Really need some advice about US Csutoms

[AUBE]

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

[Ray Rogers]

So much depends on the individual Customs agent and, possibly, even whether or not they decide to open your box and check it (I'm not convinced that every box is opened). Anyway, as odious as it may seem to you I would tend to take the safe approach and put the country of origin on the knife. I have never seen a commercially made foreign knife that was not so marked. But remember, the regs don't say that the mark has to be large or even prominently placed ...

[NJStricker]

Maybe place the origin mark on the spine, or if a full-tanged knife, on the tang?

[AUBE]

Hi Ray,

Thanks for the quick reply.

Well I've noticed that all the factory knives are stamped with the country of origin, but the majority of the custom knives I see imported usually don't have the country marked.

I looked into marking the country... from what I have read an etcher can go down to about 6pt font and still be clear. I thought of doing that and etching the country along the spine of the knife (US Customs simply says the knife must be marked in an easily found spot, not covered up, but does not have to be in the most prominent spot...and has to be able to be read by a person with average vision) but some of my designs wouldn't permit it to be placed there (for example the blade tapers to near a point at the spine...or it has forge texturing on it) Then also I do some finishes like powdercoating that would obscure it. So I would have to use a stamp... I don;t know...I just think it would look out of place having "Philippines" etched down the side of one of my very Japanese looking tantos. Kinda messes up the theme.

We shall see. I might try to send them without markings to see how it goes....waiting to hear from more people with experience with this to see if they have had problems.

Btw....that hydraulic cylinder I bought from you is still sitting on my workshop floor back in Michigan. Had that sucker a good 1-2 years and never did get around to making a full sized press. Maybe when I get back home.


(edited for bad grammar. probably needs another half dozen revisions but I will simply not re-read it and pretend its fine.)

[AUBE]

Originally Posted by Armory414

Maybe place the origin mark on the spine, or if a full-tanged knife, on the tang?

Thought of trying that but it just won't work on some of my designs....unfortunately. I could just stop making those designs....but I like them

[NJStricker]

Just a thought--customs says they have to be marked. Does it have to be a permanent mark? I'm just thinking about how many imports come into the U.S. with a sticker that says Made in China. Put the sticker on, send the knife through Customs, your customer removes the sticker.

Hopefully it's just that easy. . .

[AUBE]

Originally Posted by Armory414

Just a thought--customs says they have to be marked. Does it have to be a permanent mark? I'm just thinking about how many imports come into the U.S. with a sticker that says Made in China. Put the sticker on, send the knife through Customs, your customer removes the sticker.

Hopefully it's just that easy. . .

Yes they specify a permanent mark. Some items can be marked with tags, or stickers (but they say they frown on stickers) but unfortunately knives are specified as having to have a permanent marking "by acid or electrolyte etching, stamping, die casting" etc.

I think I am just going to try it without any markings. I see hundreds of other knives that have made it in to the US fine.

This whole thing just caught me offguard. Spent the last week fighting with the local UPS/Fedex convincing them that yes, they do ship knives. I was told by UPS they don;t ship knive. Then told they only ship kitchen knives. I was told by Fedex they don't ship knives at all. Then I was told by their international customer service "yes we ship knives" Me: "Ok can you call the local depot to tell them that because they refuse to believe me?" Fedex:"wait....how sharp are your knives?" Me:"umm...well they are sharp" Fedex: "ok then we won't ship them" Me:"Your site says you ship "cutlery for utilitarian use such as: A) customary household use; B) personal convenience; C) professional, trade, commercial or other employment activity use; D) for use for a craft or hobby; E) outdoor sports such as hunting and fishing; F) scouting activities." but none of these can be sharp?" Them:"well they can be sharp but yours might be sharper therefor we won't ship them" (at this point I am wishing you could strangle someone through the phone line. but hey...it might be a good marketing theme "our knives are too sharp for Fedex to even ship!") Then I was told that Fedex doesn't ship "pointy objects". For the love of God.

I think I finally got that straightened out then I am hit with this whole marking the country thing. While knives sit on my desk and customers email me asking when I will have knives available.

I'm tellin ya....those of us from the more "developed countries" really have it easy. I go to buy needle metal files (that are made in China....directly west of us) and they charge $10 per file. $120 for a 12 piece file set I can pick up at Harbor Freight for $5...and this is in a country where the min wage is $1/hr...and often lower. Have to save up 3 weeks worth of wages to buy a set of cheap metal files. Give me a break.

Love living here, don't like doing business here.

Ok think I'm done venting now