Can You Legally Have a Cane Sword in Illinois? It’s Complicated

I thought I knew the answer to this question, but I have learned that I was very wrong. Is it legal to have a cane sword in Illinois? The answer is a complicated one.

I saw this topic brought up on the Illinois sub-Reddit where many entertaining things happen. A guy was gifted a cane that concealed a full-length hidden sword and he was asking if it was legal to walk around with it. As you might imagine, the answers were varied, complicated and sometimes funny.

Can I legally carry a cane sword?
byu/GunnerLP inillinois

Before I share any answers I found, let me be clear that I am shockingly NOT a lawyer. I was born for entertainment only (and sometimes admittedly not that either) and anything I share should never be taken as legal advice because I would be very bad at that and don't want to direct you to trouble. If you really want a cane sword in Illinois, talk to a lawyer and/or city official.

One commenter shared a link to Knife Up which addressed Illinois law on blades. I'll summarize, but again it's complicated. There seems to be an inference that a cane sword would be legal in some places, but definitely not for minors or anyplace where dangerous weapons are forbidden. No minor can have any blade over 3 inches long in Illinois without breaking the law.

It was also brought up that it might be within the jurisdiction of a judge or prosecutor to determine that a cane sword classifies as a dangerous weapon and has no purpose other than to harm someone with it. 99 times out of 100, if you had one and didn't say anything about it or use the sword on anyone, you would likely not have any trouble just walking around using it as a cane. But, metal detectors would pick it up and you could have a lot of explaining to do if you enter an area where any weapon is forbidden.

Let me emphasize again. It's a fascinating question, but the only real answer is to talk to the best cane sword lawyer in Illinois you can find.