Canada Customs and Axis Locks!

[Steely Dan]

I forgot to add that when I had a high end knife confiscated, and eventually sent back, I did talk to a customs agent. I asked her if the pivot had been tighter would it have been OK. She laughed and said that they all know the tightened pivot trick, and it does not matter. If it looks like the pivot can be loosened up and the knife can be flicked open, it is getting confiscated.

I'm glad they ended up sending it to you! If the border pals went into a knife shop and left the place with every knife that could be opened with one hand, a flipper or by flicking it open with gravity or a thumb stud they would leave the shelves pretty much empty! I think they have adopted their own strict policies in the last little while. A couple guys in this thread mentioned Rat1's! That is pushing it a little far. I think the Rat1 is a manual knife but they just don't like the look of it. There might be a very slim chance of receiving my knives but I'm doubtful. In the notice of detention they sent me there is 2 numbers to call for info but both officers are out of the office and on vacation till the 17th. Maybe when they return they check the items out personally and make the final call.

 

[Czechmate]

I forgot to add that when I had a high end knife confiscated, and eventually sent back, I did talk to a customs agent. I asked her if the pivot had been tighter would it have been OK. She laughed and said that they all know the tightened pivot trick, and it does not matter. If it looks like the pivot can be loosened up and the knife can be flicked open, it is getting confiscated.

So they're going around the written law ( folders= legal) to say that pretty much all modern folders will be illegal/not allowed and banning knives at their discretion.

Good to know our customs officials are crooked as hell. :thumbdn::thumbdn::thumbdn:

 

[redcanoe]

I guess I have just been lucky.not ever having a problem with customs.
However this problem has been discussed on the Canadian connection on this forum
See post # 154 for the whole story.
I wonder how long it will be before Canadian retailers have the same problem with Customs?

 

[Duper]

She said she understood my frustration, but it was decided that the knife would "open with centrifugal force" by flicking it. So basically if they can sit there and find any way to somehow flick it it open, it's illegal. :thumbdn: Needless to say, I buy them all in Canada now (warriors and wonders), with the exception of the occasional back lock with the pivot tightened. If need be that it gets ordered from out of country, just get the shipper to tighten the pivot up real nice! . Hope this helps!

Huh, I ordered a Benchmade Mini-grip from a Canadian retailer that has a USA parent company in the Spring. It was so tight I could not open it with a single hand. I had to back-off the pivot screw to get it open. This company has a USA parent company. I wonder if they have a new procedure?

,,,Mike in Canada

 

[craytab]

I forgot to add that when I had a high end knife confiscated, and eventually sent back, I did talk to a customs agent. I asked her if the pivot had been tighter would it have been OK. She laughed and said that they all know the tightened pivot trick, and it does not matter. If it looks like the pivot can be loosened up and the knife can be flicked open, it is getting confiscated.

That is terrible. I feel sorry for our Canadian members. You all should do something. I don't know what though. Seems like your customs people got a consultation by the NYPD. Within the last year I had just gotten comfortable shipping some international, mostly Canada. Not anymore. No more folders.

 

[Duper]

I guess I have just been lucky.not ever having a problem with customs.
However this problem has been discussed on the Canadian connection on this forum
See post # 154 for the whole story.
I wonder how long it will be before Canadian retailers have the same problem with Customs?

There is a specific Canadian Connection section? Can you point me at it? I have seen the Canadian section for individual sales.

,,,Mike in Canada

 

[Duper]

We had a BRKT karambit come back because they said it fell under their brass knuckle law, "the device known as “Brass Knuckles” and any similar device consisting of a band of metal with finger holes designed to fit over the root knuckles of the hand." It has the one hole that you can fit your finger into so now we have to watch any knife with that type of hole.

I had a friend have a karambit refused by Canadian Customs recently. He tried to no avail to get it through. I believe the model he ordered the single finger hole was made of a composite material and not metal but they still denied it as brass knuckles.

,,,Mike in Canada

 

[Danke42]

I guess I have just been lucky.not ever having a problem with customs.
However this problem has been discussed on the Canadian connection on this forum
See post # 154 for the whole story.
I wonder how long it will be before Canadian retailers have the same problem with Customs?

Can you link to the thread? Post #s only work when you're in the thread.

 

[The_Iron_Joe]

I had a friend have a karambit refused by Canadian Customs recently. He tried to no avail to get it through. I believe the model he ordered the single finger whole was made of a composite material and not metal but they still denied it as brass knuckles.

,,,Mike in Canada

From what I am aware, in letter of law, knuckles are only illegal if they are a 'band of metal', and further must be designed as a weapon. This is why we can have machetes with D-shaped handle guards. I have a link to the exact law, I'll come back and post it if I can find it...

Unfortunately, the customs workers on our side of the border are free to deny anything they want for just about any number of reasons, and while it isn't always an issue, when it IS, there isn't usually anything that can be done about it. There are ways to open just about any manual folder with centrifugal force... so bringing any knife in from other countries carries that risk.

 

[Danke42]

I've put a flag up in a place where some CBSA agents hang out. Hopefully they'll be able to advise if there is a directive that's come down and from who.

 

[Steely Dan]

I've put a flag up in a place where some CBSA agents hang out. Hopefully they'll be able to advise if there is a directive that's come down and from who.

That would be awesome. Something needs to be done before they classify Swiss Army Knives as Push Daggers if they have a Corkscrew!

 

[TsarBomba]

Unfortunately, the customs workers on our side of the border are free to deny anything they want for just about any number of reasons, and while it isn't always an issue, when it IS, there isn't usually anything that can be done about it. There are ways to open just about any manual folder with centrifugal force... so bringing any knife in from other countries carries that risk.

If they're detaining slippies as described earlier in the thread then it doesn't seem any kind of folder is safe.

What's next? No pointy metal allowed?

 

[Jens Schuetz]

They should just say no knives allowed and at least we would know what to expect.
But letting them through sometimes and sometimes not for no apparent reason is just messing with people.

 

[go_DWI]

Hope the OP gets his knives... for what it's worth I've heard an appeal NEVER works. Even the whole "we can buy it in country" because they just say "Well THIS specific knife is illegal cause of xyz..." Anyway, they do seem to be applying their own definitions and just seizing whatever they see fit, completely arbitrarily. Very annoying. It seems to have gotten much worse recently as well. Good thing the CBSA is there to protect me from myself

 

[Steely Dan]

Hope the OP gets his knives... for what it's worth I've heard an appeal NEVER works. Even the whole "we can buy it in country" because they just say "Well THIS specific knife is illegal cause of xyz..." Anyway, they do seem to be applying their own definitions and just seizing whatever they see fit, completely arbitrarily. Very annoying. It seems to have gotten much worse recently as well. Good thing the CBSA is there to protect me from myself

Thanks for the well wishes go_DWI. You are right, I think they can snag any knife that they don't like the look of and pick a reason why it's prohibited. Very little can be done but they gave me a number to call so I will ask a few questions and see.

 

[Knifeoholic]

Huh, I ordered a Benchmade Mini-grip from a Canadian retailer that has a USA parent company in the Spring. It was so tight I could not open it with a single hand. I had to back-off the pivot screw to get it open. This company has a USA parent company. I wonder if they have a new procedure?

,,,Mike in Canada

A new procedure would be cool with me! However, I asked a lady from where I purchased my knife about that on the phone. I suggested that if it's leaving the country, they should snug up the pivot screw. She replied that they were not allowed to make adjustments to knives without being asked by the customer. This could vary from store to store though. Also It still blows my mind that "waved" knives are legal, but autos and gravity folders are not, haha, guess that's the crazy world we live in!

 

[Steely Dan]

A new procedure would be cool with me! However, I asked a lady from where I purchased my knife about that on the phone. I suggested that if it's leaving the country, they should snug up the pivot screw. She replied that they were not allowed to make adjustments to knives without being asked by the customer. This could vary from store to store though. Also It still blows my mind that "waved" knives are legal, but autos and gravity folders are not, haha, guess that's the crazy world we live in!

And Spring assisted knives are legal to buy in Canada right now! Some models have a very powerful torsion bar and they fly out just as fast if not faster than any side opening switchblade! I have a 3.9 inch CRKT ''Outburst assist'' knife that goes SPAAAACLACKK! when you apply very little force to the thumbstuds. Purchased legally at SR knives 4-5 yrs ago, But they have a problem with a manual axis lock knife with a 3.2 inch blade?

 

[Czechmate]

Is there a Canadian version of Knife Rights because it would seem that we need one asap; desperately...

I'm sure all of the higher end folding knives being detained have had a great effect in reducing the amount of stabbings that have occurred within Canada.

 

[stabman]

I forgot to add that when I had a high end knife confiscated, and eventually sent back, I did talk to a customs agent. I asked her if the pivot had been tighter would it have been OK. She laughed and said that they all know the tightened pivot trick, and it does not matter. If it looks like the pivot can be loosened up and the knife can be flicked open, it is getting confiscated.

If they loosen the pivot to make it flick, they are altering it so it flicks.
At that point, they are making it a prohibited knife, which is criminal.
The bastards are actually becoming criminal with it at this point. :thumbdn:

 

[The_Iron_Joe]

If they're detaining slippies as described earlier in the thread then it doesn't seem any kind of folder is safe.

What's next? No pointy metal allowed?

Well, luckily fixed blades cannot be 'opened' so for the most part I think those will always be available. [emoji51]

However, as far as holding slip joints as prohibited, well... I suppose anyone could pinch the blade of almost any folder and flick the handle downward to open the knife. However, it seems that the main concern is opening knives while holding the handle...

Found that link I mentioned earlier. It talks specifically about importation regulations for a great many things, including types of knives and brass knuckles. A direct quote;

Brass knuckles

45.* The device known as brass knuckles and any similar device consisting of a band of metal with one or more finger holes designed to fit over the fingers of the hand. Generally, the outer edges of the brass knuckle will be undulated in order to deliver the kinetic force of a punch through a smaller and harder contact area. Brass knuckles can be made of any type of metal. Typically, but not exclusively, brass knuckles are made with four finger holes, though there are many variations. An example of such a variation would be "half knuckles", that is, a band of metal with only two finger holes.

46.* Brass knuckles can be combined with other weapons such as knives. These ‘brass knuckles knives' consist of two parts: a knife blade, and brass knuckles integrated into the handle. The blade part does not generally possess characteristics that would make it fall under the definition of prohibited weapon. Rather, it is the brass knuckles handle that will usually determine the knife's classification as a prohibited weapon. In order for the knife to be prohibited, the brass knuckles part of the knife must meet the definition of "brass knuckles" in the regulations. Therefore, to classify a ‘brass knuckles knife' as prohibited:

(a)*the handle must be a weapon; and(b)*that weapon must meet the definition of brass knuckles. It is not sufficient for the blade portion of the knife to be designed as a weapon.Exception:*The following goods generally do not meet the definition of prohibited weapon, and thus do not fall under tariff item 9898.00.00. Their misuse may nonetheless be punishable under other laws: (a) *plastic knuckles do not fall within the definition of "brass knuckle"; (b) *D-guard knives (knives with a hand-guard in the form of a "D").

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/dm-md/d19/d19-13-2-eng.html#a5x4

It also talks about centrifugal opening and other subjects more directly related to knives.