Warning Canadian Customs.

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petah

Joined
Jul 22, 2008
Messages
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Got a knife from Matt and it took Way too long for 3 day shipping. Canadian Customs used it to cut stuff and dulled the blade.:thumbdn:

They ruined the whole experience of getting a brand spanking new knife for me.
God only knows what they did with it.

So, Question I have is how do you mark your packages when you ship cross boarder?

For starters I know:

-Don't use UPS or FedEx.
-Mark as camping tool (don't say knife or anything that can be seen as 'weapon')
 
I shipped 50+ knives from and to the US and Canada. I used UPS, FedEx, USPS and EMS. I have had some trouble with FedEx but none with UPS. USPS is reliable but slower. I have had no problems with US Customs, but Canadian Customs is for some reason much slower. For instance a few weeks ago I shipped a knife to the US and at the same day one (wood handle!!) to Canada. In the end it took the knife that went to Canada about 10 days longer (of which most were spend at Customs).

I always use the description "cutlery" or "camping tool" and I declare a value below $100, just to keep the nosy people at bay.

Marcel
 
The magic word is cutlery.....accurate definition and causes no curiosity to see what type of camping tool it is.

George
 
yeah it pisses me off too, i didnt spend all that time making the knife, making sure it popped hair to have some jackbooted Customs chuckle head cut carboard and plastic with it. Hopefully they cut themselves with it, truly, badly, deeply.

Short rant aside, I have shipped to France, Germany, Thailand, Malaysia, Sweden, Switzerland, Australia, England, a few Eastern European countries i cant remember, and Canada has been the ONLY one I have had major problems with. They always take day/weeks at the customs office fondling (sometimes obviously using) knives that some one (my customer) paid there hard earned $$ for.

Not quite sure how to remedy the problem, but believe me as a maker it bothers me as much as my customers, maybe more.

George, I have found in Canada what the box is marked doesnt matter, this one was marked cutlery.
 
I too have shipped knives all over the world...and likewise, Canadian customs is the only one I take issue with. Two instances that happened recently...I sent two of my forging hammers to a gentleman in Vancouver, it took nearly a month for him to receive them. They were marked as "blacksmith hammers". Hi didn't say if the package had been opened or not, but from Montana to Vancouver??? I could have driven them there in about 12 hours!

Just this past weekend I was suppose to teach at a knife symposium in Alberta. I tried to leave on Wed morning, and after traveling 2 1/2 hours to the border, was turned away because the immigration people "didn't have enough information." They were real jerks too...condescending, arrogant, and rude.

I have a number of Canadian friends, and love them dearly, but the gestapo crap that the Canadian "officials" pull is way outta line.
 
I remember Bitching to Daniel Koster about the expensive Canadian shipping... I apologize man!


Ed,

If it's inspected it will have either a Yellow sticker on it stating it was inspected (along with the Worst repack job you have ever seen) or it will have the Sticker again as well as another Declarations forum. This one will be very descriptive on the contents as well as the crappy packing job.
 
Ed im glad Im not alone! I didnt mention that when I do ship to Canada it takes 2 to 3 times longer than the estimated times that USPS guidelines indicate. I have come to accept this, but for me what is unacceptable is them USING the knives, this has happened to me more than once, about 3 times that I can remember without even thinking hard.
 
petah said:
I remember Bitching to Daniel Koster about the expensive Canadian shipping... I apologize man!


Ed,

If it's inspected it will have either a Yellow sticker on it stating it was inspected
(along with the Worst repack job you have ever seen)
or it will have the Sticker again as well as another Declarations forum. This one will be very descriptive on the contents as well as the crappy packing job.
Click to expand...

That is the absolute truth.
 
Last edited:
Ed Caffrey said:
Just this past weekend I was suppose to teach at a knife symposium in Alberta. I tried to leave on Wed morning, and after traveling 2 1/2 hours to the border, was turned away because the immigration people "didn't have enough information." They were real jerks too...condescending, arrogant, and rude.
Click to expand...

Believe me, we get the very same crap from the US officials when we are travelling in your direction.

You didn't mention that you were "teaching" or "presenting" did you ?
...or maybe you had what looked like saleable goods like hammers or knives with you ?

Officials get very bent out of shape if they believe that you may be working or selling and they would be missing out on taxing that transaction.

Ship your stuff ahead and declare it as a "visiting friends"
 
I worked for a large shipping company that does a lot of international business and I can vouch that Canadian customs is a pain in the rear. This is a large, well regarded int'l shipping company and even they have issues with our northern friends. These issues aren't just knife/weapon related, just the way it is. No one can really understand why. Worth noting for anyone sending anything there and might be a good thing to mention to a potential customer so as they understand if there are any delays in their package arriving in a timely manner.

Mark.
 
Canadian Customs has two settings, wide open and free, or locked down like a communist country:rolleyes: Yet I have found that US customs stay at more less the same level all the time, unless there is a high threat level. I grew up on the US/Canada border and in my youth spent almost as much time in up state NY as I did in my own area, and every time I crossed the border it was the same thing even know they new who I was and I was on a first name bases with many of the customs officials, and coming home it would be just shy of cavity searches or a wave through. This was way before 9/11 so I can imagine that Canada has locked down more because of it. That or our customs officials are taking a hissy fit because of the whole passport thing.
 
you are right,I never UPS or FedEx . DHL is my best choice . knives always too much trouble for air-way shipping.
 
I've had the same trouble with Canada. I have shipped quite a few to BC just shipped one yesterday as a matter of fact. But it normally takes one month to get to the customer. It takes 3-4 days to get to Canada from Warren MI but 25 plus to travel across Canada. They must deliver by Horse and buggy:D

Nick:)
 
NWA said:
I've had the same trouble with Canada. I have shipped quite a few to BC just shipped one yesterday as a matter of fact. But it normally takes one month to get to the customer. It takes 3-4 days to get to Canada from Warren MI but 25 plus to travel across Canada. They must deliver by Horse and buggy:D

Nick:)
Click to expand...
Get it right we use dog sleds up here:thumbup:
 
canadian customs has some real idiots working for them. my aunt lived in london and sent my mom a mink hat through the post office. it arrived a month later and the box looked like it had been mangled and poorly taped back up. when my mom opened the box the hat was in pieces. there was a note inside saying they suspected drugs and ripped the hat apart and found nothing. i tried to get something done but they said it wasnt their fault the hat was tore up. i tried to get the post office here in town to help but there wasnt anything they could do either.
 
That's odd that Canadian customs would stop and inspect an out going package, it is usually the receiving countries customs that inspect goods coming into their country. I think that something must have set off a drug dog and one of those PETA like people destroyed the hat because it was made with animal fur, and used their job to cover their actions
 
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