOULD you carry knives? That is the question.

Please consider you will be in a densely packed city of 70,000 people, many of whom will be intoxicated. Some will be seriously intoxicated. Some will be seeing dragons and rainbows.

I can only imagine seeing someone walk up to me covered in knives would be a serious buzzkill. I'm sure your intentions are, well, I'm not sure what your intentions are, but the consequences of walking around like some armed teabagger in a Walmart will most likely cause somebody else significant anxiety or a really, really bad trip.

Do what you want, but you asked for opinions. Leave the weapons at home. You are probably going to find that people at burning man think they are much less cool than you imagine wearing them will be.

I like this answer. Well said, Chowski.

Will I carry a knife? I probably won't need anything other than a kitchen knife at camp. I'll leave it there in camp when I'm out and about.

[Popeye]

Will I carry a knife?
Since I have been carrying a knife since I was about 12 yo, yes I will. It's not a weapon it's a tool.
Things can get blown out of all porportion. Perception is often not reality.

[misfit]

carrying a weapon of any sort,,, knife, light sabre,,, may bring unwanted attention from the sheriffs and BLM.

[Chowski]

Will I carry a knife?
Since I have been carrying a knife since I was about 12 yo, yes I will. It's not a weapon it's a tool.
Things can get blown out of all porportion. Perception is often not reality.

Yes,yes, you've been carrying a "tool" since you were twelve. That's not what the OP asked about - he wanted to know if he could carry THROWING knives on his body at Burning Man. I bring a knife to the Burn, but I don't parade around like some little-dick gun nut, overcompensating for perceived short-comings by decorating my body with weapons. I use the knife during set-up and cooking, and then leave it at camp. Because FLAUNTING weapons on one's body around thousands of inebriated people is a really, really bad idea.

[The Rod]

Jesus Christ what a bunch of fucking hippies.

[maladroit]

I still need to see this on the playa:

[misfit]

fucking hippies are wayyy more fun than the A-sexual types.

[^Rhino!]

Jesus Christ what a bunch of fucking hippies.

Why, thank you!

[The Hustler]

When confronted by a wiring problem recently, one of my friends asked me for a knife.

Gave me the perfect reason to hand him my Leatherman multi-tool with the Crocodile Dundee line: "Now THAT's a knife!".

It has a knife blade AND wire strippers on it.

You had me at "strippers"