AKTI Board Member to Speak at Outdoor Writers Conference June 10
Rochester, MN –-(Ammoland.com)- One of the founding members of the American Knife & Tool Institute (www.AKTI.org) will speak at the Outdoor Writers Association of America’s annual conference in Minnesota.C.J. Buck, who is a current member of the AKTI Board of Regents and the CEO of Buck Knives, will talk about the non-profit organization’s efforts “to clarify state and federal knife law.”
C.J. Buck, the CEO of Buck Knives, will be among the featured speakers at the Outdoor Writers Association of America’s annual conference June 10-13 at the Kahler Grand Hotel in Rochester, MN. The association’s membership includes outdoor writers, editors, authors, broadcasters, producers, photographers and artists.
Buck, one of the founders of the American Knife & Tool Institute (www.AKTI.org) and a member of its Board of Regents, will talk about “AKTI and our efforts to clarify state and federal knife law.” He is scheduled to speak Thursday, June 10, 11:15 a.m. to 1 p.m.
A fourth-generation knife-maker, Buck’s great-grandfather Hoyt planted the seed for the family business more than a century ago. He described Hoyt as “a guy with an anvil, forge and a grinder” who eventually moved to San Diego and taught his oldest son, Al, the art of knife-making. That legacy was passed onto to Buck’s father, Chuck.
In the 1950s the company grew steadily, but it was the introduction of the Model 110 Folding Hunter in 1964 with its innovative “lockblade” mechanism that put the company on the map. It became popular with hunters, ranchers, farmers and the military. Model 110 is still “extremely popular and a huge seller,” Buck said.
With success came responsibility, so Buck, along with Les de Asis of Benchmade Knife Company, met with industry leaders and others at a number of knife-related events in 1997 to discuss forming a national advocacy and education organization embracing every segment of the knife industry. American Knife & Tool Institute, Inc., was formed the following year.
According to its Executive Director, Jan, Billeb, AKTI’s goal are to:
- Educate the public, legislators and law enforcement about knives.
- Promote reasonable, responsible and consistent knife legislation.
- Inform with accurate industry, historical and technical information.
“A knife is a valuable tool — and ought not to be used as a weapon,” AKTI Board member Buck said, adding that a simply worded law that said that would be more effective than the sometimes vague and complex laws that can infringe on individual rights.
AKTI has been able to help achieve that clarity in a number of states, including Texas, California, Florida and Arkansas, Buck said, adding that his goal as a speaker to the Outdoor Writers Association of America will be to enlist their help in getting the word out to sportsmen regarding this issue as well as explain “what AKTI is, what we do, and what we plan to do next.”
ABOUT AKTI:
The American Knife and Tool Institute is a non-profit organization (501(c)6) representing the combined efforts of manufacturers, distributors, retailers, custom knife artisans, journalists, and concerned citizens united to educate, promote, and inform the American public about various types of knives and folding multi-tools. It was formed after discussion among industry leaders about the need for a unifying organization to represent the knife-using and knife-making community. For more information, call (307) 587-8296 or visit www.AKTI.org.