I was just pointed to this thread and message. First off, I would like to thank Kyle for his generous contribution to this project and to the decades-old legal ivory donor who wishes to remain anonymous. Somewhere along the line there appears some confusion as this project came to life. This "letter opener" (hey, it's D.C. LOL!) is going to be used at a meeting of DC powerbrokers, including some members of Congress, and generally conservative media to help make the point that if the Federal ivory ban is put into effect, this gorgeous work of functional art would be rendered valueless, and for no good reason. As many of you are ware, we are currently in the midst of the comment period on the proposed federal rule (details at:
http://www.kniferights.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=344&Itemid=1 ) which we and others are opposing. As the same time we are working on Congress to get a bill passed that would roll things back to where they were before all this politically-motivated ivory ban action was started (
http://www.kniferights.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=305&Itemid=1 ). It is not easy to get attention in DC, or at this particular meeting with many issues vying for attention, and this is a unique opportunity using this beautiful knife to break through the clutter and get the attention of potential supporters in Congress and DC who believe in both conservation and in American property rights. Hope this clears things up, and again, thanks very much to Kyle for his generous support.
