You’ve probably heard the term, “NPE,” an acronym for Non-Permissive Environment. What it really means is, “Somewhere I’m not allowed to have legal weapons for self-defense.” While a lot of us live where we can legally carry weapons for self-defense and even survival, a BUNCH of the places we go in our daily lives are NPEs. They’re places we’re not allowed to carry those self-defense tools.
In some of these NPEs, you have no options. You can’t carry a firearm into a Post Office unless you want to break federal law, no matter what your state’s firearms laws or your CCW (Concealed Carry Weapon) permit might say about it. But there are a number of NPEs that are… let’s call them negotiable. They’re places where there is security intended to prevent you from carrying, where getting caught with a weapon would not mean becoming a felon.
“Negotiable” NPEs
One big category of this type of “negotiable NPE” is sporting events. There are a LOT of sporting venues that have security screeners — either metal detector arches or, more often, security people with handheld wands — intended to stop you from bringing weapons in. Anything metal will set off the detectors.
Sometimes you can get past these types of security because the screeners are sloppy. They tend to ignore anything behind your belt buckle (which can set off the detector) and they have too many people to screen in a short time to be really thorough in their work. I’ve even seen guards standing too close to metal folding tables who would just shrug when the detector went off, thinking they had passed the wand too close to the table.
Still, hoping the security people will be sloppy isn’t really a strategy. If you choose to go to events that are security screened, you aren’t breaking the law (just the venue’s rules), and you want to stay armed, you might choose to switch to a nonmetallic weapon. When you do that, though, you become part of an “arms race” between armed citizens and the people trying to disarm them.
The NPE “Arms Race”
There are commercial companies producing non-metallic weapons, and there are private individuals making them (often by retrofitting plastic pen and marker bodies, or by grinding pieces of G10 or carbon fiber). The businesses involved in this manufacturing recognize the changing legal environment, so they’ve started introducing metal into their “non-metallic” products so they don’t run afoul of changing laws. In New York State, for example, a law was passed recently that makes it illegal to possess any non-metallic knife that was designed and made specifically as a weapon (in other words, as a self-defense tool).
Kershaw Knives makes this non-metallic knife that comes with screws in the handle. The screws do nothing — they hold nothing and can be removed easily. Their only purpose is to give the plastic knife a signature so that metal detectors will react to it.
A big issue for those hoping to arm themselves with NPE weapons made by large concerns, though, is that the metal in these items isn’t always obvious. Some manufacturers actually introduce metal internally (such as some makers of ceramic-blade knives). It’s a good idea to get your own handheld metal detector in order to check your tools to see if they’ll set off a wand. Wands can be a little pricey, but there are a few budget models on the market that can be had for less than a hundred dollars.
The “arms race” comes into play, though, in the that more and more people are becoming aware of such non-metallic options. That’s why our airports now make use of a body scanner that, controversially, sees you “naked.” The device is capable of imaging any hard object against your body under your clothes, which means wood, plastic, ceramic, and any other hard, non-metal object is detectable. (That’s the whole reason those scanners were implemented.)
While you obviously wouldn’t be trying to sneak a non-metallic knife past airport security (unless you enjoy the thought of being a felon), it’s a fact that security personnel in “negotiable” NPEs are becoming more “hip” to the idea of these tools. Some makers have responded with items that look like everyday objects in order to pass casual “eyeballing.” They include carbon fiber ventilators like this…
…and “markers” with synthetic points that almost would hold up to being handled and examined.
I’ve noticed on Instagram and in other social media sites that some folks will post pictures of themselves having gotten past security to sporting events. One account I follow does this with leather blackjacks, and this one is for a really talented maker of defensive “markers.” Interestingly, one of the commenters acknowledged the “arms race” — because the more word gets out about these tools, the more aware security people become of them.
(If you’re on Instagram, his account is worth a follow, and there is an entire network of “makers” who produce cool little self-defense items like this one.)
Where Do We Go From Here?
So, knowing that you have non-metallic options — and knowing that the “smarter” and more “covert” your tools get, the more aware security personnel become of them — what should you do? Should you join the arms race and keep upgrading? Should you give up on the concept as not worth your time? After all, most non-metallic knives, especially the ones made from glorified plastic, aren’t sturdy enough to go through a heavy jacket; they’re useful only for “soft targets,” like the eyes and throat. Are you better off just improvising a striking tool from some mundane object?
There are no easy answers. Almost all self-defense is a question of preference. What do you prefer? What are you willing to risk? What is legal where you live? Which places with “negotiable NPEs” will you go? There are lots of different choices involved. Only you can decide what is the right solution for you… and when it comes to being armed for self-defense, it just might be a life-and-death decision.