A funny thing happened on the way to...

[John L]

I build traditional slipjoints and build most of them in Mexico where I have a little house and a knife shop in the garage. Going thru customs yesterday I decided to declare my stash of handle material as I had gotten a hard time in January for not declaring my stash of grinding belts and went thru hell finally getting them thru and paying $30 tax on 120 belts. Well....I had another 130 belts, 50 pr of stag scales, and 10 lbs of filthy, unsanded fossil ivory. I had the receipt for some of the belts and no paperwork on the rest of the stash. So...I decided to make my own estimate of everything else. Upon pressing the pasa..no pasa button to get thru without search I received the green light.....no search. But...I had checked the box where I was going to declare something....uh.oh....red light goes off in the customs agent mind. Well......after an hour and a half I wore them down. First they say too much stuff for one man to use and not sell. I argrue until blue in the face. I win this one. Now about the stag. "Senor....you cannot bring theees stuff into Mexico....eets animal parts." Yes I know but its' dead animal parts. They think and think and finally bring the book out. Nothing about dead animal parts. I win this one. Now..about the ivory. "Eees thees bone senor?" No.. I say eet ees teeth. They look at me like I am absolutely whacko. They look up teeth. Nuttin about teeth. I win this one. Now back to the belts. They declare this to be professional equipment and I say...."no seenor"..it is strickly a hobby....a "pasatiempo". They say eeet looks like work to them. I finally wear them down, pay $50 and have to make a knife for the head honcho. I theenk next time I just give a knife away in the first 5 minutes and be done with it as this is all they wanted to begin with! Ahhhh..Mexico.....I love theees place.

 

[UffDa]

Senor, I tink the words you are looking for are "la mordida".