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Knife Rights UPDATE: Summary of State Ivory & Animal Parts Bans

Knife Rights has just UPDATED our Summary of State Ivory & Animal Parts Bans. If you are considering selling, purchase or trade of ivory, fossil ivory or any of a number of exotic animal parts used in knives, or of knives including these materials, in or from any of the states listed, you should review the information on this page. States covered are: CA, CT, HI, IL, NH, NJ, NV, NY, OR and WA. Details at: www.KnifeRights.org/StateIvoryBans

WARNING: Penalties typically include confiscation and fines, which can be up to five figures, plus potentially up to a year in jail in some states for some offenses, and you may end up with a criminal record, which could prove extremely detrimental to your future. In addition to, and separate from, any criminal penalty, an administrative penalty of up to five figures may be assessed in some states.

Typically, the ban includes purchase, sale, offer for sale, possession with intent to sell, or importation (into the state from another state or from a foreign country) with intent to sell.

Typically, mere possession of these materials or knives with these materials at a knife show or in a retail or wholesale outlet is prima facie evidence of possession with illegal intent to sell.

In some states there are narrow exceptions for antique knives (over 100 years old).

Besides the summary, we include links to the actual bills/statutes where you can review the actual statute(s), including penalties and exceptions.

Details at: www.KnifeRights.org/StateIvoryBans

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Permalink Reply by Lars Ray on September 20, 2021 at 18:20

Hi Doug - This is great info - and great timing! Thank you for posting it.

I have been doing some simple research on US laws before I make an international purchase order. I am using this as practice - and I am using knife maker and iKC member Wayne Morgan as my test subject. Wayne is a South African resident and knife maker who uses exquisite bone, horn and antler in his knives.

I realize as a US resident, it is my responsibility to identify (as accurately and reasonable as possible) if any of the materials in the knife I want are on the list before I purchase. So far, I have not been able to locate a list of ALL specific materials that are subject to scrutiny. I can easily find the big targeted items such as the lists provided in the Knife Rights update - but I have not yet found anything that states Blesbuck horn as either illegal or acceptable for import. (I had to look up what a Blesbuck is!)

Do you know of any such "complete" lists of either illegal and or acceptable animal materials? Either by species, country of origin, or even continent perhaps?

I am all over the place first learning what a Blesbuck is; then I seek to learn if it is on any endangered list by any country (What the US may consider endangered may not be in South Africa); then I cross reference this info with what I can find on the US Gov site.

As I am sure you are aware - no one site has all the details needed to make an informed purchase decision - so I thought I would ask you if you know if any "list" sites that I have not found yet -

Thanks so much!