This has also been posted at THR but the traffic of the particular forum posted has low traffic, so I'll post it here as well:
So my wife has surprised me with a week-long trip to a family's beach house on Long Island followed immediately by another week-long stay at a fairly nice hotel in Washington DC on the Potomac (Canopy by Hilton "The Wharf" or something along that name).
My last few trips to NYC were uncomfortable for me as all I had to defend my family with was a pink T-ball bat. This from someone who always carries outside of the house, even to the mailbox.
I'm finding some conflicting information regarding knives and swords in DC. I'm hoping some here to have experience with this area can set me straight.
Can I keep a machete or even a sword (see the items I currently have below) in my hotel room according to DC law? I'm not overly concerned with Hilton hotel policy, just what the law allows.
I've come to the understanding after some Googling that my wife and I can both carry pepper spray while traveling in the area. Knives seems to be a grey area that I'm not sure if I want to enter into.
So, can I keep either (or both) of the below items in our personal vehicle or hotel room without running afoul of DC law? It could go without saying but in case it really matters, neither my wife nor I have anything on our record, not even a speeding ticket... ever.
Thicker than a machete, so likely to be considered a sword by most:
Thinner than the above and considered a machete by the manufacturer: