Any News on the Boston Art Knife Classic?

[BowieBooster]

Sorry, but you're just not going to beat the tree huggers these days -- too politically incorrect to oppose them and their chosen causes. U.S. lawmakers won't touch this with a 10 foot pole.

It would seem more realistic to follow their rules to the letter in order to foil them. Set up a network of material exporters, importers, material retailers, knife makers and collectors. Ensure that the documentation is present and compliant to the letter. Educate makers, dealers and collectors so that they know what is required and ensure it is all in order before purchasing. Believe me, that will be quicker in the long run before going to step two.

Step 2. First, people need to realize that it is not Congress (I don't know how things are done outside of the U.S.) that sets and enforces the rules that in the eyes of authorities separate "legal" and/or "pre-ban" material from prohibited material. It is administrative agencies. They do this through a process known as "rule making." The appropriate agencies need to be identified, then their rules identified and analyzed, etc. Once the unreasonably vague ones prone to abuse have been identified, the real work begins.

When rule changes are made, there is usually a period for "comment." This is the opportunity for the public and interest groups to put in their two cents, and to apply pressure to congressmen to intervene on the side of sanity. Also, of course, it doesn't hurt in the mean time to formulate a unified position and proposed new rules to present to your representatives.

While I don't want to get political, one does have to bear in mind the party in power at the present time and realize that it ain't gonna be easy (not that it would be "easy" with the righties, either, but lefties don't wanna hear about your right to put elephant bits on what they see as illegal instruments of death). It might be fruitful to approach the NRA to take this on, should anyone have connections with that organization. The way I see it, custom knife collectors are just too small a group to have much in the way of the resources and influence necessary to deal with this effectively.

 

[MrAndersson]

Btw, there is by no chance a trend coming with the stimulus packages being pushed into the American economy? Maybe they have gotten a really big boost to their budget and trying to find new ways of using that money. They might realize, when the $ stops coming, that the Custom knife world costs more then it tastes. They move on to other more relevant hunting grounds and things are back to normal?

The only things that puzzle me is that they can afford to pick small potatoes when the US if facing one of their biggest economical challenges ever. I, of course does not think you should ever use forbidden materials in your handle without proper papers, but this is just silly...

And don´t forget the leather sheaths; as organic as the rest of the knife.
And I wonder what to do with our leather shoes, bags and belts...

 

[striker071]

OK if I can I would like to clarify some issues.

The worry that every bone handle that is brought into the United States will be seized is plain silly.

There are 2 different terms.

1 Item is detained - Which simply means the person is given the opportunity to provide documentation to show that any rules and regulations that may be thought to have been broken are in fact not and the items are returned.
2 Item is seized - Which means it is confiscated.... and may or may not be returned

So from what it sounds like the items in Chicago were "Detained" and then were returned to the owner.

Anytime anyone crosses the border it is about " Burden of Proof ". You have to have very clear and concise documentation to prove the age of the item or its origin. If someone cant come up with the origin and age of said item then they are not given the benefit of the doubt.

Yes Ivory will be scrutinized. Yes tortoise shell will be scrutinized.

Most of these laws are now International not just US and are there to protect the species that these items come from so they are not harvested to extinction.

Bear Hunters coming from Canada know they have to file the right paperwork to get the pelt or taxidermy to the U.S. The meat can come in but it also has to have the appropriate paperwork from the US and Canada showing that the animal was harvested legally..most of this isn't rocket science.

A lot of information may be missing.

Did these people declare the items. -- Failure to declare can result in fines and or forfiture of said items
Did they declare them as commercial goods. -- Goods that have a value of 2500 dollars or more that are to be sold in the United States require brokerage. Did these folks do that process as well?

So if these artisans didn't do the right things to begin with then they are asking for that red flag to go up.

If people think that every Gucci bad from Italy or pair of shoes or belt is scrutinized... well it isn't.

If you are the maker of the belts and bags and you have 100 of them and plan on selling them in the U.S. Customs is gonna have some questions for you .... they always have and always will.

Customs hands are tied more than you think... the same Government leaders that say they are trying to stop illegal immigration are the same people ordering Customs to let them in and don't hassle them.

As far as the potential threat of makers in the U.S.... well If they also use prohibited materials then the possibility is there but they have a different focus of law. Then it is the Governments Burden of Proof not the individuals.