Is it safe to send a friend a regular folder if I'm in the US and he's in Canada?

Is it safe to send a folding knife from the US to a friend in Canada?

  • Yes

    Votes: 13 43.3%
  • No

    Votes: 17 56.7%

  • Total voters
    30
Joined
May 17, 2013
Messages
33
Basically wanna send my buddy a folder. From what I'm reading they're not illegal but sometimes the border people will confiscate them. But also if I disassemble the knife before I ship it that it will most likely be fine. So, is it safe to send? Sorry if this isnt the right forum and thanks!
 
No, if you try to send anything knife-related to Canada, they send the Mounties to your house here in the US and you get slapped with a river salmon. Dude, a full grown one too. Insane. I wouldn't chance it.
 
I sent a Yojimbo 2 to Canada from the US a couple weeks ago and it made it there safely, no issues. I didn't even crank the pivot down tight or anything, and put "cutlery" on the customs form. Could've gotten lucky, the Canadian guy I sent it to wasn't concerned though and has apparently been buying folders from the US recently without any issues.
 
Well, if you can disassemble it, I would not call it a "regular" knife. But if you are talking about a traditional folder with less than a 3" blade I don't see a problem.
 
No, if you try to send anything knife-related to Canada, they send the Mounties to your house here in the US and you get slapped with a river salmon. Dude, a full grown one too. Insane. I wouldn't chance it.

Do you get to at least keep the salmon?

I've got some great recipes for baked, broiled, grilled, and even poached.
 
Basically wanna send my buddy a folder. From what I'm reading they're not illegal but sometimes the border people will confiscate them. But also if I disassemble the knife before I ship it that it will most likely be fine. So, is it safe to send? Sorry if this isnt the right forum and thanks!
I’ve sent a 8” fixed blade to Canaistan. No worries.. I labeled it, Camping tool......... You could call Canadian customs & ask..
 
It's safe, as in, it won't get lost or stolen. But it can be a lot of headaches, time and money if things go south – or north in that case.
 
They only smack you with a river salmon if you ship to the West coast. Central, they body check you into the boards. East coast, they keep it for fishing but, will say “sorry about that” like a bunch of times.

Really, if the CBSA opens it (they don’t check them all) they will try to “flip/flick” it open with one hand. If they can it may be stopped, if not it goes through. Tighten down the pivot if possible. If it’s not a flipper or thumbstud, but rather a two hand open like a traditional or lock back, then no issue at all. If they do stop it, they send you a nice letter and you can get it return shipped. I’ve ordered several from US since they started this BS and have not had any stopped. I did have a flipper from overseas stopped, but that was right after they changed the rules and I was able to have it returned.
 
If you detail what specific knife you're sending you'll probably get some better advice.

I'm in Canada and I get lots of knives from the USA. I do avoid stuff like button lock flippers and the like. I have had a few Sypderco ball lock and compression lock knives that will shake open NYC style without much effort.
 
I'll agree that for a better answer, you'll have to be a bit more specific on the style and build of the knife.

That said, the border law as it is now basically defines any one handed knife as illegal so there will always be an element of risk to sending something through the mail. Disassembly is probably the best way around that, because the CBSA has gotten wise to the tactic of tightening the pivot.

It may also depend on which border crossing the knife travels through. My local knife store had to change shipping routes because the border crossing they had been using was seizing a number of their products, but since they switched, it hasn't been much of a problem.

All that boils down to, is it safe? No. Not inherently. Is it worth the risk? That depends on the value of the knife and how much you and your friend are willing to risk on the chance that some asshole agent decides that he's going to try and save the world from a pocket knife.
 
It may be safe or it may not be. It maybe safe and normal, or safe and slow. In the past I've been told by Canadians that they worry about folders but not fixed blades. If you are shipping a folder to Canada I would ensure that the recipient understands (I'm sure they already do) and assumes all responsibility.
 
This is not a new law. This is an enforcement opinion by the agency that oversees border transit of people and goods.

Knife stores in Canada are still full of various one hand openers and flipper style knives.
 
Remember that the border pirates are fickle and that repeated success is not a guarantee of future success. There really is no rhyme or reason to them. I mailed three knives without issue, including a Benchmade 950 Rift and a Benchmade 710, but a fourth (a tiny Benchmade 707 on which I'd tightened the pivot until it was all but impossible to open) was blocked for being a deadly one-handed opening murder knife.

When I travel to Canuckistan by road I've taken to only carrying two-handed openers just to be safe. I haven't been stopped and search for ages, but I'd hate to get randomly selected and have the border pirates claim a Sebenza or whatever was a weapon of mass destruction that couldn't be allowed into the country.
 
Border Agents on both sides of that line consider knives weapons.

When I travel across I go light with just a slip joint most of the time. If they ask me if I have any weapons (it's a script; they can also ask if I have any fruit, any meat, any gifts for my friends. They really push the gifts one) I will say I have a pocketknife. If they ask to see it they kind of laugh.

And as a note I don't volunteer info like "I have a knife". That just leads to more questions and delays.
 
If you label it as “camping equipt” or “outdoor tools” on the customs paperwork and keep the declared value under $100 cnd that may help it breeze through.
No guarantees tho.
If I really really wanted to be sure, I’d pop the blade out and send it in a seperate package.
Label both “replacement knife parts”
 
May I call that Canadian Roulette ?
Similar idea, but Russians used 7 rounds Nagants !
and Canadians use SxS shotguns :^)
More sophisticated ones use O/U :^D
 
Without knowing what the knife is it's pretty hard to get a good answer.
Lots of bad info here, some good info but not much. If you do care about the money or seeing your knife again just don't do it.
Anyways good luck.
 
I like the "camping tool" approach. I get stuff like nic or concentrate from China for vaping labelled "office supplies", does the job :)
 
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