Why are there no alerts on manufactures websites?

R

rmc85

Joined
Nov 27, 2008
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On all the gun and knife forums I frequent the pending "knife ban" seems to be a pretty dang hot topic. I've seen tons of links on where to read more and copies of letter to send but it all seems to be grassroots.

I was wondering why some of the big guys like Benchmade, Kershaw, Spyderco, Cold steel, CRK&T, Boker, and many more don't have some kind of news alert on their website. I've looked on a few manufactures sites and they don't even have new of this in the press release section!! I would think if a customs ruling could make people lose money and jobs they would be a little more active in trying to stop it.

Am I wrong in my observation?
 
I've noticed that too. The only retail site I saw it on was BUDK.com, they are only a distributor type sales site. Maybe the makers know something we don't?
 
Its not gonna happen. If it was as big a deal as people seem to be making of it every knife maker and manufacturer would be in the fight.
 
I've seen notices on retailer sites, Smokey Mountain Knife Works and yourcornerstore.com
 
This is serious stuff. Here is a letter done by Nutnfancy on youtube that you can send off to Customs and Border Protection and to your congressman.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTXCoulHxFw&feature=channel

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office,
Attn: International Trade Regulations and Rulings,
Mint Annex,
799 9th Street,
N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20229//

Attn: Intellectual Property and Restricted Merchandise Branch//

Commissioner Ahern,

I have become aware that CBP is revoking earlier rulings that assisted opening knives (that require manual manipulation to deploy!) are NOT switchblades. Since many courts and legislative bodies rely upon these CBP knife definitions, this revised ruling will have broad and unintended consequences. Your re-definition of these folding knives will create foolish bureaucracy and regulation, criminalize millions of good people, create more economic hardship by destroying the knife and tool industry (and the military/LE access to these items as well), and in the end will only lessen public safety.

• Knives are already highly regulated with current laws, both on national and local levels. Millions of good people across the country use folding knives for duty, utility tasks, outdoors activities, emergency services, rescue operations, and for legal defensive purposes. This CBP interpretation burdens law enforcement and will instantly criminalize about 40 million good people. It is very unlikely anyone would dispose of any knives and it will create unnecessary enmity between citizenry and government.

• The economy is failing. And yet your ruling will make it worse. The outlawing of assisted opening AND most other folding knives with this ruling will destroy a thriving industry that employs thousands upon thousands of people. This is an industry that only needs to be left alone to succeed. And for years, succeed they have despite tremendous economic challenges. It is also this knife and tool industry that supplies these items to our armed forces and law enforcement officers. The CBP ruling will crush it and lead us further towards a full-on economic Depression. The military and police will have nowhere to turn for their knives then. Is this what you want?

• A knife is a viable and legal defensive tool, often carried by reasonable and good people. This CBP revocation is a capricious assault of these defensive and utility tools legally used by millions of Americans. Like a firearm, these tools should enjoy the same Constitutional protections (arms) and the bad guys will always have such items and they always have. It is only the law abiding citizen that will be felonized by this assault on knife possession. Again, is this what you want and is this good law?

• With this re-definition, most folding knives will be interpreted as illegal despite the smokescreen of disinformation your office seems to be dispensing over this issue. This re-definition of switchblades is far reaching and carries the aforementioned political and societal liabilities. It will do nothing to increase public safety. At the very least, this matter should be open to public commentary for 120 days. Please extend this feedback period and open up the option for emailed responses. More to the point, I feel this issue will be a political liability for your office and I urge you to ABANDON this ruling immediately. For the record then, I FULLY oppose your offices actions re-classifying these knives as switchblades. I will thank you for adhering to previous switchblade definitions and in doing so you will gain my political support of your office again.

Sincerely,
 
The Spyderco website forums have a running discussion, but it is a little out of the way. A notice on the main page would be good for the general public, or at least the general public that visits the site.
 
Makers are quite well aware of the ruling, and also work with compliance a lot more than we do. The uproar has to come from US, as business men in suits are considered tainted if they object to making profits selling dangerous switchblades to children who don't need them anyway - a view shared by many who are intimidated and want to get even.

I still don't see how Customs has any jurisdiction over knives Made in the USA, regardless of ATKI's view. Added to that is the reality of lawsuits in Federal court just as soon as the first attempt is made to regulate interstate commerce or apply what appears to be the worst case scenario. Heck, I'm still waiting for the bond raters to get sued over making bundled subprime mortages AAA rated. SOMEBODY is going to do it, just to make their career. Therefore the ruling will get attention if it's not vetted to make sure it doesn't cost the government more than it saves in crime.

Baning any knife because of intent is another rat's nest of legalities - but we all saw that coming when the Hate Laws were first proposed. If you thought those laws were OK then, well, how do you feel about it now? Does it really make any difference if you kill someone with a fixed blade, or the more deadly and offensive folding knife which can be opened with one hand? Didn't the fixed blade get deployed with one hand, too? Oh, wait, it's the deceptive and deliberate dirty deed of speedily opening it with one hand. Right, sorry. By the way, don't we already have laws about that, anyway?

No matter, if the Chief of Staff can spin a incident and use it for the agenda, he will.

Thinking about who you voted for last fall lately?
 
David raises the same point many of us are asking. I am a professional in a Fortune 50 company. You betcha' we get involved in the political fight if there is an issue present that may impact our profit, sales and ability to stay solvent. That said, we may not advertise our lobbying efforts on our website to customers. It would be in the intranet site to employees. Example, I did not see Glock or S&W go gangbusters publicly when Obama was elected. I am sure money and discussions were being done elsewhere ;).

No telling on this knife thing. For the life of me, I can not believe this will become a reality. I think there would be MAJOR flap as soon as supply/demand/business profit and consumer outrage hit the pooh fan publicly. Freakin' custom weenies have more important things to worry about don't ya think? I am sure I could rattle off a list of at least 1k things important to national defense and our security vs our old pocket knives.
 
You'd be surprised about how many people don't know about the ban. I went to my local knife store yesterday and talked to the owner about it and he didn't believe me. It seems like the companies would send out a letter to their clients
 
David Lowry said:
I think it would sorta kill sales if they put that all over their sites don't you think?
Click to expand...

Why would it kill sales? I never said "all over" just at least put something in the press releases section. It would be nice to have a pop up window with a little something about it.

There are people who carry knives that have no idea about bladeforums. I've had knives all of my life and I just found this great forum a little while ago.

The more people who know the better.
 
I need further explanation...Customs, which is not even customs anymore (Homeland Security), is a quasi-law enforcement agency that is essentially tasked with collecting taxes and tariffs at U.S. borders (which extends to air and sea ports). If they catch some contraband coming into the U.S. they get you on the fact that it was not only illegal (i.e. drugs), but that you tried to evade paying the tax on the value of the goods even if they were illegal to begin with.

They do not create legislation; that is the job of congress. Furthermore, I am pretty sure that they would have no authority to enforce or interpret any laws regarding products that were made and purchased within the U.S. Therefore, if you are purchasing a knife in the U.S. and lets say you never leave the U.S., how does Customs have authority?
 
This will re-define most folding knives as switchblades for a federal agency. Then it's a slippery slope. One fed agency thinks that this knife is a switchblade... we will too... kinda thing.
 
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