Feds ban Assisted openers and Flick knives

[Josh K]

Prove my point much? I guess you can say it way better than I can.

Attack the topics not the people. Are my thoughts not based in reality? What are your arguments? Bring something to the table when you want to question my character. :thumbdn:

Please keep the political comments out of this thread. I really dont want another infraction ;_;

You'll only get infracted for continuing that line.

 

[Samael]

Gentlemen:

I think this thread has had more than enough infractions already. Since there's really nothing in the way of "breaking news" going on right now, why don't you both just settle down, take a deep breath, and relax.

 

[glistam]

And why not start writing letters and making inquiries? The official document says how.

Address comments to:

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of International Trade, Regulations
and Rulings

Attention: Intellectual Property and Restricted Merchandise Branch, Mint Annex
799 9th Street, N.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20229

Two phone contacts:

Joseph Clark, (202) 325–0089
Andrew M. Langreich, (202) 325–0089

 

[unloved]

And why not start writing letters and making inquiries? The official document says how.

Address comments to:

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of International Trade, Regulations
and Rulings

Attention: Intellectual Property and Restricted Merchandise Branch, Mint Annex
799 9th Street, N.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20229

Two phone contacts:

Joseph Clark, (202) 325–0089
Andrew M. Langreich, (202) 325–0089

A couple of people on another forum that I frequent made an excellent suggestion yesterday. Anyone that knows non-knife knut people who nevertheless have a use for knives that can be quickly opened with one hand (hikers, campers, rock climbers, skydivers, sailors, fishermen, etc. , I'm sure we can think of lots more) should make those people aware of what's going on. Don't say anything about 'liberals'. It would probably be best not to mention self defense when communicating with people who aren't into knives and guns. Send emails and register on forums and get the word out there. Include the contact info that glistam has posted. If AKTI and kniferights .org are not successful in their efforts to extend the comment period we only have until June 21!!! We've got to get as many people as possible on board. We've got to flood CBP with letters opposing this proposal!

 

[TOM1960]

With Sonia Sotomayor on the fast track to the Supreme Court courtesy of Obama, I see anti-gun and anti-knife laws becoming more prevalent. Everyone is fond of quoting the Heller decision, but its scope is very limited. Even the Heller case affirms the right of federal, state and local government to place "reasonable restrictions" on the private ownership/carrying of arms. We are going to have an increasingly uphill struggle, no two ways about it.

 

[J.D.]

With who we now have in the White House, we ain't seen nothing yet, just the beginning. Remember all the change he promised.

 

[Geoman888]

Get used to it.

In Oz, AO's are illegal
carrying SAK- illegal
Leatherman- gray area, depends on cop
$4000 fine for carrying any knife without a valid reason
$2000-3000 for a lawyer to prove valid reason

When i go to high crime areas, i carry either USMC next Gen, or RTAK2.
what the hell, same punishment for spyderco dragonfly.

Oh yeah,


IN THIS COUNTRY SELF DEFENCE IS NOT A VALID REASON

PS. I cannot own pump action shotgun. Illegal.
I can own lever action shotty, or pump action rifle.(308 remington)

anyone feel safe about that?

AO's are available in b&m shops in Melbourne. It is totally legal to carry a sak. And knives are totally crap for sd anyway. Get used to the shit gun laws. They've been here since Howard started. I feel very safe in Australia. It is one of the safest places to be. Also I think a pump action 308 is plenty unless whoever wants to cause you harm is wearing kevlar(with trauma plates duct taped on). If you have common sense on where and when you use your knife cops wouldn't even bother.

Just say you got that knife for food prep or utility. They usually belive you.

 

[TOM1960]

Hot off the press from Customs and Homeland Security. It is in the Knife law section linked here:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=649251

:thumbdn:

The letters have already been sent to the knife importers stating that they will now consider AOs and flickable knives to be switchblades. Please READ the link to the actual letters sent before you say this is not correct. This is very scary stuff as a NYer I have seen what this type of interpertation of the law has done in NYC.

Perhaps the only way around such a ruling would be to import the knife without the offending parts and sell the parts as a separate item here in the States. Thumb studs, discs and small springs needed to assist in the fast opening of a folder can be easily installed at a later date, if desired by the purchaser. I am old enough to remember the flick-it device that attached to Buck 110/112 and Gerber FS II folders (the closest things that we had to tactical folders back in the mid-late 1970s). One company even manufactured a polymer holster for the Buck 110 that carried the knife partially open. When you drew the knife, the device completed the opening process. Massachusetts wasted no time in outlawing the possession of such devices (5 year felony!) even though they are long since obsolete due to improved knife designs.

 

[flashlife]

Perhaps the only way around such a ruling would be to import the knife without the offending parts and sell the parts as a separate item here in the States. Thumb studs, discs and small springs needed to assist in the fast opening of a folder can be easily installed at a later date, if desired by the purchaser. I am old enough to remember the flick-it device that attached to Buck 110/112 and Gerber FS II folders (the closest things that we had to tactical folders back in the mid-late 1970s). One company even manufactured a polymer holster for the Buck 110 that carried the knife partially open. When you drew the knife, the device completed the opening process. Massachusetts wasted no time in outlawing the possession of such devices (5 year felony!) even though they are long since obsolete due to improved knife designs.

If you read the rulings/decisions/statutes, you'll see that any knife that can be 'easily' converted to auto (or AO) is covered, plus any kit of parts (sold separately or together) are covered.

I recall that Edge Company used to mail autos without blades, but the shipped the blades separately the next day...for your easy installation. This ruling would nix that I think.

 

[nc527]

This ruleing if passed would severely crush the united states knife industry. We all know who is to blame for this here. BARRACK HUSSEIN OBAMA, have fun dealing with the thousands of jobs that would be lost by this, not to mention this will decrease the peoples aprrovel rating of you, and (please god!) I hope it goes so low you a forced to resign with your liberal ways. I know you think everything fun should be illegal, but give it a rest already. As some others mentioned, Do ao knives present a grave threat to american society? Do you have evidence of such? If not, then this seems like wasted time to be. You should be worried about the countrys economy, and not what pocket knives we carry. All you will do is keep law abiding citizens from thease knives. The people thease should be kept away from will still get and use them. Also, this ruling could be observed as supporting a specific knife company or 2. I know you dont want that right mr. president?

 

[CarpScot]

nc527,
As has been mentioned before, it would be best to keep politics out of this thread.

 

[Esav Benyamin]

I know you dont want that right mr. president?

I hope you don't expect an immediate answer as President Obama only checks in on Bladeforums once every few days. And then, he usually only reads Current Events and the Political Arena.

So lets keep the politics out of Knife Laws.

 

[markksr]

I hope you don't expect an immediate answer as President Obama only checks in on Bladeforums once every few days. And then, he usually only reads Current Events and the Political Arena.

So lets keep the politics out of Knife Laws.

Tuvold Snurlson's true identity is revealed at last...

 

[melt]

Laws on the books stay on the books.

Yeah, you're right. But there are a lot of laws still on the books that law enforcement officers generally ignore. I can't speak for officers nationwide, but in the jurisdiction I work, I doubt that a law against pocket knives would be inforced by myself and the officers I work with unless the subject with the pocket knife was just being a total a-hole or commiting another more serious crime while toting a one hand opening folder. My agencies policy manual says that I have the individual discretion as to whether or not I charge some one for a misdemeanor (especially in crimes in which there is no victimized person), and I doubt a pocket knife law would be a felony here as concealed carry of firearm laws are misdemeanors for the first offense. So if I, while on duty, come into contact with some person with a kershaw leek cliped in their pocket who isn't doing anything otherwise illegal, I'm not going to do anything. I've got bigger things to worry about. And alot of officers that I know are knife nuts and would probably act in the same manner as myself. As one of my professors in a criminal justice class once said "A law that officers won't enforce may as well not even be a law."

 

[smegs]

This is most disturbing. Customs has come to the conclusion that the spirit of the switchblade law is how fast the knife can go from pocket to open and locked. Holey Moley, even the pocket clip can come under scrutiny with that interpretation. Any DA worth his salt will pull up this document in a knife case. "Your Honor, the knife in question is considered a switchblade according to Customs and is illegal to import." This could have a huge impact on makers and buyers alike.

 

[Samael]

Ah, yes, the famous "illegal weapon" argument. I can easily see a prosecutor going there, and can only imagine what the news media would do with that one. (We've certainly seen that before with "assault weapons" and "automatic weapons.") Yeesh.

 

[NDIT]

Socialism!!!!

Well I fight for my county now for the last 14 years and I feel like I'm powerless when a law like this is even considered. To bad I work 16 hours a day, but I tell ya what; once I get time I feel I need to get more informed and step up to the plate and fight for the rights that I as an American am losing in my own country. I been to many countries and I must say America is not as free as it once was, and is far from the freeest in common laws.

 

[melt]

Geeze..........
Someone who really wants to can go to the grocery store, buy two coconuts, double bag them in plastic grocery bags, and beat folks to death.
Or walk into a hardware store, pick up a closet rod, and knock heads in.
I'd rather fight someone who is armed with a pocket knife than some one who is armed as described above.

Here's an idea: how about if knife companies continue selling the same knives, but they are sold to consumers unsharpened and as dull as hammers, then the consumer can break out their Spyderco Sharpmaker and (with some admitted time and effort) put a hair-splitting edge on them themselves. A knife ain't a knife until it has an edge on it. If all else fails, knife companies should do this.

 

[antonio_luiz]

AO's are available in b&m shops in Melbourne. It is totally legal to carry a sak. And knives are totally crap for sd anyway. Get used to the shit gun laws. They've been here since Howard started. I feel very safe in Australia. It is one of the safest places to be. Also I think a pump action 308 is plenty unless whoever wants to cause you harm is wearing kevlar(with trauma plates duct taped on). If you have common sense on where and when you use your knife cops wouldn't even bother.

Just say you got that knife for food prep or utility. They usually belive you.

Just which knives are legal to own in Oz will vary from State to State. Knife carry is a different issue and I believe the school ban is universal but most Oz States permit knife carry in public provided you can give a "valid reason". SAK's and MT's rarely create problems but a lot will depend on where you are (city/country) and what activities you are engaged in at the time.

 

[antonio_luiz]

You guys Stateside need to lobby like crazy so you don't end up with stupid and draconian laws like we have in
Oz. I'm sure the "Right to keep and bear arms" includes knives - but

When i go to high crime areas, i carry either USMC next Gen, or RTAK2.

'high crime areas' in Oz??? - I'm confused on this one.

1) Why are you going into what you consider a 'high crime area' in the first place if you feel that fearful of assault that you carry a combat knife for SD - fully knowing this is illegal? Seems to me you're the one that's looking for a fight.

2) What do you consider 'high crime areas'? Redfern? KingsX? St Kilda? Punchbowl/Cabramatta? Hindley Street? The Valley? I've lived/worked/shopped/dined in these and a lot seedier places so not sure where you're talking about.

3) Use that knife in a fight and I don't fancy your chances before a judge. GBH and AWADW as a minimum - at least manslaughter if you kill someone and you're going to need the services of a six figure QC to avoid worse.