All About Pocket Knives

Anyone from South Africa here?

Would be good to know, as the difficulty importing here is not only expensive, but can be disappointing!

PM me if you want.

Welcome aboard. Several years back we had a member from South Africa. I'm sorry, I con't remember his name, handle or much about him. I think he made knives (I think). Park a squat and tell us something about yourself.

Welcome to AAPK. No other members here from South Africa that I know of - you can be the forum’s South African representative!

Please tell us about knife collecting there. Is it a popular hobby? Where do you find knives, what brands are popular, etc. Do you have any onerous laws regarding knife ownership?

Ken

Hi Guys,
Yes there are collectors here, mainly hunting knives and combat knives from what I've seen up to now.

I'm a Brit coming to South Africa via England, Kenya, Tanzania and now ZA.
I've been here about 5 years.

There are a few custom makers here, Andre de Villiers, Bauchop combat knives, Louis Naude, to name a few.
Chris Reeves is from South Africa too, I'm sure you are all familiar with his knives.
All the brands that are popular in the U.S. are popular here, but the exchange rate and import duty can make things expensive
For your Average South African.
There are no restrictive laws on Knives here that I have seen. Automatics are legal, just about anything is actually.
People here regard knives as 'tools', which is the correct way to look at them, plus a great many of the population here still use charcoal/
wood to cook and heat their homes, so Machete's are a must for a lot of people.

I recently tried to Import a Al Mar SF-10 and a Al Mar SERE6 here from the UK, but the courier company in the UK DHL, refused to send them on the basis that they are 'weapons'. Those knives have now been scrapped, due to recent legislation in the UK to ban pretty much everything to do with fixed blade knives or as the blurb describes them 'Zombie knives'?

Such is life in Europe these days.

Draconian laws are everywhere still. To export from the US, we use the Harmonized System (HS) for the classification of goods. As you may or may not know, the Harmonized System is a standardized numerical method of classifying internationally traded products. It is used by countries around the world to uniformly identify and describe products for purposes such as assessing duties and gathering statistics. I have used HS code 8211.92.0001 for fixed-blade knives and HS code 8211.93.0001 for folding knives with 100% success. This 10-digit code is broken down as:

• 8211 - Knives with cutting blades, serrated or not (including pruning knives)

• 92.0001 - Other knives having fixed blades

• 93.0001 - Knives having other than fixed blades

Most international shippers use the wrong HS code resulting in a failed transaction. Hope this helps you out in the future and to AAPK!

I have South African knives from Willem O'Kelly who is a custom knifemaker from the Great Karoo desert region of South Africa and Willem Steenkamp who uses handle materials from African hardwoods, giraffe bone, and horn.

Yearnslow wrote: ↑Wed Sep 25, 2024 4:28 pm There are a few custom makers here, Andre de Villiers, Bauchop, Louis Naude, to name a few.
Chris Reeves is from South Africa too

You are so fortunate to live in the same country as three of my favorite custom knife makers: Ras Venter, Gavin Margrate and Willem O'Kelly (aka K'roo). If I lived there I wouldn't bother trying to get knives imported, I would be perfectly happy to get all the knives I wanted directly from these makers.

Good info BESTGEAR, thanks for that.

I may take your advice QTcut5, I've not really explored the market here properly.

jerryd6818 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 24, 2024 8:49 pm Welcome aboard. Several years back we had a member from South Africa. I'm sorry, I con't remember his name, handle or much about him. I think he made knives (I think). Park a squat and tell us something about yourself.

Would it have been a Gert Odenkerk or something similar? Communicated with a ZA knife maker on a 4x4 forum a few years ago.

bestgear wrote: ↑Wed Sep 25, 2024 5:53 pm Draconian laws are everywhere still. To export from the US, we use the Harmonized System (HS) for the classification of goods. As you may or may not know, the Harmonized System is a standardized numerical method of classifying internationally traded products. It is used by countries around the world to uniformly identify and describe products for purposes such as assessing duties and gathering statistics. I have used HS code 8211.92.0001 for fixed-blade knives and HS code 8211.93.0001 for folding knives with 100% success. This 10-digit code is broken down as:

• 8211 - Knives with cutting blades, serrated or not (including pruning knives)

• 92.0001 - Other knives having fixed blades

• 93.0001 - Knives having other than fixed blades

Most international shippers use the wrong HS code resulting in a failed transaction. Hope this helps you out in the future and to AAPK!

I have South African knives from Willem O'Kelly who is a custom knifemaker from the Great Karoo desert region of South Africa PIC1.jpg and Willem Steenkamp who uses handle materials from African hardwoods, giraffe bone, and horn.PIC2.jpg

I was browsing threads and happened across this post from you, Tom, and even though it's 2 weeks later I had to comment on your knives. Of course both are gorgeous, but the O'Kelly model is probably the nicest knife I have ever laid my eyes on! The ebony covers, the sheepsfoot blade with long fat pull, the dazzling NS hardware, the teardrop shape, and of course the EZO make it a "Grail" knife to me providing it's a minimum 6" oal. That's one stunning folder you have, buddy, enjoy it always!

Madmarco wrote: ↑Wed Oct 09, 2024 10:29 pm….but the O'Kelly model is probably the nicest knife I have ever laid my eyes on!

thank you my friend - I rarely buy myself anything but when I retired for the last time I treated myself to a few customs that I had my eye on - I’ll snap a few better pics and share them with you - it’s heavy in the hand and a joy to tote in her leather slip.

QTCut5 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 25, 2024 6:07 pm I would be perfectly happy to get all the knives I wanted directly from these makers.

bestgear wrote: ↑Wed Sep 25, 2024 5:53 pm I have South African knives from Willem O'Kelly who is a custom knifemaker from the Great Karoo desert region of South Africa PIC1.jpg and Willem Steenkamp who uses handle materials from African hardwoods, giraffe bone, and horn.PIC2.jpg

BEAUTIFUL KNIVES!!!

knifeaddict1965 wrote: ↑Wed Oct 09, 2024 11:47 pmBEAUTIFUL KNIVES

TY Kevin - the ZA makers are second to none.

bestgear wrote: ↑Wed Oct 09, 2024 10:57 pm

Madmarco wrote: ↑Wed Oct 09, 2024 10:29 pm….but the O'Kelly model is probably the nicest knife I have ever laid my eyes on!

thank you my friend - I rarely buy myself anything but when I retired for the last time I treated myself to a few customs that I had my eye on - I’ll snap a few better pics and share them with you - it’s heavy in the hand and a joy to tote in her leather slip.

Thanks, Tom, more pics would be great when you have time. I like hearing "heavy in the hand" since that's a prerequisite to my buying a knife, along with single spear-point blade, no pocket-clip,...well, you know me.
I have never heard of someone retiring more than once, what happened, did you miss all the aggravation or was it something else? lol!

Madmarco wrote: ↑Thu Oct 10, 2024 12:04 amI have never heard of someone retiring more than once

I walked away from my job in DC in 2018 because I was done with the city - then COVID hit and in 2020 I was given the opportunity to work 100% remotely and since the world was shut down, I went back to work until June of last year. Now I have 6 Saturdays and 1 Sabbath weekly and live nowhere near a big city

bestgear wrote: ↑Thu Oct 10, 2024 12:14 am

Madmarco wrote: ↑Thu Oct 10, 2024 12:04 amI have never heard of someone retiring more than once

I walked away from my job in DC in 2018 because I was done with the city - then COVID hit and in 2020 I was given the opportunity to work 100% remotely and since the world was shut down, I went back to work until June of last year. Now I have 6 Saturdays and 1 Sabbath weekly and live nowhere near a big city

Good for you, buddy, that's the way to do it!