MEMBER ITEMS FOR SALE
Custom Knives | Other Knives | General Items
-------------------------------------------
New Posts | New PhotosAll Photos



Go Back   The Knife Network Forums : Knife Making Discussions > Custom Knife Discussion Boards > The Business of Knife Making

The Business of Knife Making A forum dedicated to all aspects of running, managing and legal operational issues relating to the custom knife making and custom knife selling industry.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 01-28-2010, 12:18 PM
AUBE's Avatar
AUBE AUBE is offline
Master
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Cebu, Philippines (or Michigan, USA)
Posts: 909
US Customs help request

(I posted this topic in the general discussions area but thought I would also post it here to see if Les, or any others, may be able to offer any input)

Hi guys,

Been a long time since I've logged in so I'm sure I have missed out on a lot.

I recently moved overseas and I've been busy with that....which brings me to my question.


I moved from the US to the Philippines and set up a small workshop here making knives like I did back home. Now over the years I have probably shipped a few hundred knives from the US to other countries with no problems but when I go to ship knives from the Philippines back to the US I have been warned my knives have to be marked with the country of origin...in this case the Philippines, or customs can seize them.

Now I really do not want to do that because I think it would ugly up many of my designs having that long a word etched on them.....heck I don;t even like marking my own logo on the blades because I feel it detracts from the flow of the knife. (I readily admit to my customer where I am living/knives are being made)

But looking around at the knife community I see many, many knives that were made in other countries and are now in the US with no country of origin marking. Is everyone just ignoring this regulation (or unaware of it?) or is there some clause related to our industry allowing us to get around marking the blades? (even though in the US Customs documentation it specifically lists knives as needing to be marked with the country of origin.

Do any of you have experience with this? I'm going to try contacting a few knife dealers and foreign makers to see what they say but any input would be greatly appreciated.....I have 60 knives waiting to go out, more in the works, and a dwindling bank account....so I want to ship asap.

Thank you in advance,
-Jason

PS The Csutoms documentation regarding this can be viewed at http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/...t/markingo.pdf
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 01-28-2010, 12:27 PM
Les Robertson's Avatar
Les Robertson Les Robertson is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Georgia
Posts: 4
Hi Jason,

I don't think custom knives have to be marked. You will list to have the country of origin in the customs paperwork.

I have received knives from Australia, England, Germany, Japan, South Africa and none of them were marked with the country of origin.

Might want to check with someone locally who would be in the "know"


__________________
Les Robertson
Custom Knife Entrepreneur
Field Editor for Blade Magazine
www.robertsoncustomcutlery.com
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 01-28-2010, 12:48 PM
AUBE's Avatar
AUBE AUBE is offline
Master
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Cebu, Philippines (or Michigan, USA)
Posts: 909
Thank you for the quick reply Les.

Today I will be emailing a Filipino knifemaker that exports worldwide. Hopefully he has some insight to offer. He's on the other side of the country but thus far I haven't found any locals that sell outside of the area (its all low end, but functional, knives made from leaf springs here)

It is nice to get some input from you. I was hoping to hear from someone that has experience with foreign knives....and hoping not to hear "they have seized my orders a few times..."

Out of curiosity, do your incoming knives typically come 1 per shipment or do you sometimes get multiples? I am primarily geared towards inexpensive EDC style knives and with shipping costing $40-120 for a few pounds I want to ship at least 15 at a time to make it economical. Makes me worry that customs will take a deeper interest in multiple knives than single ones.

Thanks again,
-Jason
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 01-28-2010, 12:52 PM
Les Robertson's Avatar
Les Robertson Les Robertson is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Georgia
Posts: 4
Hi Jason,

I haven't had 15 shipped at a time to me from outside the US. 5 or at the most at one time.

I know that recipients around the world that I have ordered more than 5 knives, have asked them to be broken up into two shipments.


__________________
Les Robertson
Custom Knife Entrepreneur
Field Editor for Blade Magazine
www.robertsoncustomcutlery.com
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 01-28-2010, 01:14 PM
AUBE's Avatar
AUBE AUBE is offline
Master
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Cebu, Philippines (or Michigan, USA)
Posts: 909
Ok, thanks Les.

Thinking maybe I should get back to doing some pricier models and do lower quantity shipments with 1-2 pricier models and have the balance my less expensive stuff. Some of my simple Kiridashi go for under $40 so I blanch at the thought of shipping just a few of them at a time with the cost of shipping.

Thanks again. I feel a bit more comfortable hearing from a few people with direct experience in the matter.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 01-28-2010, 01:22 PM
Les Robertson's Avatar
Les Robertson Les Robertson is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Georgia
Posts: 4
Hi Jason,

Sounds like a good plan.


__________________
Les Robertson
Custom Knife Entrepreneur
Field Editor for Blade Magazine
www.robertsoncustomcutlery.com
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 01-30-2010, 12:48 PM
Cameron House Cameron House is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Salem Oregon
Posts: 27
I know nothing about your issue but I do see a lot of knives and other imports with nothing more than a small sticker or label on them. This may be a simple way to mark the knives without making a permanent mark. Maybe a marking that will wipe off with a little WD-40?
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 02-06-2010, 10:31 PM
AUBE's Avatar
AUBE AUBE is offline
Master
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Cebu, Philippines (or Michigan, USA)
Posts: 909
Hi Cameron,


Sorry for the slow reply...got busy.

Unfortunately they specify that the mark has to be permanent...and that it is a federal crime to alter or remove the mark.


As an update to the situation for anyone who may find themselves in the same predicament...
The first batch of 11 knives went through fine. I labelled the package as "custom utility knives". I included the word utility in there so they would hopefully not associate "knife" with "deadly weapon" Customs even opened the package but allowed everything through. Hopefully the rules are more geared for larger commercial manufacturers and let us little guys slide. I guess I will find out. The next package of 10-15 goes out tomorrow, with another one the week after.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
knife, knives


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
US customs ban sdcb27 Knife Making Discussions 5 07-08-2009 09:23 PM
Some customs twoshots The Display Case 3 02-07-2009 11:22 AM
Pic of my first customs Icon of Sin Balisong Discussions 2 03-29-2004 10:11 PM
3 sweet customs! NinePointBuck The Display Case 2 04-06-2002 01:06 AM
US Customs headache Gary Mulkey The Supply Center 6 07-08-2001 02:57 PM


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:38 PM.




KNIFENETWORK.COM
Copyright © 2000
? CKK Industries, Inc. ? All Rights Reserved
Powered by ...

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
The Knife Network : All Rights Reserved