- Joined
- Dec 20, 2009
- Messages
- 4,421
After Blade show I took a little break from this stuff. People are interested to know what's going on.
The Tembo Bowie was a huge success from the knife makers standpoint. All of the people working on this knife gave a hundred and ten percent and it showed. I entered the knife in the knife-makers competition and it won both Best Collaboration and Best of Show. I could not be more pleased. The makers were;
Russ Andrews, damascus, completed
Dave Lisch, blade, completed
Mike Quesenberry, handle
Steven Rapp, sheath
Jim Small, engraving
Jane Tukarski, scrimshaw
Terrill Hoffman & Eric Eggly, photography
When you see or talk to them, please thank them and congratulate them.
From a fund raising stand point, I was hoping for a little more but what are you gunna do. The winning bidder was our own "The Virginian" at $4,200.00. Thank you very much Virginian, and congratulations.
Once again, here is the Tembo Bowie
The auction for "Standing Our Ground" is still on-going but you've only got a couple of more days to bid on it, it closes on June 24. Right now it is at $3,000.00. If it sold for anywhere near that it would be a great bargain.
You can bid on "Standing Our Ground" at http://www.gunauction.com/KnifeRights
The ban on the sale and use of legal elephant ivory has not been slowed. As suspected the ban is being railroaded through despite all the statistics, expert analysis and overwhelming public opinion against it. The agenda to ban the use of legal ivory is going to go through. In fact it has gotten worse, at least one state, New York, just this week reached agreement in their' legislature to institute their' own ban.
There are a few of things you can do to help fight it.
Bid on "Standing Our Ground". These funds will be used by Knife Rights to fight the ban in the legislature.
Donate to Knife Rights and the Elephant Protection Association.
Write to your legislators even if you already did, let them know how this ban will affect you. Let them know if, how they vote on these issues will determine how you vote in the next election. This is important now more than ever.
This is my sample letter, change it where you need to;
Dear (representative, fill in name)
I urge you to please do what you can to stop the unjustified ivory ban that severely penalizes honest hardworking citizens while actually making the problem of poaching elephants worse, not better, for the following reasons;
• Studies by ETIS (the Elephant Trade Information System set up by CITES) indicate that virtually none of the ivory from elephants being poached in Africa today is coming to the United States and has not been for some time. Pages 16, 17 and 18 of “African Elephant Summit Background Document 2013”.
https://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/african_elephant_summit_background_document_2013_en.pdf
• Another study by ETIS indicated that laws passed in the U.S. have little effect on elephant populations. Page 5 “Martin Stiles Ivory Markets in the US”.
http://www.savetheelephants.org/fil... Martin & Stiles Ivory Markets in the USA.pdf
• These same studies indicate that out of 89 countries studied, the U.S. by far, is already the world leader in the fight against trafficking of illicit animal parts.
• Fact sheets by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service state that "we do not believe that there is a significant illegal ivory trade into this country."
• Millions of good people in the U.S. will be adversely affected by current directives being handed down by the administration. They include owners of musical instruments, knives, tools, antiques, guns and countless family heirlooms of all kinds.
• Good people in the U.S. have demonstrated that they have/and continue to abide by current laws and regulations regarding elephant ivory. To change laws and regulations that they have been operating under for almost thirty years and make their’ activities unlawful is unjust and not proper especially since it cannot be demonstrated that the new regulations being passed down by executive order will save a single elephant in Africa.
• The new regulations being handed down are in clear violation of the basic foundations of American law, that of “innocent until proven guilty” and the “taking” clause of the Fifth Amendment.
Elephants and good people in the U.S. would be much better served if the administration would concentrate its efforts on;
• Programs to stop poaching on the ground in Africa. There are many non-profit and national organizations working in this area that are desperate for support.
• Helping to educate people in Asia about the devastating effects of poaching in Africa. There are organizations doing this already that could expand their efforts with modest support.
• Educating U.S. citizens that travel abroad, about the trafficking of illicit ivory. Studies show that the overwhelming majority of the ivory that reaches U.S. borders is by otherwise honest people unknowingly buying jewelry and trinkets of ivory and wanting to bring it home.
• Exerting pressure on governments that allow the slaughter of elephants and the trafficking and trade of illicit ivory.
• Providing aid in the way of financial support, expertize and technology to countries to fight poaching, trafficking and trade in illicit ivory.
If Americans care enough about elephants, we can preserve them as well as the rights, privileges and personal belongings of good, honest people. If we don't care enough and all we do is take away the things that Americans hold dear, the concept of "innocent until proven guilty" and the fifth amendment, then we cannot say we have done all we could do. It's going to take Americans working together to solve a problem as big as the one in Africa. We cannot work together if rights, privileges and personal property are taken away from so many of us. The problems in African will continue and we have given up so much for no good reason.
I am a knife maker and collector. I have materials like antique ivory piano keys that are commonly used in my craft and many others like pool cues, turkey calls and musical instruments that we use to add value to the things we make. If a ban like this was instituted it would greatly diminish my ability to make a living in an already challenging business to be in. I remind you that this materials were legally imported into the U.S. long before poaching in Africa became an issue.
I am a voter and I will be watching to see how your votes effect my ability to make a living.
Thank you very much for taking the time to read what I have to say.
Respectfully (your name)
We have done all we can, We will need a lot more help. We deserve the laws imposed on us if we do nothing.
The Tembo Bowie was a huge success from the knife makers standpoint. All of the people working on this knife gave a hundred and ten percent and it showed. I entered the knife in the knife-makers competition and it won both Best Collaboration and Best of Show. I could not be more pleased. The makers were;
Russ Andrews, damascus, completed
Dave Lisch, blade, completed
Mike Quesenberry, handle
Steven Rapp, sheath
Jim Small, engraving
Jane Tukarski, scrimshaw
Terrill Hoffman & Eric Eggly, photography
When you see or talk to them, please thank them and congratulate them.
From a fund raising stand point, I was hoping for a little more but what are you gunna do. The winning bidder was our own "The Virginian" at $4,200.00. Thank you very much Virginian, and congratulations.
Once again, here is the Tembo Bowie
The auction for "Standing Our Ground" is still on-going but you've only got a couple of more days to bid on it, it closes on June 24. Right now it is at $3,000.00. If it sold for anywhere near that it would be a great bargain.
You can bid on "Standing Our Ground" at http://www.gunauction.com/KnifeRights
The ban on the sale and use of legal elephant ivory has not been slowed. As suspected the ban is being railroaded through despite all the statistics, expert analysis and overwhelming public opinion against it. The agenda to ban the use of legal ivory is going to go through. In fact it has gotten worse, at least one state, New York, just this week reached agreement in their' legislature to institute their' own ban.
There are a few of things you can do to help fight it.
Bid on "Standing Our Ground". These funds will be used by Knife Rights to fight the ban in the legislature.
Donate to Knife Rights and the Elephant Protection Association.
Write to your legislators even if you already did, let them know how this ban will affect you. Let them know if, how they vote on these issues will determine how you vote in the next election. This is important now more than ever.
This is my sample letter, change it where you need to;
Dear (representative, fill in name)
I urge you to please do what you can to stop the unjustified ivory ban that severely penalizes honest hardworking citizens while actually making the problem of poaching elephants worse, not better, for the following reasons;
• Studies by ETIS (the Elephant Trade Information System set up by CITES) indicate that virtually none of the ivory from elephants being poached in Africa today is coming to the United States and has not been for some time. Pages 16, 17 and 18 of “African Elephant Summit Background Document 2013”.
https://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/african_elephant_summit_background_document_2013_en.pdf
• Another study by ETIS indicated that laws passed in the U.S. have little effect on elephant populations. Page 5 “Martin Stiles Ivory Markets in the US”.
http://www.savetheelephants.org/fil... Martin & Stiles Ivory Markets in the USA.pdf
• These same studies indicate that out of 89 countries studied, the U.S. by far, is already the world leader in the fight against trafficking of illicit animal parts.
• Fact sheets by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service state that "we do not believe that there is a significant illegal ivory trade into this country."
• Millions of good people in the U.S. will be adversely affected by current directives being handed down by the administration. They include owners of musical instruments, knives, tools, antiques, guns and countless family heirlooms of all kinds.
• Good people in the U.S. have demonstrated that they have/and continue to abide by current laws and regulations regarding elephant ivory. To change laws and regulations that they have been operating under for almost thirty years and make their’ activities unlawful is unjust and not proper especially since it cannot be demonstrated that the new regulations being passed down by executive order will save a single elephant in Africa.
• The new regulations being handed down are in clear violation of the basic foundations of American law, that of “innocent until proven guilty” and the “taking” clause of the Fifth Amendment.
Elephants and good people in the U.S. would be much better served if the administration would concentrate its efforts on;
• Programs to stop poaching on the ground in Africa. There are many non-profit and national organizations working in this area that are desperate for support.
• Helping to educate people in Asia about the devastating effects of poaching in Africa. There are organizations doing this already that could expand their efforts with modest support.
• Educating U.S. citizens that travel abroad, about the trafficking of illicit ivory. Studies show that the overwhelming majority of the ivory that reaches U.S. borders is by otherwise honest people unknowingly buying jewelry and trinkets of ivory and wanting to bring it home.
• Exerting pressure on governments that allow the slaughter of elephants and the trafficking and trade of illicit ivory.
• Providing aid in the way of financial support, expertize and technology to countries to fight poaching, trafficking and trade in illicit ivory.
If Americans care enough about elephants, we can preserve them as well as the rights, privileges and personal belongings of good, honest people. If we don't care enough and all we do is take away the things that Americans hold dear, the concept of "innocent until proven guilty" and the fifth amendment, then we cannot say we have done all we could do. It's going to take Americans working together to solve a problem as big as the one in Africa. We cannot work together if rights, privileges and personal property are taken away from so many of us. The problems in African will continue and we have given up so much for no good reason.
I am a knife maker and collector. I have materials like antique ivory piano keys that are commonly used in my craft and many others like pool cues, turkey calls and musical instruments that we use to add value to the things we make. If a ban like this was instituted it would greatly diminish my ability to make a living in an already challenging business to be in. I remind you that this materials were legally imported into the U.S. long before poaching in Africa became an issue.
I am a voter and I will be watching to see how your votes effect my ability to make a living.
Thank you very much for taking the time to read what I have to say.
Respectfully (your name)
We have done all we can, We will need a lot more help. We deserve the laws imposed on us if we do nothing.
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