No More Ivory On Pipes...And No Resell Of Estates With Ivory

[warren]

I don't believe we are addressing private collections. We are talking about value and the market. I also doubt that anyone would, without cause, come to your residence to inspect your collection. Unless of course you have an irate ex-wife or a neighbor who is not enamored with the color of your house and knows about your pipe collection which contains pipes fitted with illegal ivory. Remember the old saw regarding the scorned woman and her fury.
Perhaps a son is unhappy with being grounded for low grades and decides that the proper way to get back at dad is to rat him out to the authorities. The only way to be entirely comfortable with owning something illegal is when you are the only person who knows about the item. You can't brag about or show it off proudly to acquaintances. If more than one person knows that you are behaving in a manner contrary to law, it is no longer a secret . . . it is public knowledge. God help you if someone who knows becomes a former friend.
Do not treat the situation with too little thought about consequences. If you have no enemies and never, I mean never, irritate another person, and do not share with anyone that you possess illegal items you will probably get away with the criminal activity. It would also help if you were a hermit and lived on a very remote mountain top.

 

[warren]

I would agree that no one really cares about your one pipe fitted with ivory. What I believe the discussion was initially about is the buying and selling of such pipes. Commerce as it were. I'm just pointing out that you are creating a target of yourself if you, as your piano restorer was if he did indeed use a prohibited ivory product (unsure as to what a "freaking piano restorer" is.),deal in prohibited products.
If you are making moneys through illegal business activities and such behavior is brought to the attention of the proper authorities you will probably find yourself involved in the system. As I stated, if you wish to be a amateur amongst the professional dealers you will probably suffer the fate of most amateurs who try and take the money out of a pros pocket. Bring a couple of Cuban cigars back from Mexico or Canada will, at worst, get the contraband confiscated and a citation. Bringing back a hundred boxes, showing the intent to resell, will probably get you a formal charge.
We are talking about conducting illegal commerce, not vending one pipe to a friend. And certainly not the possession of one pipe, unless of course you PO someone. Then you might very well find yourself having to at least hire an attorney to plea bargain a deal for you.
I could write up an entirely plausible scenario whereby the simple possession of such a pipe as you own would cause complications at a divorce hearing when it was included in allegations of adultery, drug abuse, child endangerment, etc. The pipe would be just one more thing needing explanation and pointing out to the judge that you are indeed scum of the earth. Hopefully, this situation would never arise and your life will go innocently along with nary a care or bump in the road.
Just don't bet the farm on it.

 

[dcrguns]

Again we see that if they want to get you, they will find something to hang you with. With as many laws as we have in the country, we have all broken one somewhere along the line. The tax laws are the worst. If you are a small business owner, you can't comply with all the laws and stay out of trouble without a professionals help and it is getting worse. In my industry, I have to deal with the federal government all the time. They are generally pretty nice but if you do one thing wrong, they will find it and will try to hang you with it. Don't be surprised when the general public is put under this same type of scrutiny. This is just one small step in that direction. We live in a society on the slippery slope to communism.

 

[wcannoy]

I have a pipe coming from Walt Cannoy (hey Walt!) that has pre-ban ivory in the ferrule, and it'll be travelling from Florida to New York. Do you think anyone will really open that box and be able to tell it's ivory in there?

Well, that should be over before the executive order goes into effect anyway. But it does address the concern I mentioned earlier in this thread. This is not enforceable unless the PO will be opening and inspecting domestic packages. It is worth it? I don't think so... I feel like it's just more of an excuse for government to snoop.
Want a much better way to stop ivory poaching? This article references at least 33 tons of confiscated ivory that has been or will be destroyed: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/01/140123-hong-kong-china-ivory-burn-elephants-animals-science/
The destruction of this ivory only makes what is still out there more rare and more valuable. Poaching will continue, even increase, as long as the value of the product remains high!
Well, how do you decrease the value of ivory? How about dumping a shitload of it on to the open market at next to nothing... I know where there is tons of it about to be destroyed. If those who want it could get it cheap from these stockpiles, nobody would want to pay the poachers for it. If the poachers can't make money poaching, they stop poaching.
Burning stockpiles of ivory? Dumbasses...

 

[ocpsdan]

Warren: I concede to your point. However, I haven't yet met any pipe makers who would sink to such a low level. If they did, certainly they would go down in the flames in the pipe community as a turncloak. Word spreads fast outside the forums, we're a small community. But you do have a point. Never put yourself out to be ruined! I suppose it's a good thing that faux ivory is commonplace among pipe makers these days.

 

[warren]

ocpsdan: I like that: "Never put yourself out to be ruined!" Words to live by I think.

 

[wcannoy]

@soymilk, well the good news for you is...
At this point it looks like there will only ever be two Cannoy pipes made with real ivory incorporated in them. One of them is a meerschaum that I made for myself.

 

[kanaia]

I'm all for the banning of Ivory. Now that being said how in the hell are they going to prevent private sales of that product? We all have seen how well the war on drugs has worked out in this country. Good luck Feds.

 

[wcannoy]

What are you going to do with the rest of your supply if it's not going on pipes?

I never had a large supply, only a few very small pieces that I was saving for very special pipes! My supply budget is better spent on briar and rod. My remaining supply fits in a 50gram tobacco tin with enough room left for about 25grams of tobacco. :lol:
Maybe I'll carve a pendant or two as gifts for family members...