Canada Customs and Axis Locks!

The Border folks have gone nutso and are enforcing laws that don't exist these days.
If at all possible, buy knives already in the country...the cops and courts are not insane like the Border people.
 
I've had the same problem in NZ, customs seizing folders as 'prohibited imports' despite the fact the same knives are for sale at retailers here. Pointing this out to customs is truly an exercise in futility.

Though I did get my ZT 0452CF 'flick knife' after 6 months of 'communicating' and appealing their seizure on the grounds it had no legal basis.
 
Did the Customs Form declare that the contents were knives. I've been advised not to do that but use a different term like "camping tool" and put the total value at $30.00. I recently sent some Leeks and didn't hear of any problem. Should I even be typing this?
 
I ended up losing a Spyderco Salt several years ago at Customs and went through the hoops(spoke to officer/wrote an appeal letter citing laws and showing stores that sold it within Canada). I lost the written appeal and was told, at the time, the law basically gave the officer the discretion to apply it as they saw fit, for lack of a better way to describe it. What bugged me most about my experience was the officer essentially stating perhaps I should have made the purchase within Canada if I knew there were dealers within Canada.

| only buy within Canada now if it's at all possible.

Good luck and I hope you have a better experience than me.
 
I have been ordering some Great Eastern slip joints of late and was tagged recently with around $30 in extra fees. Payment was due on delivery so my shipment did get noticed on its way through the border. Hopefully it is not a trend that continues or worsens with inspections or seizure. I can buy a Benchmade or Spyderco closer to home,,,but not a GEC.

,,,Mike in Canada
 
Stabmans' right. Just avoid the hassle and buy them here. Might cost a few bucks more sometimes, but at least there's no hassle. I hope you get your Benchmade eventually.
 
Steely Dan said:
I thought I would order a couple Axis Lock style knives to try out.
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Steely Dan said:
Luckily it's not a Benchmade Osborne or something super expensive
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One thing I notice from all the posts the OP has made in this thread is he never said he ordered a Benchmade but rather just an Axis lock knife. Is it fair to say these are not Benchmade axis locks but rather the counterfeits made in China? If so, an epacket from China containing a counterfeit knife that can easily be flung open will surely garner more attention. Am I way off base here? In this case, I think it is actually good that such things don't make it past the boarder.

That said, it seems customs is going a bit crazy as of late. I've shipped a Benchmade with the real Axis lock to canada but it was some time ago. No problem. The buyer asked me to crank the pivot down tight and list it as a camping tool. Perhaps a legit dealer selling real Axis lock knives could do the same for you. And as has been mentioned you should be able to get Benchmades in country.
 
I've never had a problem shipping or receiving any folders here in Canada even up until a couple months ago; shame to hear border patrol is acting like fools recently.

There's no logic to it and certainly no crimes being committed with these sort of knives here that would warrant or justify cracking down on them. :thumbdn::thumbdn::thumbdn:
 
Czechmate said:
I've never had a problem shipping or receiving any folders here in Canada even up until a couple months ago; shame to hear border patrol is acting like fools recently.

There's no logic to it and certainly no crimes being committed with these sort of knives here that would warrant or justify cracking down on them. :thumbdn::thumbdn::thumbdn:
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Especially when you can get a Benchmade Axis lock knife in country. Makes no sense.
 
I've been told marking them as "camping tools" is also a sure fire way to have them inspected. I think it's a common phrase for knives and they've caught onto it.

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.
 
Eric@DLT said:
I've been told marking them as "camping tools" is also a sure fire way to have them inspected. I think it's a common phrase for knives and they've caught onto it.

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.
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Interesting. What do you mark them as then?
 
They are marked with the exact item that is in the box, not as a generic phrase.

We do our fair share of business into canada and have had pretty good luck with a few exceptions.
 
It's not just Axis locks. I had three RAT 1's in D2 from KW confiscated by Canada Customs recently. It's really becoming difficult to buy knives here when customs can arbitrarily declare any knife as a "gravity knife" and confiscate it. Not to get political but it seems that this started happening right when the new government came into power.
 
Eric@DLT said:
I've been told marking them as "camping tools" is also a sure fire way to have them inspected. I think it's a common phrase for knives and they've caught onto it.

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.
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The shipper marked it as ''Outdoor Sports'' and that might have started the problems right there!
 
Sorry to hear about your axis knives bud! A little while back I had a Spyderco Military seized at the border. I called a few times and wrote an appeal, even named 6 different places where the same knife could be purchased in Canada. I told the lady "it seems strange to me that I ordered the one Millie that was made illegal". 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! :D. Hope this helps!
 
Duper said:
I have been ordering some Great Eastern slip joints of late and was tagged recently with around $30 in extra fees. Payment was due on delivery so my shipment did get noticed on its way through the border. Hopefully it is not a trend that continues or worsens with inspections or seizure. I can buy a Benchmade or Spyderco closer to home,,,but not a GEC.

,,,Mike in Canada
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I also ordered a couple GEC knives 2yrs ago. I never had a problem with duties or customs though! I think the American shipper declared them as small camping knives.
 
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Knifeoholic said:
Sorry to hear about your axis knives bud! A little while back I had a Spyderco Military seized at the border. I called a few times and wrote an appeal, even named 6 different places where the same knife could be purchased in Canada. I told the lady "it seems strange to me that I ordered the one Millie that was made illegal". 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! :D. Hope this helps!
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I was doing a little research and I read the Borderpals are taught to check Spydercos closely! They have a silky smooth pivot and I imagine they try the flick test on most of them. If they can flick it open, it's a gravity knife. I don't think I will ever see the knives they seized. They will most likely give me the option to surrender it for destruction.
 
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.
 
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