Concealed weapons offer a two-fold advantage: they provide force multiplying capability, and they provide the element of surprise. I make no bones about the fact that I think open carry of a pistol is ill advised, most of the time. If there is a choice to conceal the handgun, that is the choice I take every time. The element of surprise is a tremendous advantage when dealing with inter-personal violence.
While most concealed carriers do attempt to adequately conceal their gun on the waistline, they usually think nothing of clipping knives or flashlights to their hip pocket. The top of the tool, and certainly the clip itself, is usually readily visible. Most would argue that a light or knife, or both, clipped to a pocket hem is routine and not a big deal. And, depending on the environment, it might not be a big deal. If you live in a rural township, it is common to see men walking around town with lights and knives clipped to their pocket.
However, the problem remains this: violence is most likely to occur in environments that are infested with willfully defenseless people. Urban dwellers and suburbanites do not carry tools that give them capability, such as lights, knives, and OC spray. When you are in urban and suburban areas, you are among people who do not carry tools clipped to their pockets. Therefore, your visible light and knife is an anomaly. Why draw attention from law enforcement, and worse, the criminal element, to your different capability and mentality?
