TN has laws against "carrying, with intent to go armed, ... a blade longer than..."
I can remember a time, when I was in undergrad at UT, when I would walk around in traditional samurai attire with my katana on my hip (to and from class, not just to be a weirdo) ALL the TIME. I walked past cops and university security personnel, and nobody said anything about it.
By and large, cops won't bother you if you don't bother them. Good all-purpose rule of thumb for life in general: Don't be a jackass.
If you are carrying a rescue knife so that you can have a pocket knife for utility use, then nobody is going to care. If you're carrying a "tactical folder" so that you'll have a weapon in case the zombies attack and you run out of ammo, then the cops are going to hastle you over it. Just be cool, and don't cause problems, and you'll be fine.