British Columbia Knife Laws

A

AmaraTheSilent

Joined
May 7, 2016
Messages
8
So I was looking around for knife law definitions and such and lets be honest Canadian law can be pretty vague on the topic.

I know it would not be "illegal" by direct definition but I want to get a Kukri that has a drop-sheath that loops over the belt and straps to the thigh of the leg.

Its a great survival tool, it has a weight and a broad edge great for cutting wood, the inside edge works well for carving and in a pinch you can hold the broad part of the blade from the blunt side of course directly and use the tip for skinning but Canadian law states, "There is no length restriction on carrying knives within the Criminal Code, but there is a prohibition against carrying a knife if the possessor intends to carry for a purpose dangerous to public peace or for the purpose of committing a criminal offense.[14] It is also an offense to take a weapon or prohibited device to a public meeting.[15]"

Now of course I have no intention to do this but what I am worried about is police officers giving me trouble simply for thinking that I might be intending to be "dangerous to public peace"

What should I do if I encounter a situation like this like its legal for me to have it on me but there are police officers that are over zealous or overly cautious, I actually remember a story about a police officer pulling his weapon on a friend of mine and pretty roughly cuffing him and such right in front of his son simply because his hunting rifle was on the dashboard of his truck unloaded and it was pretty clear it was for hunting by the deer in the back.

I understand its simply their job and I greatly appreciate the hard work and even danger they put themselves into but of course some can be high strung but I really never want to be in a scary situation like that just for having a knife on my leg.

Any advice would be nice, thank you.

Amara
 
Welcome to Bladeforums!

I would start with the obvious. Don't wear it in any densly populated area.
 
Well its a fairly small town, a "dense crowd" here is rarely more then 100 on any one spot and usually means its an event so by law I couldn't have it on me there anyways otherwise its a kind of hick town, summerland BC if you have heard of it.
 
Where I grew up, it would have been out of the question for sure. New York City. :D
 
Its more obvious than it seems. Out in the woods, you are fine, in town, not so much. As long as you have a valid reason, you should be alright, and read the situation. A massive survival knife in a national park might not get you grief with the RCMP, but maybe Parks and Wildlife will wonder if you are planning on building a cabin. Dressed head to two like a GI Joe wanna-be, and yeah, people might be nervous, depends on how you come across. A lot of people complain that Canada's laws are based on intent, but I see that as an advantage. If you look pretty harmless, and its clear what your intent is (camping, hunting, fishing) then its much harder for someone to think you are up to no good. Someone just out there "because I can" suddenly seems a little more suspect. Don't try to read too far into the law though, ultimately you follow it at face value, and if something should come up, the courts are there to decide who's right. I know a lot of people don't like that, but its simply a matter of which hill you win on.

Looking at the map, looks like you are in the tourist corridor there, so being local will be to your advantage as well. Just maybe put it in the trunk before heading to Penticton, and maybe make sure you listen to the news and don't be out if you match any descriptions! :D

Remember that there are two sides to every story. I've had two close friends get very forcibly arrested due to guns and cars. One was simply a case of mistaken identity, he was driving the right color of car, and had expended brass (he admitted it was a dumb move since that is illegal on its own) on the floor. The other was someone fooling around with an airsoft two days after a fatal carjacking.... bad move. Both were high risk situations, so it was a pretty severe situation both time.

So a gun unsecured on the dash of a car, you never know who called it in, and that would count as "in use" to an officer, remember a gun is loaded until you know it isn't. Not saying either the cop or your friend was correct, but there may have been more to the story there.

As for advice, attitude is everything, no idea on your age or ethnicity, but being aware of how you appear is a start. You are wearing the baggage of everyone who looks like you that that officer has ever met. Don't over explain, or talk about laws, just focus on the actual questions at hand. Enjoy the woods, you live in a really nice place man!
 
Well the gun on the dash was random he was driving back too town, he was barely in suburbs when he got pulled over for a bad light and it escalated from there, the chief came up and apologized cause it was overly excessive considering well i don't know anyone in the local area who doesn't have a hunting license. I think he just transferred too so he could have come from a big city too so I guess little details can make a difference.

On the other note, its not really g.i. joe at all its just a knife I really like and its a nice sheath considering the knife size it would sit really well and be really unobtrusive or in the way and it wouldn't really stand out a lot especially since i wont be waving it around like a mad man. Fyi Caucasian and 27. Its actually pretty old too, made in Saudi Arabia, with a bone hilt and nice rippling in the metal where it curves
 
All good, turns out the rest of the story makes sense. I got yelled at by a cop once for a mistake my insurance company made. But when I add that I was 19, had a bright pink mohawk, and was at fault for the accident, suddenly his attitude is a little more understandable.

As for the GI joe thing, I was more thinking your overall appearance. I've seen guys out in the woods looking like they were about to deploy, nothing wrong with a bit of camo, but when it all matches, but its obviously not a uniform.....

If the knife fits well, I'd say go for it. If most people treat you like an adult, then officers will too, I've known some guys who will be called "kid" until they are 50 I'm sure! And as much as I hate to admit it, I grew up in rural Sask, and then moved to Calgary, sadly being a white guy buys a lot of forgiveness.

As much as BC has a rep for being the hippy tree hugger province, the reality is that rural western canada is pretty well the same sort of folks, its hunting country, no one notices knives 9 times out of 10, and the 10th time its to ask about it.
 
Carry that knife out in the bush away from people. It would be obvious to anyone why you are carrying a large knife out hiking etc. I think you'd be asking for unwanted scrutiny from the knife weary sheep in town though, especially B.C. Carry a smaller blade in town. People are weird about everything that is out of their comfort zone. You ever notice how civilians get nervous and stare at a cop's gun sitting next to the them in a restaurant?

As you stated, it's all in the "intent". I've been carrying large and small folding blades in the city for 40 years. I've been questioned 10-20 times over the years by law enforcement as to why I'm carrying the blade. My answer is always the same. "No officer, this is not a weapon. It is a tool that I carry every day. I use it to cut cardboard and rope at work." That has always satisfied their curiosity. I've never once ever said I carry it for protection of any sort.

I used to work for the RCMP, and I found some members seem to know the all the gun and knife laws. Unfortunately, some don't. I had one tell me that my folding knife was illegal because the blade was longer than 3". I just laughed and told him to go read the legislation. I have no idea where he learned that nonsense.

Good luck, and welcome to the forum.
 
I know its weird, Everyone i talk to is all like "isnt the legal limit 3-5 inches [number varying from person to person] Like I know there is a i think 3 inch limit for a concealed knife, but concealed is a totally different bag of cats anyways.
 
Hiking around the backside of Summerland with a kukri is no big deal.

I walk around just a bit North or there wearing a hatchet or belt knife often.

I would probably prefer a smaller kukri carried scout style myself. Just because I find bigger awkward gear gets hung up in the brush. Except if attached to a pack.
 
On Friday I saw a guy walking down Wyandotte in Windsor carrying a 2 handed sword.
That's one of the main streets in a city of 200 thousand people.
He wasn't waving it around, but it was a huge sword with the handle clearly showing; no hassles by police.

If he had been taking it to the bar though, that would have been a different story. ;)

In general, just ask yourself "What would I tell the cops if they asked why I was carrying this?"
If the answer you would give doesn't even convince you, then carry something else. :)
 
Rusty Shackleford said:
weapon means any thing used, designed to be used or intended for use
(a) in causing death or injury to any person, or
(b) for the purpose of threatening or intimidating any person
Click to expand...


That's very true. However the rub with the wording of Canadian law is if you can prove you were carrying the knife as a tool, then it was never a "weapon" in the first place. Kind of silly, and open to interpretation by law enforcement and the courts. It's still way better than some places that have blade length restrictions etc.
 
beeperboy said:
That's very true. However the rub with the wording of Canadian law is if you can prove you were carrying the knife as a tool, then it was never a "weapon" in the first place. Kind of silly, and open to interpretation by law enforcement and the courts. It's still way better than some places that have blade length restrictions etc.
Click to expand...

Where does it say this?
 
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