Driving from Fla. to Canada with balis, bad idea?

D

daleduro

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Jun 6, 2007
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I live in Florida and am going to be driving up to Ottawa, Ont. at the end of next month. I’ll be staying there for a week just on holiday, shopping, walking, having fun, celebrating a wedding anniversary. Here is the bad part. I have several balis that I want to take along, just to play with, like in the hotel room, not outside. One has a dulled blade and the other 2 don’t but are small. I also have a nice little Magnum (Boker) pocket knife that some might say is a switchblade since it is quickly deployed by a button, and some say it’s not. That comes in handy for lots of non-criminally associated things, like getting the cellophane off a new CD.

Since I am traveling through 6 states on the way I guess if I were stopped for any reason and any of these were discovered, I’d be subject to the laws of each state, right? Even if all blades were safely locked away in a suitcase?

What about going into Canada from the states? How do you answer the question “do you have any weapons or firearms?” if they ask. Somehow I can’t imagine saying “yes I have 3 balis that are my hobby that I flip and twirl (which is absolutely true), and I also have this handy pocket knife that I just carry around.” I’d really cry if they kept them and I don’t want to set myself up for a huge hassle that would ruin the trip. I’d like to have my cake and eat it too, so what should I do, have a nervous breakdown and leave the cutlery at home? Or take them?
 
The balis are illegal in canada and you will lose them at the border with no chance of return. Same for the button deploying knife.

Probably be less trouble just to leave them all at home!
 
Leave them at home for sure......no need for any unexpected extended stays on the way there or back if you know what I mean....
 
Does this also apply to a trainer? I mean a for-real bali trainer? I would personally consider this a toy since it really can't hurt anybody. They probably wouldn't see it this way though. Whatever you guys say, that's what I'm going to do. Thanks.
 
The only advice we can give you here is: follow the law.

Leave the balis at home, with any other knife you think might violate local laws. You're going to be out-of-area. Why set yourself up to worry unnecessarily?

Personally, I think all laws regulating carry of weapons are counterproductive, if not actually pandering. They are often illogical and contradictory. But as long as they are on the books, and you aren't out to protest against them, don't make trouble for yourself on a vacation, of all times.
 
Canadian Customs will interrupt the northward journeys of normal locking-blade Spyderco folders quite regularly, so I hate to think what they would do with a bali. If Canadian Customs didn't get you on the way up, U.S. Customs would not be fun to deal with on the way back. Attitudes towards blades are such that I tend to travel only with the most innocuous blades, despite having a police badge.
 
Driving from Fla. to Canada with balis, bad idea?
Click to expand...
Yes. Very bad idea.

Our customs officers have broad powers and, sometimes, bad attitudes.
And balis are agin' the law.
 
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