CRKT Press Release - Customs

All your, mine and all knives in the world are illegal according this formulation. If it is not specified how much inertia or centrifugal force should be applied to open a knife this is no knife which could resist if it will be shaken hard enough.

My experience shows that true stupid is only someone who puts the spoon into his ear when eating. All anothers more imitate stupid than they really are and they do it more or less depending on need or mood. If US Customs are not putting spoons into their ears they are not as silly as they want to seem in this case. Differently they would confiscate all knives in USA. So it should be some reason which caused customs to imitate stupid with CRKT knives.

I do not know what is suitable to do in such situation according American laws. But I do know certainly - this situation can not be left in silence. AKTI, knife magazines and another media, local and central daily press should make as big scandal as it is possible and even bigger. I think this situation requires all people (not only knife people) solidarity.
Are you CRKT friend? Join your vote!
Are you CRKT competitor? Do the same! Remember, your company can be next!
Are you manufacturing boots or cars or no matter what? Do the same! Tomorrow some "know-all" can find some law interpretation according which your products are illegal!

BTW, this seems to be true state of art to formulate law in the way which allows applying it according a particular need.

 
I have already contacted Senators Feinstein and Boxer, and Rep. Bill Thomas. The more people that contact their elected representatives, the greater the chance that they will do something about it.

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Die Entropie der Welt strebt einem Maximum zu - R.J.E. Clausius
 
We must all do what we can to reverse this action or we are domed to battle it out I will do what I can. I tried to visit the web site for the House and senate and was unable to get there. So I guess its a phone call and a hard copy letter to the reps,It is only a matter of time before we are all in the big house for carrying a knife. Where does it end? Everybody must do something including the LEO's they can't sit by either. I can tell that there are already some people sitting on the fence so that they don't make waves. They abound and wonder what happened when we can't carry.Just like with the guns.Rant off for now much hostility pent up.
 
The most effective legicritter contact method for individual citizens is handwritten snailmail.

Printed snailmail is second, phone calls are third, faxes are fourth and EMail is WAY the heck down the list at #5.

But the absolute #1 method is for major makers like Spyderco, SOG and the like to contact their local legicritters, especially Senators, and explain how hundreds of local jobs are at stake.

That's rivalled only by the NRA getting into it and directing the fury of the NRA Board of Directors members like Senator Bob Barr at Customs, hence my letter to Sandy Froman.

Jim
 
CRKT will win. There is no silver lining to this, it's solid gold! US Customs has just created a maketing departments dream come true. An instant classic.

Please do contact your elected officals. Then see if you can:
A. Buy stock in Columbia.
B. Order one or more of these knife NOW!
 
I'll certainly write my representative. But I initially thought that all of this "switch blade" talk was because customs was looking at the M16-04 with its "Carson flipper".

All of this over plain old liner locks? Good luck!

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Jay
 
I want to underscore Mr. March's comment. Don't just e-mail. Send a paper letter (you can just print your e-mail, sign it, and drop it in the post).

Why? Congressmen get tens of thousands of e-mails per day. Most of it is essentially legislative spam. Individuals and small organizations wanting to promote their own causes will send a thousand e-mails from a thousand different addresses making it appear as if a thousand different people wrote when, in fact, only one did. Oranizations will pirate people's e-mail addresses and forge the headers on e-mail they send to congressmen to make it appear as if more poeple are writting about a given topic. (Some time ago, a friend of mine completed an on-line survey about gun ownership. The site in question appeared to be a very pro-gun gun rights site. Recognizing the possibility for getting onto mailing lists, he used his own name, but gave is parent's street address in another state. (We could discuss the ethics of signing one's parents up for junk mail, but let's not go there.) Several weeks later, his parents forwarded him a letter addressed to him from their congressman. It was obviously a form letter thanking him for e-mailing his concerns about crime and guns. Attached was a copy of an e-mail, very anti-gun, pro-gun-control, that appeared to have been sent by him from his e-mail address. It used his name and gave his parent's street address. Obviously, this apparently pro-gun site wasn't conducting a survey at all. They were just harvesting information. They were collecting the names, addresses, and e-mail addresses of real people. Then, they used the street address to determine which congressmen to send to and they forged the e-mail headers to make it appear as if these letters of their own composition had come from real citizens.) Congressmen are well aware that these sorts of scams go on on e-mail. Furthermore, when a congressman gets a e-mail, he can't tell for sure if you're from his district or state (even from the United States) or not. As a result of all of this, congressmen place very little stock in e-mail. The best thing to do is write a letter, sign it, and mail it from your address. This way, there's a signature and a postmark.

The telephone number for US Customs in Portland is 503-326-2865. I know, they can't comment on the details of a case in progress, but I still wouldn't mind it if their telephone rang off the hook in the next few days with people politely asking. Often, these agencies feel like they can operate in obscurity. It wouldn't hurt to let them know very personally that people all over the country are concerned about this case. Don't argue with them. Over the phone talking to the receptionist you're not gonna talk 'em into backing down and appologizing. Just let them know where you're calling from and ask about the case, and let them know that you're concerned. This way, at the end of the day, the exhausted receptionist can tell the supervisor, "No, I didn't get those copies you asked for made. The phone has been ringing off the hook all day about that knife case. We received X calls from all over the country." Sort of vindictive, I guess, to take it out on the poor receptionist, but it does sort of send a message. Anyway, do be polite.

This is really a big issue for the Portland, Oregon area. Knives are a small but thriving industry in this area. Hundreds of people are employed by CRKT, Gerber, Kershaw, Al Mar, and several other companies that import knives similar to the ones in question and then distribute them. Hundreds more are employed manufacturing such knives. It is potentially a huge economic loss for this area.



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Chuck
Balisongs -- because it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing!
http://www.balisongcollector.com
 
FWIW I will be writing a letter, by hand, to each of my senators and my congressman.

-Bart Hollingsworth
Alabama
 
I sincerely wish Paul, Rod, and the rest of the CRKT gang the best in this mess. We must remember that this is not just CRKT's battle....we are all in this together as the outcome may affect anyone who uses knives. Meanwhile, we wait with baited breath and pray that the decision is in CRKT's favor.

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AKTI Member # A000005
NC Knife Knuts Member
Living life "on the edge"

In memory of James K. Mattis
 
What is wrong with those customs people? Jeez!
rolleyes.gif

My two senators and my representative will get letters. I doubt that 'Bad Billy'
smile.gif
(Clinton) would listen. Can't wait to see Bush in the oval office.

- Whirlwind

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Revelation 13:9-10, "If any man have an ear, let him hear. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints."
 
Mr. Whirlwind raises a very interesting point. This is a case of a federal agency, part of the executive branch, choosing to take a very broad interpretation of the laws. This is well within the president's personal authority. An executive order could end this entire situation. I doubt that our current president will make such an order. Not that he is personally opposed to one-hand knives or anything, it's just not the sort of thing that a lame-duck gets involved in in the waning hours of his presidency. So, which of our two contenders do you think might be willing to make such an order?

(hint: the one wearing the red tie last night.)


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Chuck
Balisongs -- because it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing!
http://www.balisongcollector.com
 
Is there an association for knife enthusiasts? Like there is for gun collectors(NRA). If not, someone should form one. This could help protect the rights of knife owners and hopefully lift bans made on automatics and butterfly knives.
 
You can help.

I've been through a few legal tussles myself. They are not only time consuming but expensive. My recommendation for those that want to help is buy more CRKT knives. Next time you order a using knife consider a CRKT. You'll get a high value product and help the folks in Portland financially with the battle. Good luck to CRKT.

The other thing you can do to help is to vote, particularly if you're in a swing state. My state of Indiana is automatic for Bush but, Michigan, which is next door, is a toss up. Vote for people who are less interested in more government intervention in your life. If you want to change the direction of political power, then that's how you can help do it. Go vote.

 
Stephen - there is such an association, American Knife & Tool Institute. There is a forum here and their web address is www.akti.org.

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Knowledge without understanding is knowledge wasted.
Understanding without knowledge is a rare gift - but not an impossibility.
For the impossible is always possible through faith. - Bathroom graffiti, gas station, Grey, TN, Dec, 1988

AKTI Member #A000831
 
Sterilized

[This message has been edited by Jim March (edited 10-20-2000).]
 
I love that knife Jim. The coffin handles..is probally next on my buy list.
All I can say is that everyone here should pitch in 5 bucks to CKRT to help them fight this bogus confiscation. You have to remember that this is gonna cost them to defend in court and even if and when they win, because of our screwed up legal system there is normally no liabilty placed on the plaintiffs of a case so you know that this is coming out of CRKTs pocket. Which translates to in the future (especially if this trend continues) increased court costs to major knifemakers, bad for us and them, or/and increased prices on the blades themselves, (bad for us)
 
Today I ordered ANOTHER CRKT Crawford/Kasper FF from Mike Payne.

That is one mode of direct support for CRKT.
smile.gif
.

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Dann Fassnacht
Aberdeen, WA
glockman99@hotmail.com
ICQ# 53675663
 
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