Random, but need some advice! Can a CGFBM be passed off as machete to Federales??

hookahhabib

hookahhabib

Joined
Feb 24, 2011
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So after a few unexpected delays, I'm FINALLY about ready to take off for my move to Mexico...

After talking to some local friends where I'll be moving, its been brought to my attention that knife laws are quite a bit different in Mexico. Apparently the 4-finger blade length is what all the Federales go by, and it seems I'll be taking a bit of a risk in bringing some INFI down with me. Anything longer than 4 fingers is subject to bring me potential troubles if I happen to get pulled over and searched. The one exception is machetes...apparently theyre ok to possess.

So while my SHBA may have to be left behind, I'm thinking maybe I can at least bring down my CGFBM and in the unlikely event that I get hassled, pass it off as a machete.

What do you guys think? Am I delusional to even consider this as a possibility?

I just can't bear the thought of spending a year and a half without any of my beloved blades....
 
guess I'm never moving to Mexico. I'm gping with probably not on the mistress, especially a CBT CG. A 1311 or B11 maybe
 
Hide it in plain site. Buy an inexpensive sheath like those found on big box store camping section machetes.

When / if asked, just say its used for clearing brush and shrubs.
 
that's a really good idea actually, and you could tape the handle so it looks cheaper and more like an ordinary garden tool
 
Let's put it this way...

If you get caught with them, plain sight or not, if they don't like what they see and believe you brought something in that is illegal, you WILL lose your knife (or knives) for good. Also, you WILL be sitting in a Mexican jail for 30 days while they try to build probable cause against you.

In my opinion, there is absolutely no way I would take a chance with that. Living so close to the border, I can tell you that you will dearly wish you had made a different choice if you run into a problem. Good luck.
 
Never bring anything into Mexico you don't want to have taken from you. This includes rings, watches and especially knives.

Regardless of Mexican law... be assured that Mexican law enforcement is as corrupt as any in the world. They will take what they want... if you are lucky they may give you an opportunity to buy it back via a 'fine'. Funny thing about Mexican law enforcement is that they do not ask for an I.D. like our law enforcement in the States... they ask for your wallet. They will thumb through your cash and (not) coincidentally your 'fine' will be exactly the amount of cash in your wallet.

On a hunt a number of years ago, before the violence was out of control... I was on a group dove hunt in Mexico. The federales showed up, claimed all of us were illegal (we were not) seized our guns and shotgun shells. Our guide showed up shortly thereafter, passed some cash to the man in charge and gave them a cooler full of our beer. At this point we were given back our guns and shells and commenced to hunt as we watched the teen-aged federales with fully automatic m16's drink our beer with much enthusiasm.

Good luck down there...

.
 
darkaether said:
that's a really good idea actually, and you could tape the handle so it looks cheaper and more like an ordinary garden tool
Click to expand...

Thank you.

Often I do not give up tips like this, but I like my forum Bros, so I did.

It's the things you cling to the most that draw attention from others. The less you seem to care or value an item, the less others will notice its value.

Unless, the folks recognize an item and know its value. That's why I suggested the inexpensive sheath. If it does not draw unwanted attention, it will not be an issue.
 
kdstrick said:
Never bring anything into Mexico you don't want to have taken from you. This includes rings, watches and especially knives.

Regardless of Mexican law... be assured that Mexican law enforcement is as corrupt as any in the world. They will take what they want... if you are lucky they may give you an opportunity to buy it back via a 'fine'. Funny thing about Mexican law enforcement is that they do not ask for an I.D. like our law enforcement in the States... they ask for your wallet. They will thumb through your cash and (not) coincidentally your 'fine' will be exactly the amount of cash in your wallet.

On a hunt a number of years ago, before the violence was out of control... I was on a group dove hunt in Mexico. The federales showed up, claimed all of us were illegal (we were not) seized our guns and shotgun shells. Our guide showed up shortly thereafter, passed some cash to the man in charge and gave them a cooler full of our beer. At this point we were given back our guns and shells and commenced to hunt as we watched the teen-aged federales with fully automatic m16's drink our beer with much enthusiasm.

Good luck down there...

.
Click to expand...

I've heard many stories like this one. Corruption and criminal activity so commonplace its par for the course.
 
Don't risk it. Being the good samaritan that I am, I'll take it off your hands to keep you out of jail!

Seriously, if you are not moving theres for ever, get a safety deposit box in the US in a town that you have family, friends, or that is convenient for you in some way or another. From what many of Central American Friends have told me, you don't want to F*#K with theFederales.
 
ESEE calls the junglas a machete. The fbm is roughly the same size. I would say you CAN call it a machete, but as to weather the police in mexico would consider it one is up in the air.
 
Why are you moving to Mexico? Just move to the south side of San Antonio :) It's like Mexico and you can keep your Busse's...
 
It might pass as a machete but as others have stated it depends on the federal that you happen to run into.I have visited and lived in mexico for some time and most federales will try to make up something so they can charge you a fee.covering the handle sounds like a great idea
 
kdstrick said:
Never bring anything into Mexico you don't want to have taken from you. This includes rings, watches and especially knives.

Regardless of Mexican law... be assured that Mexican law enforcement is as corrupt as any in the world. They will take what they want... if you are lucky they may give you an opportunity to buy it back via a 'fine'. Funny thing about Mexican law enforcement is that they do not ask for an I.D. like our law enforcement in the States... they ask for your wallet. They will thumb through your cash and (not) coincidentally your 'fine' will be exactly the amount of cash in your wallet.

On a hunt a number of years ago, before the violence was out of control... I was on a group dove hunt in Mexico. The federales showed up, claimed all of us were illegal (we were not) seized our guns and shotgun shells. Our guide showed up shortly thereafter, passed some cash to the man in charge and gave them a cooler full of our beer. At this point we were given back our guns and shells and commenced to hunt as we watched the teen-aged federales with fully automatic m16's drink our beer with much enthusiasm.

Good luck down there...

.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately this is how it goes down there. Legal is a relative term outside of the U.S. Do us both a favor and just send me your CGFBM. I'll take good care of her for you.

Unklfranco
 
Hello, I´m Mexican, also a hunter, the law is not 4 fingers, the real law change in each state but the knives are consider as a weapon regardless of the size, what I can tell you is that I'm a small knive collector and I own more then 25 busse kin knives that are at my home, including Gladius, AK-47, Ruck, all the way to AD, and I take them on the airplane with no problem

What is allow regardless the size is a knife that will be consider as a tool, in other words a screwdriver could be consider as a weapon too, unless is a tool for you, the same apply to knives, if you tell them that is tool for you and not use as personal defense then you will be all right,

More if you are carrying those knives in your trunk and not with you, I carry every day a 3" inch Hinderer and never have an issue
 
Honestly, I would store it some where safe in the US.

Then I would buy a few nice custom machete (fiddleback comes to mind).

Take those. Then, they are actually machetes, and if they get seized, they are much cheaper to loose. I believe an officer down there will be much less likely to seize a machete though. They are a dime a dozen down there. And the Fiddleback will be a true machete.

Loosing the FBM will be the least of the problem if you are arrested and charged criminally. Mexican prison is just about the worst thing I can think of.

I lived in Bulgaria, and was constantly extorted by the police. We specifically carried little cash normally.

They would take your passport, then tell you you had to buy it back ($100 was the normal asking price).

I would laugh and tell them I had nothing close to that.

We used to have to go to the border, and walk out through no mans land, to get our passports re-stamped every month! We would take the exact amount for the new visa, and bring obsolete pocket change (they had not used in years. It equated to 100th of a penny). When they would try to extort us, we would hand them a handful of completely worthless change. Then point to the vehicle up on the hill watching us with cell phones. We would then hand them the card for our Attorney (he was well known to them), and then would curse us and throw our stamped passports back out the window.

If you had the extra cash when rousted, and they found it, you typically lost it!

Frequently, I would travel with $10,000+ by train across country there. It was nerve wracking in the extreme!
 
Mexican Law will take what they want, regardless. I would #1. not go to mexico #2. take anything of value if i did.
 
I would avoid Mexico unless you're well connected, e.g. relatives, business, etc.
 
There's no job or any other reason i can think of that would make me move to mexico... that place is a total hell hole as far as i'm concerned
 
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