For our American members
Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 1:08 pm
This is a post that was recently posted to a knife forum that I'm a member of, this info is specifically directed towards American citizens, if you care about the Gov't intervention with you're rights to carry certain types of knives then this info is for you...
"This really applies only to those of us in the USA (or anyone who does business here, visits here, etc...).
That being said, the US Customs and Border protection is being pretty sneaky and is trying to re-define the federal definition of switchblades so that the definition is so ridiculously broad that pretty much anything can potentially be classed as a bannable (or at least bannable from import) switchblade. Besides the obvious implication that we'd be prevented from getting inexpensive pocketknives, or US companies wouldn't be able to have overseas production for their less expensive lines, the big issue is that a lot of states do not have a state specific switchblade definition, and use the federal model as a model for their state. An unconstitutionally broad definition of the verboten "switchblade" will effectively make a lot of currently existing (and legal) pocketknives illegal, and their owners and users de-facto criminals.
Couple the above with the fact that they are allowing only a 30 day comment period, are not widely advertising this action, and are not allowing comment by anything other than postal mail; it seems like the US customs and border protection agency is trying to pull a fast one and significantly erode your knife rights by sneaking a new definition of "switchblade" by in the dark, while everyone's preoccupied with the economy.
So... Here's a great webpage that explains it in more detail than I have, and has a sample letter should you be as pissed off as I am "
http://www.kniferights.org/index.php?op ... 1&Itemid=1
"This really applies only to those of us in the USA (or anyone who does business here, visits here, etc...).
That being said, the US Customs and Border protection is being pretty sneaky and is trying to re-define the federal definition of switchblades so that the definition is so ridiculously broad that pretty much anything can potentially be classed as a bannable (or at least bannable from import) switchblade. Besides the obvious implication that we'd be prevented from getting inexpensive pocketknives, or US companies wouldn't be able to have overseas production for their less expensive lines, the big issue is that a lot of states do not have a state specific switchblade definition, and use the federal model as a model for their state. An unconstitutionally broad definition of the verboten "switchblade" will effectively make a lot of currently existing (and legal) pocketknives illegal, and their owners and users de-facto criminals.
Couple the above with the fact that they are allowing only a 30 day comment period, are not widely advertising this action, and are not allowing comment by anything other than postal mail; it seems like the US customs and border protection agency is trying to pull a fast one and significantly erode your knife rights by sneaking a new definition of "switchblade" by in the dark, while everyone's preoccupied with the economy.
So... Here's a great webpage that explains it in more detail than I have, and has a sample letter should you be as pissed off as I am "
http://www.kniferights.org/index.php?op ... 1&Itemid=1