Legality of folders in Canada?

B

Bo-dacious

Joined
Aug 13, 2016
Messages
408
Hey guys, I just heard that there's a new law in Canada prohibiting pretty much all folders due to their Centrifugal opening mechanisms. Does anybody know if this law is real or not? This would be devastating. Anybody know?

Thanks guys,

Bo
 
Bo-dacious said:
Hey guys, I just heard that there's a new law in Canada prohibiting pretty much all folders due to their Centrifugal opening mechanisms. Does anybody know if this law is real or not? This would be devastating. Anybody know?

Thanks guys,

Bo
Click to expand...

I would refer to your local laws for solid specifics. But what you are talking about is that Customs has taken it on themselves to prevent many folders from being imported, there appears to be no issue with legality once in Canada, but customs has a stick up their butt and are trying to prevent importation. The enforcement appears to be pretty uneven so far.
 
There are a lot of threads regarding this in the Canada regional subforum. Basically ship folders over the boarder at your own risk, but none of the actual laws have changed. Keep an eye out there for any updates, as they generally end up there first.
 
Bo-dacious said:
Hey guys, I just heard that there's a new law in Canada prohibiting pretty much all folders due to their Centrifugal opening mechanisms. Does anybody know if this law is real or not? This would be devastating. Anybody know?

Thanks guys,

Bo
Click to expand...

the new rules only apply to what you can import. No change to what you can carry.

Technically it is true that a folder that you can flick open might be able to be considered a centrifugal folder and therefor a gravity knife and thus illegal. In practice as long as you aren’t carrying such a knife in comission of a crime you are unlikely to be prosecuted for it.

This supposedly includes knives that you can flick open in one motion by giving them some wrist. The rules are extremely convoluted and seem to basically leave alot of it up to officer’s discretion. That said I have had many cops all over ontario see the knife clipped to my pocket and never ask a single question about it.

If for whatever reason a cop does ask because you are interacting with him it is important you stress that your knife is not a weapon, but rather a tool. “I like to eat apples for a healthy snack but have very weak sensitive teeth, so I need my knife to cut them” is a good type of excuse. If a cop is searching you or your car and asks “do you have any weapons” you answer “no.” They will usually after ask “anything sharp on you that is going to prick me?” That’s when you say, “ I have my pocket knife I use for such and such utility task” he will ask “why didn’t you tell me when I asked if you had any weapons” you tell him “it’s not a weapon, I don’t carry it for that use.”

If he does ask about weapons but does not ask the do you have anything sharp question then voulenteer the info that your pocket knife is in whatever pocket before he starts searching. Same for if he is going to search a car. The more your knife looks like a weapon the less likely he is to believe your story so a 5 inch knife with “take no prisoners” etched on the blade is going to be more likely to get confiscated.

So question is, do you want to live dangerously ;)?
 
Lapedog: yes. I was in a multiple roll over mva where the driver died and I crushes 7 vertebrae in my back and neck and I was pulled out right before the car burst into flames. The reason I lived is the guy has a knife on him. Cut the seatbelt and pulled me out the window. Now I carry one on me 24/7 for that very reason. So I have my excuse.(I regained my ability to walk for those of you that care).

Im not so much concerned with the carry laws as I am the import laws. You can't get many knives in Canada so I usually order from the states and sometimes China. So it's basically not known whether the customs officer will confiscate the knife or not?

Anyone else know?

Thanks guys,

Bo
 
I haven't had any issues importing Knives from the USA via large know knife retailers like Blade HQ or Massdrop.

Just out of knife-nut curiosity what knives can you buy in China that you can't find here?
 
Danke: well none really but I've bought some practice knives from China because they were cheaper than America. Also, I get duty fees when I order from the states. I bought a tops sxb and got a $40-something Canadian dollar fee. Not cool. So that's why i sometimes buy from China. Any better ideas?

Bo
 
Bo, I think that if you can't find it in Canada, and a retailer won't try to get it for you, then its really just up to your risk tolerance as far as if you loose it or not. Ultimately with folders we are in a situation where they have pretty much been deemed an illegal import if they open with one hand, so any discussion of circumventing that is against the forum's rules. Contact your MP, make your voice heard, do all that sort of thing, but other that that, there isn't much to be done. Australia just changed their import guidelines because of over ten years of public pressure from interested parties and now the import laws match the law of the land. So there is hope, but the pressure has to be kept up at all levels.
 
Bo-dacious said:
Lapedog: yes. I was in a multiple roll over mva where the driver died and I crushes 7 vertebrae in my back and neck and I was pulled out right before the car burst into flames. The reason I lived is the guy has a knife on him. Cut the seatbelt and pulled me out the window. Now I carry one on me 24/7 for that very reason. So I have my excuse.(I regained my ability to walk for those of you that care).

Im not so much concerned with the carry laws as I am the import laws. You can't get many knives in Canada so I usually order from the states and sometimes China. So it's basically not known whether the customs officer will confiscate the knife or not?

Anyone else know?

Thanks guys,

Bo
Click to expand...
Only buy knives form China if they are made buy a legitimate, reputable company!:thumbsup: The rest are clones and counterfeits.:thumbsdown:
 
Gadget: oh I'm not trying to circumvent the laws I just wanted to know the law. I've tried calling customs and they're no help. Nobody knows anything. So I came here.

Does anybody know a knife dealer that's in Canada? That would be a huge help.

Danbot: yea I kind of imagined that. I will definitely not buy name brand knives from china unless I know the company.

Thanks guys,

Bo
 
Bo-dacious said:
Gadget: oh I'm not trying to circumvent the laws I just wanted to know the law. I've tried calling customs and they're no help. Nobody knows anything. So I came here.

Does anybody know a knife dealer that's in Canada? That would be a huge help.

Danbot: yea I kind of imagined that. I will definitely not buy name brand knives from china unless I know the company.

Thanks guys,

Bo
Click to expand...
In the GBU there are a few threads on places in Canada to get knives. Even ones with flipper tabs! I don't think any have dealer memberships here we can't post direct links here in GKD but we can discuss them in the GBU.
 
Good, Bad and Ugly, its a subforum under the exchange.
Sorry if I sorta misread your post. I wasn't sure if that was what you were asking, but I felt that it was still worth while to remind some others as well. If you don't mind sharing your city, that might get you some local suggestions or at least some solid hints. As far as the laws go, we all wish we knew. We are not trying to be obtuse, but without anyone really knowing what is going on, its hard to make clear statements. At this stage I'd be very cautious of anyone making definitive statements without backing it up with very solid proof.
 
Yeah for sure. I just wanted to know if anyone had read anything on this and if they've had folders shipped to Canada, whether they got the thing or not. I'd rather not say my city but my province is British Columbia.

Thanks,

Bo
 
There is a pretty big knife seller in the mainland major city. You should be able to find them pretty easily.
 
Right now it's all still very iffy! I've had knives quite recently with flipper tabs that CBSA has opened and examined and still let through with no problems! Especially if they can nail me for some duty on it!
 
Yeah, I just talked to this vendor from the states and he said he ships to Canada daily with no problems. I guess I can always Use the money back guarantee if I don't get the item.

Bo
 
I talked to blade hq and he gave me a long list of prohibited items I using throwing knives, machetes,Balisongs, benchmade products and leatherman products. He also said that a lot of things Could be considered prohibited and to contact customs.


Bo
 
Bo-dacious said:
I talked to blade hq and he gave me a long list of prohibited items I using throwing knives, machetes,Balisongs, benchmade products and leatherman products. He also said that a lot of things Could be considered prohibited and to contact customs.


Bo
Click to expand...

Throwing knives and machetes are not even close to being prohibited.
They are totally, absolutely legal and will cross the Border with zero issues. :thumbsup:

People in the States (including retailers) have long had no idea at all of what is allowed in Canada...now they are even more uncertain and wrong about our laws.

If you simply Google "Canadian knife retailers", the list will come up including the one in Vancouver that used to be a supporting retailer here.
They have all the machetes and throwing knives you could ever want.
Plus tons of Hinderer knives, Benchmade knives, Spyderco knives, Cold Steel products, some Zero Tolerance ones, a bunch of Kershaws, TOPS Knives, etc.

You could win a lottery and spend all your winnings there, and they would still have knives, swords, axes and machetes for you to buy when you got more cash. ;)

Buy it in Canada.
Quick shipping, plus you don't roll the dice with unpredictable Border agents. :)

(They even have those deadly Leatherman products you were erroneously told might be a problem :D)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top