No Benchmade in Australia?

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rec0nz

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Hi All,

Has anyone found a place to be able to ship Benchmade knives to Australia? I have tried a few places but they all say they are not licensed to ship Benchmade to Australia. Does anyone know why a manufacturer would limit their knives to only be sold in certain countries?
 
You may need to contact some dealer websites. Another option is to buy one new or used from the BF's Exchange. Lots of Benchmade knives for sale. Some members here are willing to ship internationally. Best of luck!
 
Friends from Oz had in years past had difficult times bringing Benchmades in through very strict customs. With these rules in place I'm not sure much has changed. Private dealings via registered mail might be the ticket.
 
jkarp_53 said:
Friends from Oz had in years past had difficult times bringing Benchmades in through very strict customs. With these rules in place I'm not sure much has changed. Private dealings via registered mail might be the ticket.
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The "Flick Test" is what makes it tough. AUS Customs has confiscated many a folder, funny that 1/4" thick 13", long fixed blades are not a problem. Many sellers here avoid shipping to AUS because they know that 9.9/10 times that customs will intercept and either keep or destroy the knife. Leaving the seller high and dry,
 
You can get most of the Benchmade fixed blades in Australia and some folders. Mini Grips seem to be available from several places at the moment. Benchmade also make some two handed openers aimed mostly at the European market and they can be found as well.
 
jkarp_53 said:
Friends from Oz had in years past had difficult times bringing Benchmades in through very strict customs. With these rules in place I'm not sure much has changed. Private dealings via registered mail might be the ticket.
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Here in France all knives are allowed, however choice is a bit more limited. I use a reexpedition service (mine is Shipito) whenever US shops do not want to send knives to Europe. Shipito will setup a US address for you, your knife will be sent to this US address by the shop and Shipito will forward the parcel to your local address in France. Of course you still have to pay additional shipping and customs, but even with Shipito's handling fees, additional costs demain reasonable as they will choose the most competitive carrier. This still does not solve your import laws issue.
 
Since Customs have changed their stance in Dec 2015, Benchmade knives appear to be allowed in. Cutting Edge Knives have a big stock listing and my local store, Ironside Militaria in Canberra were able to get me 2 Triages
 
If the flick test is the tricky bit then do as I do when I have knives shipped to Canada. (We also have no "flick" deployment knives, even though we' allowed some assisted knives depending on their operation.)

What I do is ask the seller to tighten the pivot down so the knife is very stiff to open and generally requires 2 hands to get it open. This ensures that the knife will not "flick" open. Or separate them into parts and have them shipped as parts. I have never had an issue with parts.
 
The "flick test" in Australia has been scrapped as of January 2016, so most knives are now allowed in to the country except double edged knives, automatics and some others. I live in Sydney Australia so was waiting patiently for the rules to change

I found a group called Knives Ship Free https://www.knivesshipfree.com/

They have shipped me a number of Benchmades, Zero Tolerance etc over the last few months and have been great to deal with!!!!!! Check out their website
 
bmwboris said:
The "flick test" in Australia has been scrapped as of January 2016, so most knives are now allowed in to the country except double edged knives, automatics and some others. I live in Sydney Australia so was waiting patiently for the rules to change

I found a group called Knives Ship Free https://www.knivesshipfree.com/

They have shipped me a number of Benchmades, Zero Tolerance etc over the last few months and have been great to deal with!!!!!! Check out their website
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I've heard this too and read a moderately informational article about it. There were a lot of details missing, most if any were omitted for whatever reason. If this is the case, the best way to find out would be to either email or call the vendor before making any purchases. It's best to have verification before moving forward. There are many dealers that will ship overseas.
Knifeworks
Knife Center
KnivesShipFree
and many others.
 
Yes the flick test that kyboshed most non-traditional folders here is no more. BF (Boarder Force - our Customs and Immigration service) did a public release about it and specifically identified "single handed opening knives" as now being allowed. This was their code for flick tests/flippers etc. The only blades now controlled are true automatics, assisted openers, blades that include a fixed/solid knuckle guard ("knuckleduster"), push knives, and double edged blades (daggers). On daggers there are simple exemptions to the import laws that allow for collectors.

The relevant explanatory statement on the changes to the Act is at..

https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2015L01968/Explanatory Statement/Text

The relevant clause is at...

Item 83 – Part 2 of Schedule 13 (table items 16 and 17)

This amendment repeals table items 16 and 17 of the table in Part 2 of Schedule 13 to the PI Regulations, which controls single handed opening knives and parts for those knives.

The single handed opening knives which were controlled were knives that have a blade folded or recessed into the handle which is capable of being opened by gravity, inertia or centrifugal force. These knives will no longer be controlled goods and may be imported into Australia without permission. The possession of such knives will still be subject to the relevant laws of the States and Territories.

The purpose of this amendment is to reduce confusion for industry and individuals. These knives have previously caused confusion amongst these groups as to whether they were controlled goods or not. This was because similar knives that can be deployed rapidly, but without being opened by gravity, inertia or centrifugal force, are not controlled on importation.

The amendment will allow importers to import single handed opening knives that can be opened by gravity, inertia or centrifugal force. These knives have many legitimate uses, including for use in outdoor recreational activities such as camping, mountaineering and hiking.

The controls on knives such as automatic, assisted opening and butterfly knives will remain under the PI Regulations.

And yes, more than a few brave souls tested the changes by dabbling a toe in the water and found the change in effect. Many dealers are now holding stock of knives that were previously seized upon arrival.
 
rec0nz said:
Hi All,

Has anyone found a place to be able to ship Benchmade knives to Australia? I have tried a few places but they all say they are not licensed to ship Benchmade to Australia. Does anyone know why a manufacturer would limit their knives to only be sold in certain countries?
Click to expand...

As people have stated they test whether a knife is a "gravity knife" by flicking it and if it flicks open well there goes your knife.

Here's the trick. Go to exchange here, buy a BM, then politely ask the seller to tighten the pivot as much as absolutely possible. It will pass the "flick" test and you can readjust it when it arrives.
 
If you read what I stated above the "flick test" here gone now. They done care if the knife can be opened with centrifugal force/exaggerated wrist motions. Unless it is actually a mechanical automatic knife or assisted opener then it is just fine here now.
 
Andy is correct. We had an outbreak of common sense and apart from a very few defined opening mechanisms things are pretty good here import wise.
 
My only concern is that rarely does such an exact regulation overturn in practice immediately, even though the rule on paper might be clear. I'd worry about that customs agent who has been doing it the same way for decades and does not reflect the change in an old regulation for whatever reason. Keep us posted Down under folks. I'd be more willing to ship down there knowing the situation is getting better.
 
It is dead an gone mate. The regulation that caused all this grief was only introduced @ 2011/12 and had attracted much publicity about both it's unworkability and inconsistency. ABF have already issued internal directives to this effect and knives have been passing through clearance unimpeded, both individual and retail/wholesale importers.
 
Andy the Aussie said:
It is dead an gone mate. The regulation that caused all this grief was only introduced @ 2011/12 and had attracted much publicity about both it's unworkability and inconsistency. ABF have already issued internal directives to this effect and knives have been passing through clearance unimpeded, both individual and retail/wholesale importers.
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Very good to know!
 
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