Canadian Knife Laws

Wait, what? Really? I thought that in the past, owning or carrying a spring operated knife (switchblade) was illegal in Canada, but things like assisted opening flippers we OK as they didn't use a spring but rather a torsion bar and thumb stud. However, I thought that that had changed recently, and torsion bar assisted knives are now illegal to own or carry in Canada.
Please tell me I'm wrong, tell me it's only an issue of import from the States. Tell me that if I'm at a street corner here in Toronto, standing beside a police officer, and I decide to use my trusty Kershaw Leek to peel, cut and eat an apple...there wouldn't be a problem?
 
matt gold said:
Wait, what? Really? I thought that in the past, owning or carrying a spring operated knife (switchblade) was illegal in Canada, but things like assisted opening flippers we OK as they didn't use a spring but rather a torsion bar and thumb stud. However, I thought that that had changed recently, and torsion bar assisted knives are now illegal to own or carry in Canada.
Please tell me I'm wrong, tell me it's only an issue of import from the States. Tell me that if I'm at a street corner here in Toronto, standing beside a police officer, and I decide to use my trusty Kershaw Leek to peel, cut and eat an apple...there wouldn't be a problem?
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Assisted opening knives are still cool within Canada (but keep them away from the Border folks!).
What happens with individual police officers and knives is unpredictable, but I had a cop see my 5 inch blade Cold Steel Voyager before, and his main comment was don't pull it out in public because people might end up calling the police.

Legally the Leek would be just fine, but I wouldn't like to test how any police officer would react to any knife if I could avoid doing so. ;)
 
Well the BS has officially started. A few weeks ago I bought a couple SOG's and Gerbers at blow out prices to give away as gifts at Walmart. (SOG Salute Mini was only $10) I went to a couple other Walmarts near by hoping to find more but the knife shelf's were empty!!! Fast forward to today and the knife shelf isn't empty but there isn't a single knife with a thumb stud in it. I wonder what other retailers are going to follow in Walmarts foot steps?
 
matt gold said:
Wait, what? Really? I thought that in the past, owning or carrying a spring operated knife (switchblade) was illegal in Canada, but things like assisted opening flippers we OK as they didn't use a spring but rather a torsion bar and thumb stud. However, I thought that that had changed recently, and torsion bar assisted knives are now illegal to own or carry in Canada.
Please tell me I'm wrong, tell me it's only an issue of import from the States. Tell me that if I'm at a street corner here in Toronto, standing beside a police officer, and I decide to use my trusty Kershaw Leek to peel, cut and eat an apple...there wouldn't be a problem?
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Sorry for the double post. But my understanding is a Switch Blade was illegal because its an automatic knife meaning it opens with just a push of a button. Where as assisted you still had to push against the blade.
 
cbrstar said:
Sorry for the double post. But my understanding is a Switch Blade was illegal because its an automatic knife meaning it opens with just a push of a button. Where as assisted you still had to push against the blade.
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A friend of mine told me that assisted 'flippers' are legal here because they are 'designed AROUND the law'. You only touch the blade itself to open, you don't require centrifugal force to deploy, (like a butterfly knife) and the letter of the law says "spring operated", where these knives employ a torsion bar.
I also worry, however, that this has changed recently behind the scenes.
For example, the Kershaw site won't even let you change the currency in CAD, as it will just bring up a warning that these are illegal to own, carry, import into Canada.
That being said, you can still buy flippers in crap loads of shops in and around TO, so I just don't get it.

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matt gold said:
A friend of mine told me that assisted 'flippers' are legal here because they are 'designed AROUND the law'. You only touch the blade itself to open, you don't require centrifugal force to deploy, (like a butterfly knife) and the letter of the law says "spring operated", where these knives employ a torsion bar.
I also worry, however, that this has changed recently behind the scenes.
For example, the Kershaw site won't even let you change the currency in CAD, as it will just bring up a warning that these are illegal to own, carry, import into Canada.
That being said, you can still buy flippers in crap loads of shops in and around TO, so I just don't get it.
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Canadian knife laws have not changed, just the way CBSA interprets them on imports.
Flippers, thumbstuds, assisted are all legal to carry however they would get seized at the border by CBSA.

Kai/zero tolerance/Kershaw have not directly shipped folders to Canada for a long time (if even at all) much before this CBSA chaos.
 
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If you read the CBSA's BS interpretation of the law. Then your common household X-Acto knife is a prohibited weapon

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Some of them open with a button or thumb stud literally on the handle. Require minimal force to open, and if you flick it hard enough will open all the way.
 
Don’t matter what you carry! If a cop sees it then it’ll be up to his discretion to confiscate it or even more!

That being said F$CK these stupid knife laws CBSA is inforcing , if they feel it’s fine to just make slaw then start taking people knives that’s total BS!!! I know I had one taking from me!

Also watch out who you buy from aswell as some people/seller/company knives will automatically be red flagged upon entry and checked out
 
There is still no rhyme or reason to what is happening at our border.

So many of my friends have had knives confiscated, and were forced to RTS and ship proxy out of their own pocket. At least this is an option given to us, however the circumstances that have bred it are still ludicrous.

My Zinker x Massdrop Dogtooth made it through just fine, wasn't even stopped.
My JE Made Loveless/NY Special SLIPJOINT passed through the same portal and was held for 12 days, came to me literally wrapped in CBSA post-inspection tape. I had to call and request it be released.

I have a USA made custom @ Miami FL Int. waiting to cross the hump in the next day or two.. fingers crossed.
 
Hi im 40 years old from Canada and i bought plenty of knife in the past from USA and was always trying to buy what was legal to own and to my surprise i got my Rick Hinderer XM-24 Bowie seized by CBSA on the December 24th 2018, im saying to my surprise because i bought the XM-18 Bowie without a problem even got charged 162$ CAD for import charge the march 28th 2018, im not here to debate or anything about it i know i cant change what they think about that i tried everything i could and at the whats left is they told me i could send it back to the seller with some special delivery service that are allowed to transport prohibited weapon and everywhere i look no one do this kind of shipping for personal package...my question and much needed help is about is there any compagnies that do that kind of shipping here in canada ? if not that beautiful XM-24 Bowie is going to be destroyed in the next 50 days i had 90 days and 40 days are gone already.
 
blkmambox said:
Hi im 40 years old from Canada and i bought plenty of knife in the past from USA and was always trying to buy what was legal to own and to my surprise i got my Rick Hinderer XM-24 Bowie seized by CBSA on the December 24th 2018, im saying to my surprise because i bought the XM-18 Bowie without a problem even got charged 162$ CAD for import charge the march 28th 2018, im not here to debate or anything about it i know i cant change what they think about that i tried everything i could and at the whats left is they told me i could send it back to the seller with some special delivery service that are allowed to transport prohibited weapon and everywhere i look no one do this kind of shipping for personal package...my question and much needed help is about is there any compagnies that do that kind of shipping here in canada ? if not that beautiful XM-24 Bowie is going to be destroyed in the next 50 days i had 90 days and 40 days are gone already.
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Punctuation.
To assist your problem, if DHL or FedEx can't take it, you will need to find out what requirements CBSA has regarding who they will release the knife to for shipment. Since they change the rules often, unless someone has had to do it recently, I don't know if anyone could give you much help. I would also contact the retailer to see if they can request the shipping from their end. Otherwise, I'm out of ideas. Hopefully someone else will chime in with a solution.
 
This knife came from knife hunter on ebay and they did try on their end. To me this knife was very important it was a promise of my part to my family to stop smoking cigarettes upon receiving that knife, that im dreamed about. When i knew the knife was seized i took whats left of courage and showed my family i could stop smoking even if Canadian border services agencies are not helping on this kind of honor i put in a simple knife. Im just very disappointed with what those people doesn't understand when it comes to logic with what those knife really represent. Im waiting for a return of a call from CBSA to get more specific indication to understand what or where i can look to get help for this kind of problem but really the confusing way they inform me the less possibilities i see to recover or save what was suppose to be one the greatest day of my life. Im a fan of knives since my young age my first knife was given to me by my grand-mother and i have been buying collecting and selling knife since then.
 
blkmambox said:
This knife came from knife hunter on ebay and they did try on their end. To me this knife was very important it was a promise of my part to my family to stop smoking cigarettes upon receiving that knife, that im dreamed about. When i knew the knife was seized i took whats left of courage and showed my family i could stop smoking even if Canadian border services agencies are not helping on this kind of honor i put in a simple knife. Im just very disappointed with what those people doesn't understand when it comes to logic with what those knife really represent. Im waiting for a return of a call from CBSA to get more specific indication to understand what or where i can look to get help for this kind of problem but really the confusing way they inform me the less possibilities i see to recover or save what was suppose to be one the greatest day of my life. Im a fan of knives since my young age my first knife was given to me by my grand-mother and i have been buying collecting and selling knife since then.
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I am so sorry to hear that. You have my sympathies cause I have no idea how you could possibly get it unless maybe if you have or know someone with a restricted weapons liscence. Then maybe you could ship it to that person with said restricted weapons license as I believe even switchblades are allowed to Canadians with restricted weapons licence.

Once it is in the country there is no issue with carrying it. Don’t tell whoever you are communicating with about the knife that though. Firmly convince them you are selling the knife to whoever has the restricted weapons license.

First double check that a restricted firearms license holder is allowed switchblades. If that is true that they are and they give you a hard time to mentioning that switchblades are allowed to said restricted firearms license holder. (Assuming that restricted firearms license holder is allowed switch blades) Convince them that it was a very expensive knife and you are only selling it as a last resort to recoup the value. Maybe if all else fails try telling them you already sold it to whoever has that restricted weapons license.

Not sure if that would work at all but that is just a random idea I had trying to think what I would do if I was in your shoes.
 
Sorry Lapedog Lapedog , if that was the case, I'd have owned one, and even if there were other ways under any of the various licences, I know guys who would have. No go, prohibited specifically.

CBSA has, and continues to play by their own rules. Sorry, but that is the way of it. Honestly you are as good off contacting your MP, and seeing what they might do. The knife is not the bigger problem. The CBSA is, and the fight has been ongoing, it just can't gain much traction, because the conversation always stops at terrorism.

I know that they dangle that carrot, but I don't recall anyone on the forum ever getting a knife sent back. Its easier if its going the other way, although there are legal considerations (admitting to a crime) if it was Canada to US. But I just don't know. Someone currently working in import law would be the only way to really find out. I'm not kidding, the CBSA changes the rules every time someone figures them out it seems. If its worth talking to an import/trade lawyer, then maybe that can help you, otherwise I'm sorry, knives crossing into Canada are subject to the whim of whoever looks at it. I try really hard not to be cynical, but I suspect it will end up in someone's pocket.
 
Once I saw Lapedog's post about a "restricted weapons license" allowing Canadians to own prohibited items like switchblades and balisongs, I got excited and thought, "I got to tell my Canadian friends!" But once I read gadgetgeek's response, I guess that's not the case. Bummer.

Knife owners in Canada are going to really need to do some serious organizing, campaigning and petitioning to their elected officials if they want the country's knife laws changed.
 
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At some point, why even a Canadian would think thats right or acceptable!? Its like saying USA are terrorist by manufacturing those knives. Rick Hinderer is a good example of what a good citizen is and do in is community and he is making knife the represent is way of seeing life, all that love is represented by the quality of is work, and us as Canadian are being told that we cant have those knife because thats terrorists shit. Its just nonsense and its lacking big time respect on what we share most between all of us.
 
blkmambox said:
Hi im 40 years old from Canada and i bought plenty of knife in the past from USA and was always trying to buy what was legal to own and to my surprise i got my Rick Hinderer XM-24 Bowie seized by CBSA on the December 24th 2018, im saying to my surprise because i bought the XM-18 Bowie without a problem even got charged 162$ CAD for import charge the march 28th 2018, im not here to debate or anything about it i know i cant change what they think about that i tried everything i could and at the whats left is they told me i could send it back to the seller with some special delivery service that are allowed to transport prohibited weapon and everywhere i look no one do this kind of shipping for personal package...my question and much needed help is about is there any compagnies that do that kind of shipping here in canada ? if not that beautiful XM-24 Bowie is going to be destroyed in the next 50 days i had 90 days and 40 days are gone already.
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UPS can do it when I had this problem they initially told me they couldn't but I had to talk to a manager who told me what to do. I also had to get some help from CBSA as the location for pick up and the procedure takes a bit of instruction. Ultimately I used the UPS web site for my shipment and I think it cost me about $40 to ship it back.
 
zzyzzogeton said:
For us non-Canadians, does that mean the Government said "We're going to ignore the petition."?
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Yes.

On November, 16, 2017, the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) [AP-2017-012] made an order confirming that five Kershaw Skyline Model 1760 folding knives were found to be prohibited weapons pursuant to the definition of “prohibited weapon” in the Criminal Code in that they each have a blade that “opens automatically by gravity or centrifugal force or by hand pressure applied to a button, spring, or other device in or attached to the handle of the knife.” The CITT is an independent, quasi-judicial body that operates at arm’s length from the Government of Canada. The decision confirms an earlier decision made by the Canada Border Services Agency which found that such knives are prohibited weapons and are, therefore, prohibited from importation into Canada pursuant to subsection 136(1) of the Customs Tariff. Weapons that are determined to be prohibited are done so for public safety reasons. The Government of Canada has no plans at this time to amend the definition of “prohibited weapon” at subsection 84(1) of the Criminal Code to enable the possession of folding knives, including Kershaw Skyline Model 1760 folding knives.​
 
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