Importing knives!
I'd be very carefull before ordering from abroad!
I've just had a knife/sheath and Gut Hook seized by customs which I am currently trying to get back under the 'Restoration' laws. The problem was the knife which is a Gerber Gator II which is readily on sale here in the UK. They reckon it is a 'Gravity' knife which means the blade can be opened by either gravity or centrifugal force to open the blade, and then it locks open. A bit like a poor mans flick knife I suppose? The blade is only 3.62" long, but it is illegal to carry such a knife without good reason in this country. Most of the Gerber range ie E-Z out etc can be opened ambidextrously with just one hand which means none of them should therefore be imported under this law!!
Now then, I do have good reason to carry such a knife as I am on permanent callout by the Police for humane dispatch and they are happy with this fact. Indeed, best practise guidlines suggest that I use one with a fixed blade of at least 5"! Alternatively I could even use a pistol, although I could only justify carrying that whilst on an actual callout. The knife enables me to get to small animals and deal with them quickly without the need to go home for a firearm. So I have good reason to carry the knife, and just about every sport shop in UK is able to sell them. So what is the F@#$*&%G problem? Maybe if I changed my religion and carried a large dagger for my own protection it would be deemed as OK?!
I am currently waiting on an impartial review by someone that no doubt works in the same office and will quote the same bollox law at me!
"Double standards" springs to mind!
I've asked them to return the sheath and gut hook if not the knife so that I can then go and buy the same knife locally!
Anyway............
Be careful when ordering from abroad!
MS