Traveling to Canada - Need help!

There is no blade length limit in Canada. Google "Canadian Knife Laws" and "Flying to Canada:How to check your knife" or "Items Prohibited on Canadian Flights"
Click on the ones with the .gov and you can find all the answers to your questions. :)
 
Domestic flights in Canada allow for small jack knives. From the catsa website:
Jackknife (e.g., Swiss Army knife)

Carry On Baggage:
Yes

Checked Baggage:
Yes

A jackknife with a blade 6 cm or less is permitted when flying within Canada or to an international (non-U.S.) destination. Knives of any type or length are not permitted in your carry-on on flights to the U.S.

As far as checked baggage goes, Customs regs currently state for all intents and purposes that one handed knives are prohibited.
 
This may be a little off topic (slightly), but I was thinking about Canada recently and some of the restrictions recently put in place by their customs and some of the other knives they've prohibited (like autos, balis, gravity knives, push daggers, trench knives, etc.) and I was thinking, it sounds like they could use their own organization along the lines of Knife Rights here in the states. Has anybody watched Skallagrim on YouTube? He's a knife reviewer and collector in Canada who's often talked about the country's dated and absurd knife restrictions. Seems like he would be the ideal individual to head up such an organization.
 
Knife_Collector_101 said:
This may be a little off topic (slightly), but I was thinking about Canada recently and some of the restrictions recently put in place by their customs and some of the other knives they've prohibited (like autos, balis, gravity knives, push daggers, trench knives, etc.) and I was thinking, it sounds like they could use their own organization along the lines of Knife Rights here in the states. Has anybody watched Skallagrim on YouTube? He's a knife reviewer and collector in Canada who's often talked about the country's dated and absurd knife restrictions. Seems like he would be the ideal individual to head up such an organization.
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Not to say its a bad idea. The thing is that I'm pretty sure the NFA has looked into it some, and they do try to keep bad laws out. They were successful in getting the long-gun registry tanked, due to its needless over-spending. But Canada overall has a different legal culture when it comes to weapons in general, and also in the public sphere there is a different perception. I don't think many people see a switchblade as a tool, because they've never been exposed to automatic rescue knives. That said, any organization that wanted their employees to carry switchblades could probably lobby to make that happen, but I doubt it would be cost effective. It also has to do with a difference in power balance between local, provincial and federal compared to how its broken down in the US, so the comparison isn't 1-1. The legal framework that CBSA is using to make its own declarations have also been abused in the past in other areas, but there is a lot of pressure for them to keep those powers that are far in excess of what would otherwise be allowed because they fit will within the security theater, and can do things other police forces could not. Where that pressure is coming from, be it 5eyes or the US only, I don't know. But most Canadians don't see extrajudicial actions as the problem that Americans would, that whole constitutional powers thing.
 
gadgetgeek said:
Not to say its a bad idea. The thing is that I'm pretty sure the NFA has looked into it some, and they do try to keep bad laws out. They were successful in getting the long-gun registry tanked, due to its needless over-spending. But Canada overall has a different legal culture when it comes to weapons in general, and also in the public sphere there is a different perception. I don't think many people see a switchblade as a tool, because they've never been exposed to automatic rescue knives. That said, any organization that wanted their employees to carry switchblades could probably lobby to make that happen, but I doubt it would be cost effective. It also has to do with a difference in power balance between local, provincial and federal compared to how its broken down in the US, so the comparison isn't 1-1. The legal framework that CBSA is using to make its own declarations have also been abused in the past in other areas, but there is a lot of pressure for them to keep those powers that are far in excess of what would otherwise be allowed because they fit will within the security theater, and can do things other police forces could not. Where that pressure is coming from, be it 5eyes or the US only, I don't know. But most Canadians don't see extrajudicial actions as the problem that Americans would, that whole constitutional powers thing.
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All things to consider, for sure. I actually did find a page on Facebook called "Canadian Knife Rights." So it looks like somebody tried to get such a thing going a few years ago. Doesn't look like it's really gone anywhere. Perhaps somebody could convince a few elected officials in Canada that switchblades and balisongs are now more novelty items instead of gangster weapons. A clause providing for licenses for collectors to buy those and other restricted items may possibly be doable. Sometimes taking the "baby steps" approach is where to start in getting some places to become more lenient. I believe Australia's customs agency recently changed its rules to allow one hand open flipper knives to be imported. Once a trend takes hold one place, it's just a matter of time before others follow suit.
 
Living in Australia now, I know of the aussie case, it took a long time, but was not due to extrajudicial powers on the part of the customs and boarder agency, as I understand it (Australia has more criminal code on the state level than Canada does, so that makes it weird too) In Canada's case knives are not the problem as much as the fact that CBSA can do what it pleases without due process (intercept phone calls, and wifi, make arrests and hold persons without due process) This makes it much harder, in the Aussie case it was a matter of changing federal law, in Canada's case it would mean changing the powers of CBSA, which would be much harder. We'll get more done against CBSA by helping groups like the EFF and the like as they have more weight and a more "valid" cause in the minds of the public.
 
Where are you flying from and too? What are you doing inside Canada? Going to a CPA conference or a hunting big horn sheep.

As a rule crossing any international border is serious. Going into the USA many times I've be been quizzed as if my intent was to overthrow a lawful government.

Carrying knives around Canada is pretty casual. As already noted Balis and switchblades have been prohibited for a very long time but other working knives are fine. Recently outside purchases/imports of flipper type knives have become problematic. During this period I have bought several one hand opening knives form well known US knife websites like Blade HQ and had them pass through customs without any issues but as always that type of evidence is anecdotal.
 
Danke42 said:
Where are you flying from and too? What are you doing inside Canada? Going to a CPA conference or a hunting big horn sheep.

As a rule crossing any international border is serious. Going into the USA many times I've be been quizzed as if my intent was to overthrow a lawful government.

Carrying knives around Canada is pretty casual. As already noted Balis and switchblades have been prohibited for a very long time but other working knives are fine. Recently outside purchases/imports of flipper type knives have become problematic. During this period I have bought several one hand opening knives form well known US knife websites like Blade HQ and had them pass through customs without any issues but as always that type of evidence is anecdotal.
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I'm flying from NY into Montreal, the plan is just to tour around and ski. I mostly want a knife with me for utility purposes and because I feel kinda naked without it haha.. I settled on this little guy. Blade length of 2.6'' and overall length of 5.4''. I figured it was better to not leave anything open for interpretation in terms of ease and speed of deployment. Thanks for the help!

TcVpKZ2
 
Fernando Cervera said:
I'm flying from NY into Montreal, the plan is just to tour around and ski. I mostly want a knife with me for utility purposes and because I feel kinda naked without it haha.. I settled on this little guy. Blade length of 2.6'' and overall length of 5.4''. I figured it was better to not leave anything open for interpretation in terms of ease and speed of deployment. Thanks for the help!

TcVpKZ2
Click to expand...
Going to Montreal means make sure the knife is not visible. They have a municipal ordinance that banned knives being seen.

For travel I'd say pack with your ski gear in checked luggage.
 
hows it going everybody, need some help here, I'll be moving to Canada, British Columbia sometime next month in October. for the past 3 years, I've accumulated some knives, I was wondering if they are legal for me to travel with by air,? of course, knives will be in a checked bag.would hate to sell them if I cant bring them with me. any help is appreciated. thank you

Benchmade 810,943,940,484,550,140
ZT 0566
kershaw blur
Paramilitary 2
 
Should be good to go!
 
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