Community Rules

Who we are

Black Bay is a members-only community for knife and EDC people. Members pay annual dues. We are not a marketplace. We do not process payments, hold funds, ship anything, escrow anything, or take a cut of any sale. Deals are arranged directly between members, and the risk of a deal is entirely theirs.

What you may not list

Some things are illegal to sell or ship in ways that vary by state and country. Getting this wrong is how a knife community gets shut down, so the line is drawn conservatively:

• Ballistic knives. Federally prohibited (15 U.S.C. § 1245). Never allowed.
• Automatic/OTF knives where the deal is not legal. Legal to own in much of the country and legal to discuss here. You may not list, sell, buy, trade or ship one where the law does not allow it. Checking that is your job, not ours: see Knife law is your responsibility.
• Anything disguised as another object: belt-buckle knives, lipstick knives, cane swords, pen knives of the concealed kind.
• Firearms, ammunition, or firearm components.
• Counterfeits and clones sold as genuine. Clearly-labelled homages are fine; a fake Sebenza described as real is fraud.
• Anything you do not physically possess. No brokering, no "arriving next week", no selling a knife you have not received yourself.

Knife law is your responsibility

Knife law differs between countries, states and cities, and it covers owning, carrying, selling, buying, shipping and receiving. Black Bay is not a party to any deal and does not check whether a listing, sale or trade is legal. Our screening and moderation catch some prohibited items, but they are not a legal check: a listing appearing on Black Bay does not mean it is legal for you to sell, buy, own or ship.

Everyone in a deal is responsible for making sure it is legal where each of them is: the seller, the buyer, and both sides of a trade.

This matters most for automatic and OTF knives. Federal law, the Federal Switchblade Act (15 U.S.C. § 1242), restricts shipping switchblade knives across state lines, with narrow exceptions. Many states and cities have their own rules on top, and carriers have their own shipping policies. Before you list, buy, trade or ship one, check the federal, state and local law that applies to you and to the other member. If you are not sure a deal is legal, do not do it.

How we trade

• Use payment methods with buyer protection. Members asking for Friends & Family, gift cards, wire transfer, or crypto get flagged automatically. This is the single most common way people get robbed in knife sales.
• Photograph the actual item, with your username and the date on paper in frame. Stock photos in a sale listing are grounds for removal.
• Disclose every flaw. Blade play, lock rock, sharpening, chips, snail trails, aftermarket work. "Mint" means mint.
• Ship within three business days and provide tracking.

How we behave

• No harassment, threats, hate, or pile-ons.
• No sexual content, and no graphic violence.
• No content that encourages illegal or reckless use of a knife. Show your collection, not crimes.
• No doxxing. Not the member who burned you, not anyone.
• No scams, spam, or impersonation.
• Disagree about steel all you like. Do it without being cruel.

Reporting and blocking

Tap ••• on any post or listing to report it or block its owner. Long-press a direct message to report it. Blocking is immediate and two-way: neither of you can see the other's content or message each other.

Enforcement

Posts, comments, listings and direct messages are screened automatically when they are written, and anything the screen catches goes to a moderator. Reports are reviewed by a human, and we aim to act on them within 24 hours. Consequences run from content removal, through listing bans, to permanent removal from the community. Dues are not refunded on a ban.

A banned account loses access immediately, even with an active subscription.

Reaching us

• General support: support@makhaira.org
• Safety and moderation: safety@makhaira.org

We respond to safety reports within one business day.