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American Knife & Tool Institute
The U. S. Senate's Solution to Customs' proposal to ban assisted-opening,
one-hand-opening and other folding knives has passed in both the House
and the Senate.
Next step - the President's desk!
You can keep and use your folding knives permitted in your state! With today’s vote in the U.S. Senate
(and the President’s expected signature of H.R. 2892), the American Knife & Tool Institute has
accomplished the seemingly impossible. Thanks to the help of many AKTI members, supporters,
lawmakers and supporting organizations, we have turned the proposed U. S. Custom's proposed re-
definition of switchblades into an effective and sweeping clarification of the Federal Switchblade Act of
1958.
As of today (October 20, 2009), the Homeland Security Appropriations Bill, with Senate Amendment
1447 language still intact, has passed both the Senate and the House. This bi-partisan amendment
was co-sponsored by 20 U.S. Senators, led by John Cornyn of Texas, Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Ron
Wyden of Oregon and Orrin Hatch of Utah.
The Senate amendment essentially adopted the switchblade exception language which AKTI
sponsored in Texas and that was signed by Texas Governor Perry on June 18, 2009. U.S. Customs,
thanks to an outpouring of grassroots support and the intervention of more than 20 U.S. Senators
concerned about the potential financial devastation to the entire sporting knife industry, became active
supporters of the amendment.
AKTI thanks the following co-sponsors for the bi-partisan statesmanship that clearly saved all folding
knives which we estimate are 80 percent of current sales in the nearly $1 billion sporting knife industry.
John Cornyn (R-TX) Mark Pryor (D-AR)
Orrin Hatch (R-UT) Ron Wyden (D-OR)
John Barrasso (R-WY) Robert Bennett (R-UT)
Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) Susan Collins (R-ME)
Bob Corker (R-TN) Mike Crapo (R-ID)
Michael Enzi (R-WY) Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
James Inhofe (R-OK) Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
Ben Nelson (D-NE) Jim Risch (R-ID)
Pat Roberts (R-KS) Jon Tester (D-MT)
John Thune (R-SD) David Vitter (R-LA)
Prior to the Senate adopting the amendment, U.S. Customs also participated in negotiations on
language, which they then supported. AKTI thanks both the Department of Homeland Security and U.S.
Customs for their ultimate support.
House support has been strong and broad-based during this effort, going back to more than 80
members of the bi-partisan Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus sending a letter for the industry
position to Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano.
Representative Robert Latta (R-OH) and Walt Minnick (D-ID) were staunch, active supporters of the
sporting knife industry throughout the entire process in the Senate and the House.
Finally, as H.R. 2892 came back to the House for work in conference, AKTI wants to recognize the
support given by various House committee chairs and their staffers.
David Obey (D-WI) - Chair House Appropriations
David Price (D-NC) - Chair House Appropriations (Homeland Security Subcommittee)
Henry Waxman (D-CA) - Chair House Energy and Commerce Committee
Bobby Rush (D-IL) - Chair House Energy and Commerce Committee (Commerce, Trade and
Consumer Protection Subcommittee)
Charles Rangel (D-NY) - Chair House Ways & Means Committee
Sander Levin (D-MI) - Chair House Ways & Means Committee (Trade Subcommittee)
As provided in Amendment 1447, U.S. Customs agreed to add a fifth clause to section 1244 of the
Federal Switchblade Act that exempts "a knife that contains a spring, detent, or other mechanism
designed to create a bias toward closure of the blade and that requires exertion applied to the blade by
hand, wrist or arm to overcome the bias toward closure to assist in opening the knife."
AKTI expects that the President will sign this bill.
Thank you to all those lawmakers, AKTI members, AKTI Grassroots Supporters, the NRA, the
Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation, and Knife Rights for their support of a campaign that began
with an AKTI call to action at the Blade Show on May 29.
Goldie Russell
AKTI President
President, A.G. Russell Knives
Jan Billeb
AKTI Executive Director
one-hand-opening and other folding knives has passed in both the House
and the Senate.
Next step - the President's desk!
You can keep and use your folding knives permitted in your state! With today’s vote in the U.S. Senate
(and the President’s expected signature of H.R. 2892), the American Knife & Tool Institute has
accomplished the seemingly impossible. Thanks to the help of many AKTI members, supporters,
lawmakers and supporting organizations, we have turned the proposed U. S. Custom's proposed re-
definition of switchblades into an effective and sweeping clarification of the Federal Switchblade Act of
1958.
As of today (October 20, 2009), the Homeland Security Appropriations Bill, with Senate Amendment
1447 language still intact, has passed both the Senate and the House. This bi-partisan amendment
was co-sponsored by 20 U.S. Senators, led by John Cornyn of Texas, Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Ron
Wyden of Oregon and Orrin Hatch of Utah.
The Senate amendment essentially adopted the switchblade exception language which AKTI
sponsored in Texas and that was signed by Texas Governor Perry on June 18, 2009. U.S. Customs,
thanks to an outpouring of grassroots support and the intervention of more than 20 U.S. Senators
concerned about the potential financial devastation to the entire sporting knife industry, became active
supporters of the amendment.
AKTI thanks the following co-sponsors for the bi-partisan statesmanship that clearly saved all folding
knives which we estimate are 80 percent of current sales in the nearly $1 billion sporting knife industry.
John Cornyn (R-TX) Mark Pryor (D-AR)
Orrin Hatch (R-UT) Ron Wyden (D-OR)
John Barrasso (R-WY) Robert Bennett (R-UT)
Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) Susan Collins (R-ME)
Bob Corker (R-TN) Mike Crapo (R-ID)
Michael Enzi (R-WY) Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
James Inhofe (R-OK) Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
Ben Nelson (D-NE) Jim Risch (R-ID)
Pat Roberts (R-KS) Jon Tester (D-MT)
John Thune (R-SD) David Vitter (R-LA)
Prior to the Senate adopting the amendment, U.S. Customs also participated in negotiations on
language, which they then supported. AKTI thanks both the Department of Homeland Security and U.S.
Customs for their ultimate support.
House support has been strong and broad-based during this effort, going back to more than 80
members of the bi-partisan Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus sending a letter for the industry
position to Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano.
Representative Robert Latta (R-OH) and Walt Minnick (D-ID) were staunch, active supporters of the
sporting knife industry throughout the entire process in the Senate and the House.
Finally, as H.R. 2892 came back to the House for work in conference, AKTI wants to recognize the
support given by various House committee chairs and their staffers.
David Obey (D-WI) - Chair House Appropriations
David Price (D-NC) - Chair House Appropriations (Homeland Security Subcommittee)
Henry Waxman (D-CA) - Chair House Energy and Commerce Committee
Bobby Rush (D-IL) - Chair House Energy and Commerce Committee (Commerce, Trade and
Consumer Protection Subcommittee)
Charles Rangel (D-NY) - Chair House Ways & Means Committee
Sander Levin (D-MI) - Chair House Ways & Means Committee (Trade Subcommittee)
As provided in Amendment 1447, U.S. Customs agreed to add a fifth clause to section 1244 of the
Federal Switchblade Act that exempts "a knife that contains a spring, detent, or other mechanism
designed to create a bias toward closure of the blade and that requires exertion applied to the blade by
hand, wrist or arm to overcome the bias toward closure to assist in opening the knife."
AKTI expects that the President will sign this bill.
Thank you to all those lawmakers, AKTI members, AKTI Grassroots Supporters, the NRA, the
Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation, and Knife Rights for their support of a campaign that began
with an AKTI call to action at the Blade Show on May 29.
Goldie Russell
AKTI President
President, A.G. Russell Knives
Jan Billeb
AKTI Executive Director