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US Customs Knife Ban

Hello all,

FYI, I received the following from SOG Knives:


U.S. Customs wants to ban your pocket knife!

SOG Specialty Knives & Tools LLC, in support with The American Knife and Tool Institute (AKTI) opposes U.S. Customs' attempt to classify assisted-opening knives and all one-hand-opening knives as switchblades.

U.S. Customs proposes to bypass Congress and expand the switchblade definition to include all knives that open with one hand. These include multi-tools, traditional pocket knives, one-hand openers, as well as assisted-openers.

Statistics to consider about the knife industry and the possible effects of this ruling:

* U.S. Sporting Knife Industry has a $5.9 Billion Economic Impact on U.S. Economy
* 3,881 direct U.S. Employees at 61 Companies
* 35.6 Million Households Own Pocket Knives; 24.8 Million Own Hunting Knives
* Assisted-opening and one-hand-opening knives are 80 % of All Knives Sold
* 30-40 Million Public Safety, Non-Issue Military, Construction, Recreational Users


Material compiled and provided by AKTI


The majority of Americans who carry and use one-hand-openers every day need them for their jobs. They use them to save lives as well as for scores of recreational activities.

If U.S. Customs succeeds, it could lead to effectively banning all folding knives from interstate commerce.

We're asking you to register your opposition to the U.S. Customs' plan (19 CFR Part 177) to re-classify assisted openers and all folding knives.

You comments must arrive at U.S. Customs no later than June 21, 2009.

19 CFR Part 177
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Office of International Trade, Regulations and Rulings
Attention: Intellectual Property and Restricted Merchandise Branch
Mint Annex, 799 Ninth St. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20229

If you don't think your letter will arrive in time, please fax or email a signed copy to us and we will forward it to US Customs on your behalf. Our fax number is (425) 771-6230. Please submit responses to us by noon on Friday, June 19th, 2009.

Please also express your concerns to your state Senators and Representatives.

For more information on this issue, visit:

www.akti.org and www.kniferights.org

Click here for model letters that can be downloaded and personalized with your story:

http://akti.org/legislation/uscustoms.html

or

kniferights.org


Thank you,

SOG Specialty Knives & Tools, LLC
 
So, if I am reading this correctly, even a knife like my Gerber AR - which has no springs or aids to opening, other than a thumb nubbin on the blade, will fall prey to this grandstanding, soapboxing, ill-conceived legislative nonsense?

American Freedom, whither goest thou?
 
So, if I am reading this correctly, even a knife like my Gerber AR - which has no springs or aids to opening, other than a thumb nubbin on the blade, will fall prey to this grandstanding, soapboxing, ill-conceived legislative nonsense?

American Freedom, whither goest thou?

Yep.
 
So, if I am reading this correctly, even a knife like my Gerber AR - which has no springs or aids to opening, other than a thumb nubbin on the blade, will fall prey to this grandstanding, soapboxing, ill-conceived legislative nonsense?

American Freedom, whither goest thou?

You are correct, if you're going through customs to enter the United States.
 

Legion

OTF jewel hunter
Staff member
Try living in Australia. The government has pretty much banned everything that can possibly be used as a weapon. We all have to use those plastic school scissors with the rounded tips now. And plastic cutlery. It's making life very difficult. :biggrin:
 
A mere foreshadowing of things to come. First an attempt to revive the assault-weapons ban, now this useless bit. Bed's been made...
 
Anyone find any information about this not from a trade group or partisan blog? I tried google but couldn't find anything ....
 
From what I can tell it's section 12 that deals with defining what a switch-blade is.
http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_04/19cfr12_04.html
12.95 to be more specific.
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2004/aprqtr/19cfr12.95.htm

Part 177 is just administrative rulings and doesn't make much sense...
http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_04/19cfr177_04.html

Also it seems that that's just for importing and exporting (or travelling) to and from the USA and would have nothing to do with "interstate commerce".


I got the same e-mail from SOG, but didn't pay too much heed to it, as I live in Canada. Although I still haven't gotten my free knife from SOG for filling out the worlds longest survey ever... maybe customs is to blame.
 
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