R.A.T.
Randall's Adventure & Training
- Joined
- Feb 4, 2004
- Messages
- 10,400
If you're going to advertise something as Law Enforcement or Military only, then that's where the marketing should stay at, IMO. However, some companies use this because the original design was for law enforcement (be it and idea by an officer, department, agency, whatever) and spilled over into the civilian market.
I know from researching legalities and working with an agent on a recent project that you cannot use certain wording or affiliation with a LEO group unless that knife is only sold to that group (at least in the federal LEO ranks). Now, that's not to say that it's not done by makers. In fact there are makers using the word U.S. Marshal on their knives and selling to the public, which is completely against regulations, thus the makers could be subject to confiscation. For example, let's say we had a fedreal law enforcement group called the Terrorist Deanimation Agency (TDA). Then we build a knife using their name, badge logo, whatever, then it can only be sold to the TDA. If we build the knife and sell it to the public then all of them are subject to confiscation. We can, however (provided we have a legal agreement with the agency) make a knife designed solely for sale within their agency, then make a duplicate knife designed for the civilian market as long as nothing representing the agency is used on the civilian version. It is also legal to use wording for the civilian version in an editorial format (not advertising) that reads something like "The XYZ Deanimator was designed by agents of the TDA." Most of this goes back to copyright and trademark legalities much like the photography business.
For the most part anyone who advertises their product as military or LEO only is using it as a ploy to attract the masses, however there are exceptions. It would be interesting to know if a lot of these "military only" knives have even gone through the NSN process and have a number. Not that they have to do this to be sold as such but if that's the actual market then any manufacturer would make sure that NSNs were applied to their product since it makes it easier for purchase within the government structure.
Bulls**t is pretty easy to spot in both editorial and advertising content.
Jeff
I know from researching legalities and working with an agent on a recent project that you cannot use certain wording or affiliation with a LEO group unless that knife is only sold to that group (at least in the federal LEO ranks). Now, that's not to say that it's not done by makers. In fact there are makers using the word U.S. Marshal on their knives and selling to the public, which is completely against regulations, thus the makers could be subject to confiscation. For example, let's say we had a fedreal law enforcement group called the Terrorist Deanimation Agency (TDA). Then we build a knife using their name, badge logo, whatever, then it can only be sold to the TDA. If we build the knife and sell it to the public then all of them are subject to confiscation. We can, however (provided we have a legal agreement with the agency) make a knife designed solely for sale within their agency, then make a duplicate knife designed for the civilian market as long as nothing representing the agency is used on the civilian version. It is also legal to use wording for the civilian version in an editorial format (not advertising) that reads something like "The XYZ Deanimator was designed by agents of the TDA." Most of this goes back to copyright and trademark legalities much like the photography business.
For the most part anyone who advertises their product as military or LEO only is using it as a ploy to attract the masses, however there are exceptions. It would be interesting to know if a lot of these "military only" knives have even gone through the NSN process and have a number. Not that they have to do this to be sold as such but if that's the actual market then any manufacturer would make sure that NSNs were applied to their product since it makes it easier for purchase within the government structure.
Bulls**t is pretty easy to spot in both editorial and advertising content.
Jeff
