UK customs

[pitta-pitta]

OK. Thanks. I wasn't sure where to post it. The point I found interesting on the post

http://www.ukblades.com/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=3364

was there is a view in the UK at the moment on some smaller knife and bushcraft forums over there that British Blades seems to favour certain UK makers, and prices seem to be high, in the same way that Alan seemed to be 'looked after' during this fiasco. (Albeit he is a US maker.) There are a lot of scare stories about buying from the US and UK buyers on British Blades are warned off because of customs grabbing knives coming in from the US which puts a lot of UK buyers off buying from a US knife maker, who seem to be a lot cheaper than UK makers.

I picked up on this thread whilst looking to buy a knife and found it interesting because there certainly seems to be some sort of cartel in the UK market where the same knife makers are pushed. When you consider that these makers charge an equivalent of $300-800 for a simple bushcraft style knife and you can get a similar knife here for say $100-200 I just wondered what makers here thought of that.

The Alan Blade thread I linked to covers this and an arguement between Blade Forum and British Blade members around a similar sort of subject.

I was just wondering what people here thought of all that as the original piece eminated here and obviously this is key forum for US makers? Do any of them here have knives snatched by UK customs? Is it true?

 

[Esav Benyamin]

pitta-pitta, at this point, it's really not complicated. Allan Blade is a liar and a thief and a scammer. We don't recommend doing business with him.

We do not need cross-forum arguments unrelated to this, and we've had all the arguments which are related to it. We will not support discussions of other forums here: their problems are theirs, not ours.

 

[Thalestin]

OK. Thanks. I wasn't sure where to post it. The point I found interesting on the post

http://www.ukblades.com/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=3364

was there is a view in the UK at the moment on some smaller knife and bushcraft forums over there that British Blades seems to favour certain UK makers, and prices seem to be high, in the same way that Alan seemed to be 'looked after' during this fiasco. (Albeit he is a US maker.) There are a lot of scare stories about buying from the US and UK buyers on British Blades are warned off because of customs grabbing knives coming in from the US which puts a lot of UK buyers off buying from a US knife maker, who seem to be a lot cheaper than UK makers.

I picked up on this thread whilst looking to buy a knife and found it interesting because there certainly seems to be some sort of cartel in the UK market where the same knife makers are pushed. When you consider that these makers charge an equivalent of $300-800 for a simple bushcraft style knife and you can get a similar knife here for say $100-200 I just wondered what makers here thought of that.

The Alan Blade thread I linked to covers this and an arguement between Blade Forum and British Blade members around a similar sort of subject.

I was just wondering what people here thought of all that as the original piece eminated here and obviously this is key forum for US makers? Do any of them here have knives snatched by UK customs? Is it true?

I havent heard to much of knives getting snagged in customs. More that they get huge taxes from them. Not sure on details but that is what ive heard over the years of being in these forums

 

[Haze]

Do any of them here have knives snatched by UK customs? Is it true?

I have never heard of a knife being "snatched" by customs that wasn't illegal to import in the firts place ie. a bali or auto.

I have bought a large amount of knives from the US over the years and have only had to deal with customs charges and the dreaded "clearance fee".

 

[pitta-pitta]

Thanks. Not looking to cause issues. Was just interested in whether knives do get snatched by UK Customs in the way that British Blades describe. It puts a lot of inexperienced knife buyers like me off buying some of the beautiful knives on this forum. That's really where I was going with this. Perhaps I just didn't ask the question clearly enough and was a bit confusing. I've spent the past 2 months trying to find a nice knife for my wife to buy me and I keep going around in circles. She wants to spend about $500 on a knife. I do a lot of bushcraft and camping and a bit of shooting. I want something that is a good all purpose knife but that is a bit different than all of the average bushcraft knives that you see in the UK. I like the look of many US makers and can't believe the low prices compared to the UK but because of the advice I got on British Blades I am worried my knife will get grabbed by the UK Customs. Then I wnet to three other forums in the UK and they said that British Blades is a bit of a cartel and they just push the same 5 - 6 makers. When I was on British Blades I was asking about a UK maker who seems popular - Bernie Garland. His knives look very good but as I typed the forum made it impossible to type his name and started to come out as ****** *******. Apparently he upset a guy called Martyn who owns British Blades. I suppose the upshot is I am a bit confused. I'm not a knife expert and I just wanted to understand what was going on. Perhaps I should have asked the question differently but that thread I posted seemd to cover a lot of the issues pretty well?

 

[Esav Benyamin]

I split these posts off the Allan Blade thread as we can see what you are really looking for.

* ****** **** ****** *

You can contact Bernie Garland here at http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/member.php?u=215324

You can also contact any of our knifemakers. Many of the best and brightest of our new makers are focused on bushcraft and similar outdoor knives, and often hang out in the Wilderness & Survival Skills forum.

Short fixed blades will encounter no problems going through UK customs. Some folders might, especially as noted: balisongs and autos.

 

[pitta-pitta]

OK. Thanks. Hopefully I'll be able to get some objective advice on whether there really is an issue getting knives through customs from the US to the UK and if it is a bit of a red herring as was suggested in the link I attached who to buy from. I can see there are a wealth of choices here. As regards Bernie Garland he's on a couple of UK forums I visit. It is just British Blades that banned him and made it impossible to type his name on the forum. So I am fine I know who he is. His knives look very robust but perhaps not unique enough for me. Thanks again.

 

[Haze]

OK. Thanks. Hopefully I'll be able to get some objective advice on whether there really is an issue getting knives through customs from the US to the UK and if it is a bit of a red herring as was suggested in the link I attached who to buy from. I can see there are a wealth of choices here. As regards Bernie Garland he's on a couple of UK forums I visit. It is just British Blades that banned him and made it impossible to type his name on the forum. So I am fine I know who he is. His knives look very robust but perhaps not unique enough for me. Thanks again.

OK, OK we get it. We don't talk about other forums and what they do as it invariably causes friction of some sort.

The saying that you shouldn't believe everything you read on the interwebs is indeed true.

I can tell you in no uncertain terms that you will not have problems with customs if you are buying a custom bushcrafty/utility knife.
In the last year I bought knives ranging from a Busse AK47 (sword) to Warren Thomas Ti/carbonfiber knives, and many fixed blades and folders inbetween.
If I can get swords and non-ferrus metal knives through customs legaly with zero problems then you can get a nice bushcrafter through. :thumbup:

 

[pitta-pitta]

Thanks. It's all seeming a lot simpler all of a sudden. I'll go look around and find me a nice knife.

 

[Lawmandan]

You are aware that UKblades is the site owned and operated by the well known thief and fraudster Tim Noble, aren't you? The Tim Noble who is banned here on Bladeforums for his disgraceful activities, just as he is on every decent knife and bushcraft site across the internet.

He masquerades as several different posters on his own site in order to spew his deluded ramblings about cartels. He does this because he has to try and justify his bannings from sites across the world for stealing designs and for claiming that he personally handmade in the UK knives which were actually cheap Asian imports. Please don't take him seriously.

The only knives seized by UK Customs are those which are expressly illegal such as automatics and balisongs, and sometimes those which Customs think they can make a case against under our 'gravity knife' legislation, which is modelled on that from New York City, and applied in the same way.

However it is by no means a given that such knives will be seized. I have imported about 140 assisted openers into the UK from the USA over the last few months. Assisted openers are also available from the major UK online knife stores.

Other knives of any type don't attract any attention as they are quite legal.

Danzo

 

[Bernie Garland]

You are aware that UKblades is the site owned and operated by the well known thief and fraudster Tim Noble, aren't you? The Tim Noble who is banned here on Bladeforums for his disgraceful activities, just as he is on every decent knife and bushcraft site across the internet.

He masquerades as several different posters on his own site in order to spew his deluded ramblings about cartels. He does this because he has to try and justify his bannings from sites across the world for stealing designs and for claiming that he personally handmade in the UK knives which were actually cheap Asian imports. Please don't take him seriously.

The only knives seized by UK Customs are those which are expressly illegal such as automatics and balisongs, and sometimes those which Customs think they can make a case against under our 'gravity knife' legislation, which is modelled on that from New York City, and applied in the same way.

However it is by no means a given that such knives will be seized. I have imported about 140 assisted openers into the UK from the USA over the last few months. Assisted openers are also available from the major UK online knife stores.

Other knives of any type don't attract any attention as they are quite legal.

Danzo

Think you should sort your own Gaff out first Dan,starting with the liar Paul Hardwick :thumbdn:

Bernie

 

[Knife Outlet]

I have never heard of a knife being "snatched" by customs that wasn't illegal to import in the firts place ie. a bali or auto.

I have bought a large amount of knives from the US over the years and have only had to deal with customs charges and the dreaded "clearance fee".

You've heard of it now. I don't ship to the UK for that very reason. Shipping knives to the UK is very risky for us.

 

[Lawmandan]

Think you should sort your own Gaff out first Dan,starting with the liar Paul Hardwick :thumbdn:

Bernie

Oh Bernie please. Your own little dispute with someone who you were mates with once really has nothing to do with the disgusting frauds perpetrated by Tim Noble. Nor am I going to argue with you on Bladeforums, as I am sure that they do not want petty UK disputes here.

But Tim Noble is banned from BF for fraud, and has his own thread:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=661092

If a fraudsters own website is being quoted as a source of information then BF members should know the connection with the fraudster.

Danzo

 

[Bernie Garland]

Oh Bernie please. Your own little dispute with someone who you were mates with once really has nothing to do with the disgusting frauds perpetrated by Tim Noble. Nor am I going to argue with you on Bladeforums, as I am sure that they do not want petty UK disputes here.

But Tim Noble is banned from BF for fraud, and has his own thread:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=661092

If a fraudsters own website is being quoted as a source of information then BF members should know the connection with the fraudster.

Danzo

Not a dispute Dan the truth,and you know it, but as he's up your Arse, he gets away with it, like the liar Diamond Dave

The EMCCU wouldn't be the same without, the pair of Liars would it :thumbdn:

Bernie

 

[Bernie Garland]

And while were on the subject of Honesty and dishonesty Dan

Perhaps you could educate me, on what happened to the Raffle proceeds of the four knives i donated to the EMCCU

The last one a folder,i said to put it in the kitty for the Christmas meet up,

Never did get an invite,the two liars put the block on that,true or just more of my ramblings :thumbdn:

Bernie

 

[Lawmandan]

Bernie, I haven't the faintest idea why you think this thread is appropriate to pursue your own petty disputes. It's a thread about how UK Customs operates, but it mentions allegations from a forum owned by a fraudster banned from BF.

Danzo

 

[Bernie Garland]

Bernie, I haven't the faintest idea why you think this thread is appropriate to pursue your own petty disputes. It's a thread about how UK Customs operates, but it mentions allegations from a forum owned by a fraudster banned from BF.

Danzo

Your claiming a fraudster with no proof

I'm claiming a Fraudster, and two liars with proof

And you know i'm right Dan

So lets get things in to perspective shall we

Bernie

 

[Bernie Garland]

And while were on the customs thing

Been importing knives and stuff for over 4 years, and never had zilch stopped by customs

So why on BB, is there the Mount Doom Custom threads

Keeping the prices up for uk sellers,of US custom pieces or What

Bernie

 

[Bernie Garland]

Well Dan, Seems to me like you don't want to answer any of the Questions,Iv'e asked

So are you going to get on Paul Hardwick,and Diamond Daves Case, as they are both LIARS and one is a Fraudster,WITH PROOF

Then when thats sorted,we'll look into the proof with Timbo shall we

Bernie

 

[pitta-pitta]

Well said Bernie. The behaviour of that forum is ridiculous. When I went on their asking what would be a good knife I got loads of PMs pushing the same makers at $600+ prices for a knife I can get here at $100-200. When I asked about knives from the US I was told that this would be a terrible idea as it would almost certainly be impounded by UK customs. Then as I was typing I found I couldn't type your name and it just appeared as ***** *******. I find it hard to take any advice on British Blades seriously. There is something very up there on that forum. I felt a bit beat up by people trying to push Stuart Mitchell and Shing knives on me. Fortunately I've got some good advice here and from you and someone called Carver in London and I feel a bit happier. As I've said I'm not an expert and all I wanted was some honest advice on knives. No doubt I will get banned by British Blades for daring to speak my mind but us Yorkshire men are like that. We don't mince our words or put up with bullies. I find it all very strange. It's why I came here to ask Americans who always seem very honest in the main. You've also seemed straight when you PMd me in the past too Bernie. Thanks.