[AUSTRALIA] Folding Knife import laws

B

Blackmantis

Joined
Apr 12, 2010
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I know there's been a few threads about this, but I can't seem to find one that clearly explains what the current laws are. If I'm reading it correctly, it says that pretty much any pocket knife could be confiscated upon import into Australia based on the fact it can be opened with one hand. I can technically open my Victorinox SAK one handed, so by that logic, it would be a restricted import.

Anyone able to help clear this up for me? Spoke to customs officers who were a bit vague and just spoke mainly of switchblades, and "Any knife that can be opened one handed".
 
I have shipped about a dozen knives to australia. Tighten down the pivot so the blade cant move and label it as "camping tool on the customs form and you should have no problems.

I have had 100% success shipping to AUS by following those two simple steps.
 
Over Kill said:
I have shipped about a dozen knives to australia. Tighten down the pivot so the blade cant move and label it as "camping tool on the customs form and you should have no problems.

I have had 100% success shipping to AUS by following those two simple steps.
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I was planning on importing a few to see what they're like, and if I could sell a few, not sure if I can get them to write "CAMPING TOOL" although it would be a technically correct definition. Not sure if I could get them to tighten down the pivot on a bulk order either, but thanks for your insight. Perhaps all the seizures I hear about with Customs are those one-in-a-thousand shipments they get where some doofus decided it would be a great idea to import 3 switchblades along with a bunch of legal ones, so they seize the lot.
 
2manyknives said:
Parcels are x-rayed so calling it anything other than a knife doesn't fool anyone.
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The idea of writing camp tool isn't to deceive. Camp tool is technically correct, given that the knife could be used mostly for camping, and is a tool. It just sounds a lot less dangerous than writing "Combat/Hunting Knife".
 
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I have had to stop sending knives to Australia. About one in 5-8 were getting confiscated, and they don't send them back.
Not all of them are caught or noticed whether they were marked knife, hand tool or camping tool. Technically since there is a specific definition for knives, that is the correct one to use and anything else could make it suspect. Making up your own definition would be nice but they know what a knife is. Sad really. I always looked at Australia as more or less like the American West in the old days. Not so much I guess. England is another one I don't ship to. No trouble at all to the Scandinavian countries, Germany, France and surprisingly Poland has been a very easy ship. Hong Kong went well too but is slow sometimes. I wish I could feel good about shipping to Russia. I get a ton of requests.
 
Guys, for now the 'one hand opening rule' is determined by a 'flick test'. Supposedly if knife will not open from a 'wrist snap' is legal... supposedly... Basically the customs officer testing is the one who interprets the rule.
This leads to the same knife being able to pass the test by one officer and confiscated by another.
Tightening the pivot will not work! Apparently when they get a knife with pivot so tight that it hardly opens they loosen it so much that it will open from just looking at it.
Basically slipjoints and lockbacks are the only safe folders at the moment.
 
They do x-ray most packages, so 'camping tool' is no longer a sure bet.
There is an option allowing recipient to pay for shipping back to sender.
 
I have never been given nor my customers given an option to return to sender. They were given the option to receive the knife and appeal but if they lost would be subject to arrest. One of them emailed me the paperwork they got. That said, one did ask me to send the knife in pieces for him to put back together. That apparently had no trouble. I listed it as replacement parts for hand tool. Still it just became too much of a hassle.
 
If your customer checked he'd find out if he had an option to send back. I didn't the confiscation letter in 10 years so I don't remember what it said. IIRC in one of similar threads someone said the they got the knife back after sending to Au.
Parts for folders are illegal import as well and thanks to your post above, and others like it, parts are now scrutinised a lot more than they have been in the past.
You need to realise that they're not complete idiots, they would be checking forums like this for hints and ideas...
 
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