HELP w/ taking a knife to another country (TANZANIA)
devries
was thinking of giving him a decent SAK or multi-tool, or a nice basic
utilitarian knife as a going away present. Anyone know what kind of
difficulties/hassles bringing it into the country might cause? Any
recommendation for what is easiest? Or where to dig up specific info?
Thanks in advance for any help...
-Matt de Vries
John Donnelly
carry and/or transport.
JOhn
>
> My friend is going to be heading off to the peace corps next fall, and I
> was thinking of giving him a decent SAK or multi-tool, or a nice basic
> utilitarian knife as a going away present. Anyone know what kind of
> difficulties/hassles bringing it into the country might cause? Any
> recommendation for what is easiest? Or where to dig up specific info?
>
> Thanks in advance for any help...
>
> -Matt de Vries
I sent my niece off to Africa (forget which country now) with a multi
tool in the Peace Corps and it saved the day 3 1/2 million miles from
nowhere when a problem developed with the motorcycle they were on. From
her experience the multi would be better than a utility knife; but she
was doing medical things...what your friend will be doing might benefit
from a utility knife. I'm not sure that taking a 14" mach 2000
rambotron deathmonger with teeth and brass knucks (sorry James) for a
utility knife would be appropriate however.
I am only guessing but can only suppose that in third world ountries a
utility belt knife if shipped as baggage and not carried on would
present no problem at airport/customs.
Perhaps a call to the Peace Corps Hdqtrs with this question would be in
order. If any one had that info they should, I would think. But then
where did thinking ever get one?
Regards
JOhn
Todd D. Ellner
>My friend is going to be heading off to the peace corps next fall, and I
>was thinking of giving him a decent SAK or multi-tool, or a nice basic
>utilitarian knife as a going away present. Anyone know what kind of
>difficulties/hassles bringing it into the country might cause? Any
>recommendation for what is easiest? Or where to dig up specific info?
My wife grew up there. Although she hasn't been back in some years she
said that a lot of people had pocket knives, and nobody thought twice
about it. In rural areas people use pangas (machetes) all the time for
agricultural work and other chores.
If you friend has a multi-tool, SAK or work knife there shouldn't be any
problems. Walking around town with the Ramboid Death Fang Battle Master 3000
would be another thing entirely.
--
Todd Ellner | The wrath of the lion is the wisdom of God.
tel...@cs.pdx.edu | --William Blake "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell"
(503)493-4431 |
Marvin Edgeworth
Smith novels) I'll suggest the following:
1) A GOOD multitool, such as the Leaterman Supertool,
2) A good but not threatening pocketknife, such as many of the Spydercos,
and
3) Several Cold Steel Bushmans - they're pretty cheap, so he can keep one
and use the others for gifts/trades.
BTW - this is essentially a somewhat shortened copy of a post on a similar
subject about a year ago - possibly by mps? Anyway, the reasoning impressed
me at the time - anyone have a copy after all this time?
devries wrote in message <7c9fh5$nco$1...@earth.superlink.net>...
Todd D. Ellner
> From my extensive African experience (I've read several of the Wilbur
>Smith novels) I'll suggest the following:
>1) A GOOD multitool, such as the Leaterman Supertool,
>2) A good but not threatening pocketknife, such as many of the Spydercos,
Indeed.
>3) Several Cold Steel Bushmans - they're pretty cheap, so he can keep one
>and use the others for gifts/trades.
Nah. If you want a machete get a machete. They are pretty cheap over there.
--
Todd Ellner | The apple tree never asks the beech how he shall grow;
tel...@cs.pdx.edu | nor the lion, the horse, how he shall take his prey.
(503)493-4431 | --William Blake "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell"
JOhn
>
> From my extensive African experience (I've read several of the Wilbur
> Smith novels) I'll suggest the following:
<snip>
> >utilitarian knife as a going away present.
A point of interest here. Ya gotta be able to carry by yourself what
you take. If you are going to do themultiple bushman thing (not a bad
idea) send them to the final destination which will be assigned
in-country. Packages take 6-8 weeks to reach the volunteer. Sent first
to the hdqtrs and from there depending on proximity and transportation.
And, sending ain't cheap. Good care package stuff is toilet paper,
powdered gator aide (electrolytes for the disintery challanged) and
simple treats.
JOhn
Trn0
(devries) writes:
>My friend is going to be heading off to the peace corps next fall, and I
>was thinking of giving him a decent SAK or multi-tool, or a nice basic
>utilitarian knife as a going away present. Anyone know what kind of
>difficulties/hassles bringing it into the country might cause? Any
>recommendation for what is easiest? Or where to dig up specific info?
I'd suggest a multi-tool. Mine is a SOG paratool, went with me to the villages
in Russia last summer and pretty much everywhere else in the USA I've gone in
the last 2 years or so.
Re. getting it into the country:
1. Take two of *exactly* the same thing. If the customs inspector gets hinky
about letting them into the country, you can let him keep one as a gift. (Btw,
usu. when the inspector gets hinky, it's b/c he *wants* to keep one of, or part
of, whatever it is as a gift. Treat it like you would haggling in the market
-- argue him down to something you can afford, then give it to him. But be more
subtle than you would in a market. You can't afford to piss him off.) If you
get them both in, and they're paratools, you can cannibalize one for parts if
you have to -- they're very easy to take apart.
2. Of course, it's in your checked baggage, which is securely locked, duct
taped across any zippers or openings, and *NOT* at all expensive-looking. This
has nothing at all to do with customs, and everything to do with getting your
baggage back intact before you get to customs.
3. Contact the US Customs service and whatever Tanzanian authorities you can
get hold of and find out what the laws are, but don't expect them to be
observed, and don't get upset when they aren't. (i.e. If it's legal to bring
in, and the customs official is telling you he can't let you bring it in, don't
quote the law at him. He won't care -- he *is* the law. Now, if you happen to
personally know someone important in his government, you can ask to call that
person and see if this little misunderstanding can be straightened out. But
you'd better have the right phone number.) In most of these places, and
increasingly in the US, law enforcement is about relationship, not ideas.
HTH,
TimN