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Label it as "Camping equipment".
Is it safe to send a friend a regular folder if I'm in the US and he's in Canada?
- Thread starter whatshouldiget
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As a person who had their Protech Mordax seized and destroyed... yes you are lucky.
Kmikaz3
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I took a gambling. But, i've read that Drop has a really good CS if your knife ever got seized. So, that's why i pulled to trigger and wasn't disappointed. I'm sorry for your lost though.
Yes, thankfully they gave me a full refund despite the knife being destroyed. The experience and possible future ramifications from the first knife seizure had definitely quashed buying any knives from outside of Canada for me.I took a gambling. But, i've read that Drop has a really good CS if your knife ever got seized. So, that's why i pulled to trigger and wasn't disappointed. I'm sorry for your lost though.
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Kmikaz3
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Yes, i always buy locally unless im insured with good CS, but we are so limited here in Canada. When i look at US dealer, they offer a wide range of varieties and makers. That makes me craving but the insecurity that comes with Canada border deterts the hell out of me. Like for instance, im eyeing for a while now, a Koenig Arius on DLT Trading, but what if they seize a $500 usd knife.... no thank you.
Kmikaz3
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I think we were fairly limited to begin with and then comes the 2018 folder ban law that doesn’t help our dealer whatsoever. And as a result, they inflated the price on what they got.
there is no 'folder ban law' - the actual law is fairly good, and really just bans fully automatic & 'gravity' & balisong type knives
border agents decided to interpret it overly broadly, and will sometimes stop flippers, calling them automatic when they're really not
border agents decided to interpret it overly broadly, and will sometimes stop flippers, calling them automatic when they're really not
https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/cn-ad/cn18-01-eng.html the Mordax wasn't called an "automatic" or "gravity" by the CBSA to me, the official reason for the seizure listed on the document sent to me was because the knife had an "index flipper tab".
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Kmikaz3
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Yes there’s technically no folders ban law, but as of 2018 it is a hell lot more difficult to buy knives abroad. Seller like RECON-1 even decided to quit shipping knives to Canada altogether, even though they still honor international shipping on their site or site like knifecenter are real hard to deal with when it come to shipping to Canada. Knives that is inland remain legal but what passed through the customs remain to the discretion of the agent and what they interpreted which most of time is overzealous. So, my mistake for calling folders ban law, i should have called “2018 Overzealous CBSA folders ban law”
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If it gets stopped, your friend will get a letter with options he can take. He can appeal the decision which is a dead end. He can find a courier that will pick it up from customs and deliver it back to you. Thats one of the options that was outlined in the mail I got from CSBA.
Anything folder, you can open a little bit and then use wrist to full open, they can say is considered a weapon. They cite a few cases that are partially related, that were ruled in their favor and they go by it. Any torsion bar, automatic is already a weapon, but now they added flippers into it and whatever they want. Fixed blades I think are fine, unless it says weapon on the declaration.
Anything folder, you can open a little bit and then use wrist to full open, they can say is considered a weapon. They cite a few cases that are partially related, that were ruled in their favor and they go by it. Any torsion bar, automatic is already a weapon, but now they added flippers into it and whatever they want. Fixed blades I think are fine, unless it says weapon on the declaration.
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jideta
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Just read thing where Brian Tighe said the only way to get his stuff from US to his Canada place was to disassemble the knives and send separately.
Maybe that's the ticket to Canadian buyers, break the knives down and send them as 'hobby kits.'
Maybe that's the ticket to Canadian buyers, break the knives down and send them as 'hobby kits.'
I'd declare any non-restricted folder as a "used pocket knife" and any non-kitchen fixed blade as a "used camping knife". If it's something old and out of the ordinary for EDC like a Fairbairn Sykes I'd say "antique knife". Calling it a "camping tool" is odd sounding and might be a red flag to a customs officer. Most folders are not at all illegal to own in Canada and red flagging it to customs with some weird evasive sounding BS seems foolish. It's also not worth lying about the value which people sometimes do to beat duty and taxes. Most knives worth shipping are worth insuring and the insured value is the declared value. There's no import duty on knives declared as US made and if you send it USPS a lot of the of the time it slides though Canada Post without even any sales tax especially if you declare it as used. The nice folks at UPS and FedEx tend to rat you out for the declared value and collect the sales tax when they deliver or worse send you a bill after the fact.
For people wondering about crossing the border and carrying knives in Canada you're highly unlikely to have problems bringing any fixed blade or non-restricted folder into Canada. We're kinda outdoorsy up here and pretty accepting about people having knives. Canadian law clearly prohibits full autos, butterflies, belt buckle knives and push daggers. Don't ever try to ship or take something like that across the border especially (thinking of autos here) in full functioning condition. Technically drop openers and some flippers are illegal. I say technically because you'd have to be doing something seriously stupid to get charged with having one on you. That said I would avoid taking a flipper across the border. Recently Canada seems to be dealing with flippers like they do firearms meaning that there's no rhyme or reason to some of the ridiculous knee-jerk laws on the books. Drop openers seem to be a total non-issue.
Concealed carry is technically illegal in Canada. Again I say technically because it's not likely to be a problem if you can justify that knife for work or recreation and the concealment is incidental rather than with intent to commit a crime (ie. the knife in your pocket or on your belt is under a rain jacket and it's raining). Other than the few clearly restricted types the law in Canada regarding knives is vague. Much of whether carrying or not a knife is illegal depends on your intent. Never ever state self defense as a reason for carrying a knife. Admitting to using a knife with any kind of premeditated intent of violence including self defense is probably going to be a felony charge. Big knives can be fine but don't carry a blade you can't justify for work or recreation, use a little common sense in stores and restaurants, in urban areas, when dealing with peace officers and you won't have any problems carrying a knife in Canada.
For people wondering about crossing the border and carrying knives in Canada you're highly unlikely to have problems bringing any fixed blade or non-restricted folder into Canada. We're kinda outdoorsy up here and pretty accepting about people having knives. Canadian law clearly prohibits full autos, butterflies, belt buckle knives and push daggers. Don't ever try to ship or take something like that across the border especially (thinking of autos here) in full functioning condition. Technically drop openers and some flippers are illegal. I say technically because you'd have to be doing something seriously stupid to get charged with having one on you. That said I would avoid taking a flipper across the border. Recently Canada seems to be dealing with flippers like they do firearms meaning that there's no rhyme or reason to some of the ridiculous knee-jerk laws on the books. Drop openers seem to be a total non-issue.
Concealed carry is technically illegal in Canada. Again I say technically because it's not likely to be a problem if you can justify that knife for work or recreation and the concealment is incidental rather than with intent to commit a crime (ie. the knife in your pocket or on your belt is under a rain jacket and it's raining). Other than the few clearly restricted types the law in Canada regarding knives is vague. Much of whether carrying or not a knife is illegal depends on your intent. Never ever state self defense as a reason for carrying a knife. Admitting to using a knife with any kind of premeditated intent of violence including self defense is probably going to be a felony charge. Big knives can be fine but don't carry a blade you can't justify for work or recreation, use a little common sense in stores and restaurants, in urban areas, when dealing with peace officers and you won't have any problems carrying a knife in Canada.
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colubrid
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Customs kept it because they said it contained illegal elaphan ivory. Which it did not. This was years ago. So it probably sits in someones collection.
Getting seized knives returned to the original sender is extremely difficult if not impossible from what I know and have read. In my experience, Massdrop didn't try and told me not to bother to try to get the knife returned to them from the CBSA even though they gave me a full refund. I wouldn't consider getting the knife returned to the seller an option.
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