CJ Buck, AKTI President, Met with State Legislators to Discuss Knife Laws
The American Knife & Tool Institute (AKTI) participated in the recent National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucasus (NASC) Sportsman-Legislator Summit held in Bretton Wood, New Hampshire. Over 50 bipartisan legislators from more than 25 states attended the annual event to exchange ideas with leaders from the outdoor industry about issues important to sportsmen.
AKTI President and co-founder, CJ Buck, CEO of Buck Knives, attended the event to speak about the importance of the organization’s involvement in promoting reasonable and responsible knife legislation to the entire assembly at the closing banquet.
“We have a successful record working together with legislators to find bipartisan solutions to the problems such as ambiguous terms, confusing language and restrictions which can keep knife owners from using their tools for everyday activities, including hunting and fishing,” said CJ Buck. “Partnering with legislators who understand the value of using the tool best suited for the task is crucial to the teamwork required to make effective changes to knife laws that benefit sportsmen, as well as workers and other Americans.”
Approximately two hundred knives and valuable AKTI information about knife laws were given to the attendees including legislators, their spouses, CSF staff and representatives from the outdoor industry. “We appreciate our member supporters who generously donated knives etched with the AKTI logo. A special thank you to American Outdoor Brands, Benchmade, Boker USA, Buck, Camillus, CRKT, Leatherman, Master Cutlery, Outdoor Edge, Spyderco, SOG Knives & Tools, and Swiss Army for unique knives they provided,” said Jan Billeb, AKTI Executive Director.
CJ Buck met individually with several legislators from different states to discuss not only the value of knives for individuals in daily activities, but also the importance of the knife and tool industry to jobs and the economy, and to review plans for legislative initiatives for 2019 and beyond. “We work for long-term, effective and rational changes, not short-term fixes,” said Buck, “and it takes time and teamwork to gain the bipartisan consensus and support that we value and that provides the best solution for the knife user.”
“Knives are an important tool when it comes to pursuing outdoor activities and, as a needed accessory while afield or on the water, they remain a crucial component of our outdoor heritage. CSF is proud to have AKTI as an active, long-standing partner in ensuring common sense prevails in policies that impact America’s sportsmen and women,” said Jeff Crane, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation President.
The American Knife & Tool Institute has partnered with the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation since 2009, first on the federal level during AKTI’s successful efforts to revise the definition of gravity knife, and more recently on several state initiatives, including Colorado, and the legislation, Interstate Commerce Act, to give knife owners a federal protection while traveling with their knives that they have never had before.