WASHINGTON—U.S. Sens. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, released the following statement after the Senate unanimously passed their amendment to protect the use of pocketknives. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) had proposed amending and expanding the Switchblade Knife Act of 1958 to include spring-assisted or one-handed-opening knives. The Senators’ amendment clarifies that assisted-opening pocketknives are exempt from regulation.
“Customs and Border Patrol went overboard in trying to interpret an outdated statute regulating certain pocketknives. In Arkansas, firemen, construction workers, farmers, policemen, electricians, hunters and fishermen all took notice. A pocketknife for many people can serve as an entire toolbox, and the government really has no business taking that away from them,” said Sen. Pryor. “I’m pleased to team up with Senators Cornyn and Hatch to prevent this proposed regulation from being implemented.”
“The Senate sent a strong message and made clear that the 35 million Americans who own pocketknives are free to continue using them without the threat of federal agency intrusion,” said Sen. Cornyn. “While U.S. Customs and Border Protection proposed changing that, my colleagues joined in a unanimous, bipartisan effort to ensure assisted-opening pocketknives are protected by the law. What’s more, the CBP reversal would have inflicted serious economic harm to sporting goods manufacturers and retailers.”
“Without this amendment, there is a real danger that 80 percent of the pocketknives sold in the U.S. could be classified as illegal switchblades, which would hurt knife and tool manufacturers across the nation,” Sen. Hatch said following the Senate’s vote late Thursday. “The unintended consequences of the CBP’s definition could be that state and federal criminal courts could construe Leatherman-type multi-tools equipped with one-hand opening features, as well as folding utility knives with studs on the blunt portions of the blade to assist with opening, to be illegal. That is absurd.”
Background
This amendment is endorsed by American Knife and Tool Institute, Knife Rights, National Rifle Association, Gun Owners of America, Knifemakers’ Guild, Meyerco USA, Benchmade Knife Company, Gerber – Fiskars, and SOG Specialty Knives and Tools.
