AKTI stands for the American Knife and Tool Institute. It was incorporated in 1997. In 1999 we were granted 501c6 corporation status. We are nonprofit but not tax deductible...
Originally, it was formed to pool together resources within the knife world to track and influence or combat reactive and non-thought out knife legislation. Les DeAsis from Benchmade played a very pivotal role in getting us all together and became our first president.
Upon getting the industry leaders together for a brainstorming session, we expanded the goal into the following:
To create an effective advocacy and education nonprofit organization to generate positive goodwill and further the entire knife community's interests. We hope to do this by:
1. Speaking with a unified voice to and for the knife making and knife using community
2. Contact with the General Public to create goodwill and expand the marketplace.
3. Forming effective groups to work with law enforcement and legislative fields.
4. Seeking ways to reach young people with the story of man's oldest tool.
We then developed committees:
The Executive Committee took on admin of the association and Goal 1.
Public Relations Committee took on Goal 2.
Legislative Committee took on Goal 3.
Education Committee took on Goal 4.
We also have a membership committee dedicated to pulling in everyone who makes a living within our industry to help support our efforts.
As to what we have done...
before the official formation of this group, Buck took on getting one hand operation folders exempted from switchblade law as well as getting folders exempted from dirk and dagger law in California. The support and donations we got from the industry is what prompted the formation of AKTI. Schrade had a similiar expensive struggle in New York keeping locking folders legal.
AKTI has defended the california position on one handed folders(me), raised funds to clarify a florida ban on automatic knives(ref the other thread), spoke at a boston hearing to minimize impact on legislation to outlaw all blades over 2.5" on law abiding citizens(Wally Gardiner from Schrade).
We track all 50 states and federal legislation and regulations for knife law. We have proposed guidelines on how to measure blade lengths and how to name knives (we are our own worst enemies sometimes). We are working on model legislation that will give law enforcement a model to use for future legislation. We maintain a website with links to all 50 states and send out a newsletter.
911, with the changes in air travel, proved that regulations can have more impact then legislation and the regulations have far less opportunity to be influenced.
Some legislation is local city ordinances and are much harder to track so we count on grass roots to pay attention to their own cities.
www.akti.org
All our time is volunteered. We pay our own way to board meetings and hearings etc.
AKTI is very worthwhile and membership says someone is committed to keeping knives in american lives...
I hope I have not rambled too much. If you have any specific questions let me know.
Dave, if you want to add to this feel free...
