Is it legal to carry something like that in cincinnati?
That’s a good question, as while no knives other than ballistic are illegal in Ohio, they have no preemption, so Cincinnati may have its own laws. However, typically they need two criteria: first that the knife cannot be concealed, and second, that it must be dual use as a tool.
A knife forum specifically mentions several knives that are pure weapons, among which is the karambit I pictured.
So in this particular case, oddly enough, I would recommend a survival type mini-hatchet.
http://i.imgur.com/AoknmLO.jpg
It is just one foot long, is in a carry holster on your hip so it is not concealed, clearly qualifies as a tool, yet could do serious hurt even on a gang of attackers. As typically both it and the holster are black, it would not be very obvious at night.
If asked about it by a police officer, it can easily be called a work tool.
