Best description to ship a knife from Canada to the US?

Patrice Lemée

Patrice Lemée

Joined
Aug 13, 2002
Messages
5,703
Is "cutlery" a viable option or is there a better one? I will use Canada Post.

Of course any other tips you have would be greatly appreciated. This is my first time shipping a knife to the states.
 
I usually get a little more specific. After working along side Customs Officers for UPS, I learned that most searches are because of "vague" descriptions. The US is quite easy... Canada is more strict. These are the descriptors I use with no problems (aside from Germany... to which I refuse to ship, anymore)...

Fixed Blade Camp Knife (any knife up to 10" blade)
Camp Machete (anything over 10")
Folding Utility Knife (friction folders)
Display Knife, Decorative (anything that is clearly not a camp knife)

I don't use exotic woods or animal products so I can't offer advice in that regard. The only thing I can add is that if the payment was through Paypal, get a signature.
Rick
 
Thanks Rick, that's what I'll use then.
I'll keep in mind the signature thing but this one is going to a well known knifemaker here, so no worries there. :thumbup:
 
I agree with the specific descriptors.


This post has the exact classification code numbers that customs uses

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...ing-a-knife-to-Canada?p=10067733#post10067733



Folding knife
821193 Pocket and pen knives and other knives with folding blades
That is the correct classification.

Hopefully the correct classification makes it simple for it to pass through & they just send it through

Fixed blade
"821192 Butcher's knives, hunting knives and other knives having fixed blades"

Kitchen Knives
821191 Table knives having fixed blades"

I don't see any mention of blade lengths

I don't see any mention of locking folders vs non locking folders.
 
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Count... I like the post you linked but there are two things that stand out.

1. Do those numbers mean anything to US Customs? They seem to only apply for Canada Customs.
2. The statement...
But
Customs like to keep nice knives
Click to expand...
That gives the impression that customs officers throw all the cool stuff they confiscate into a "booty" bag to take home. FAR FROM IT... unless they are criminals, willing to face termination and federal imprisonment (You will get dishonest people in any profession, though). There are security cameras and lots of paper work for EVERYTHING they do. This, from my wife Aunt who worked at Canada Customs for 25+yrs.
 
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For another time perhaps, you can send mammoth ivory but not any ivory from an animal that lives in water. No walrus ivory, or narhwhale ivory, but these are legal to sell in Canada if bought in Canada. The elephant ivory I would just not try to send papers or no papers. For my folders I write "pocket cutlery and case" if included. All have gone without trouble. The post office declaration slip, which you can get in advance of actual time of mailing, will tell you to include a sales slip inside the package unless it's a gift. Congratulations on your sale !!! Frank
 
I would avoid sending any form of ivory to Canada... it is one of the most regulated/prohibited animal products there is. Even with the proper paperwork it will be temporarily siezed, processed and varified (and hopefully not plucked from your knife). If there is no paperwork, consider it gone if the officer finds it. Unidentifiable ivory = prohibited ivory. I have heard that the US treats imported mother-of-pearl similarily.
 
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I have sent knives to the US, Britain and Czech Republic and wrote either hunting knife, camp knife or utility knife on each and none of them had an issue. They all arrived within a couple of weeks. I have also have knives shipped to me from those areas and Italy. Again, never had an issue. (gotta love KITH's) As long as you are open with what you are sending and it falls within the rules of the country to which it is going, there should be no issue.
 
Rick Marchand said:
Count... I like the post you linked but there are two things that stand out.

1. Do those numbers mean anything to US Customs? They seem to only apply for Canada Customs.
.
Click to expand...

If it was strictly Canadian, it WOULD be pretty useless, BUT

It's an international standard

"Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding Systems"

"The HS is structured upon a six-digit nomenclature. Almost 200 countries, representing about 98 percent of world trade use the HS as a basis for trade negotiations collecting international trade statistics, quota controls, rules of origin and for statistical and economic research and analysis."

http://www.ustr.gov/trade-topics/industry-manufacturing/industrial-tariffs/tariff-schedules
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmonized_System
http://www.wcoomd.org/home.htm

I believe if you can enter the correct classification code number , you make it easier
for it to flow through the system.

If you create an excuse for it to be examined, things can be delayed, lost, whatever.
At the very minimum, the customs agents don't spend the time and care on packaging that I do.
 
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Rick Marchand said:
Count... I like the post you linked but there are two things that stand out.

1. Do those numbers mean anything to US Customs? They seem to only apply for Canada Customs.
2. The statement...

That gives the impression that customs officers throw all the cool stuff they confiscate into a "booty" bag to take home. FAR FROM IT... unless they are criminals, willing to face termination and federal imprisonment (You will get dishonest people in any profession, though). There are security cameras and lots of paper work for EVERYTHING they do. This, from my wife Aunt who worked at Canada Customs for 25+yrs.
Click to expand...

I'm sure your aunt is a lovely woman, but please let me hate my government agencies.


Like any govt agency, they will always track and report seizures on value.
The good stuff has higher values and is more susceptible to inspection.

There are still ways around any system and I'm sure stuff still disappears.
I shipped boxes with tracking that showed up and were signed for - that arrived empty
I can assure you, my packaging is substantial and that had to be a deliberate act by someone in the delivery chain.
 
12345678910 said:
Fixed blade
"821192 Butcher's knives, hunting knives and other knives having fixed blades"
Click to expand...

Sam, where do I use this code? In the description?

Frank Niro said:
The post office declaration slip, which you can get in advance of actual time of mailing, will tell you to include a sales slip inside the package unless it's a gift.
Click to expand...

Frank, is a sale slip essential or will the certificate of authenticity do?

Rick, can I ask what type of shipping you use? Regular ground, express, priority, etc.

Man this is getting to be more complicated than making the actual knife. ;)
Thanks
 
Pat it becomes simple after you do the first one or two.
Go to the post office and ask for a declaration slip. In fact get a couple in case you write it up wrong the first time. These are free.When you fil it out it will tell you what is wanted. Yes they want to know the value so they want some sort of sales slip. If you send it as a gift there is no need to include the sales slip inside but still must record it on the declaration slip. I have sent hundreds without problems. Frank
 
I have shipped 4 knives across the border now and each of them I sent as Camp Knives, 2 made it there without a problem, the 3rd and 4th are on their way. I just looked over the receipts and I don't see the codes that Sam mentions, but this is a dinky little town so the codes may just not be known about
 
Patrice Lemée;10554747 said:
Rick, can I ask what type of shipping you use? Regular ground, express, priority, etc.
Click to expand...
I use them all, Patrice. It depends on the customer, the payment method and the country of destination.

Within Canada, I use Regular Parcel... Canada is easy-breezy-lemon-squeezy.;)

Shipping to the United States is usually done with Expresspost. I get customers requesting Ground because it's cheaper but you get nothing for tracking and I simply won't do it. I declare only the material cost and never send with a sales receipt. If the customer requests a receipt, I'll mail it separately.

Paypal involvement is a biggie for me. If it is a repeat customer or someone I trust(yes, odd these days, I know) then I ship Xpresspost. If it is a first time customer that I have had no contact(forums, shows...) with before, I ship Priority Worldwide and request the signature option. As per the user agreement with Paypal, you must ship with a signature feature(with sales over $250) to confirm delivery.... no exceptions. If you don't, the buyer need only say that they did not receive it and Paypal will freeze your account and you will have nothing to stand on in the dispute. There is a narrow window of eligibility for Paypal Seller Protection but they will back you 100% if you do your part. Paypal is awesome and very fraud-proof if you buy/sell smart.:thumbup:

For shows(Usually in the USA), I go the expensive route and ship UPS or FedEx overnight atleast 3 days in advance. Postal shipping is not consistant with delivery times, in my experience. Sometimes 3-4days, sometimes 2-3weeks... I can't risk that when I've paid money for a table, room, flight, etc... I declare them as demo models and give (almost) a full value for insurance. (From what I am told, it is next to impossible to get UPS or FedEx to honour an insurance claim.):(

International other than United States always goes Priority Worldwide with a signature request. I have stopped shipping to Germany, entirely but will drop-ship to France if the customer takes it on from there. I've lost 3 shipments to Germany as "offensive weapons" (simple droppoint hunter-types, 3-5 inches).:grumpy:
 
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Patrice Lemée;10554747 said:
Sam, where do I use this code? In the description?
Click to expand...

Yes, In the description

Either on the waybill slip you fill out, or the post office will give you a very very small sticker "customs declaration form"
It's about 2 x 3 inches

I use
"821192 -Fixed blade"

Is a sale slip essential or will the certificate of authenticity do?

In most shipping other than the mail, you usually enclose several - about 5 copies of a "commercial invoice" they keep a copy at different stages.
Say if it was FedEx or UPS, you would slip it inside those plastic envelopes sleeves they attach on the outside of the parcel.

When sending by mail, they seem to accept that little sticker on the outside of the box.
It's already entered into Canada Posts computer system when you send it.


You can use the website on Canada Post to look at the different shipping options, enter the to and from postal codes, box size and weight,
It will give you available services and costs.


http://www.canadapost.ca/cpotools/apps/far/personal/findARate?execution=e1s2

I agree with Rick, Signature is important, and there will probably only be 1 or 2 services that offer that.
The fast service will have a ridiculous price of $100 or more.... and because of the border crossing, won't ever be that fast.
I pick the next slowest option.

When using mail, I think you can skip the commercial invoice, but if you want to include it, every shipper, and customs broker has templates you can use
I also get a couple of the FedEx plastic sleeves for free at a Staples, or Mailboxes etc, or some other drop off point like that.

I like FedEx examples
http://www.canadacustomer.fedex.com/ca_english/customsguide/comminvoice.html

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/commercial-invoice-TC030001885.aspx
There you can get a template for MS office Word.
 
Rick, just for info. We did have an insurance claim with UPS. Out of 1,000s of shipments they have lost only one. We had a check within a week. Just our experience.
 
About $130 if I recall correctly. We felt all warm and fuzzy after dealing with them. Had numerous cold hard places from dealing with USPS.
 
I'm talking more in the neighborhood of $500+. A friend had a claim of $1250. It took about a week of calls and he all but had the the cheque when a senior manager of UPS called back with a simple "We will not honour the insurance claim, take it to court." That freaked me out because the Post only insures up to $500 for "items of extraordinary value (e.g. jewellery, antiques, etc.)" so I was using UPS for shipments that were over that. The more I looked into it, the more I found out that UPS had not honoured the high dollar insurance claims of several other people I knew.(knifemakers, in particular.) I would love to hear different.
 
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