Customs Delays???

[Toolslinger]

Just curious what others experiences with customs has been for importing knives and tools (legal to own).

I'm currently into my 3rd week of waiting for 'customs review' on a nice limited edition folder (perfectly legal to own and import, value declared) that I bought from a US online retailer (legit dealer, not eBay). This is the first time I've had to wait this long for Canadian Customs to clear a package, even when I've had to pay duty.

The frustrating thing is that there doesn't appear to be a way for me to get more info once CBSA has it in their hands and their is no indication anywhere of what the typical service standard is.

Am I just unlucky, or have others had the same problem? I'd really like to hear from other Canadian members on their experiences.

[ColoSwiss]

From the US side of the border - I normally have knives delivered without a hitch, but on a couple of occasions US Customs has sat on them for 6-8 weeks. If you have a tracking number, start checking it daily; sometimes that seems to jog someone into action.

Good luck!

[NKlamerus]

I forwarded a Spyderco (I think captain was involved ) and it stopped at the UK border until the receiver paid like 30 USD for it to go through or something like that

[dks]

No real delays - just having to pay tax, sometimes.

In general, customs worldwide are becoming stricter in a n effort to control terrorism, but also, mainly i think, to collect more money.

[Steinar]

Anything between an extra day and a few weeks here. Usually one or a few days. (There are no customs on knives from the EU or US here, but VAT has to be paid and there is of course a hefty charge for handling that stuff. :] )

[Toolslinger]

Update: Got home from work to a Customs Notice of Detention in my mail box.

Looks like the item was declared as a "Camping Hand Tool" and they are taking exception to that. Which is interesting, as in the past I've had knives and tools shipped to me under this classification with no problems.

I need to call them this morning and see if it's just a case of acknowledging the contents are indeed a Knife or what has to happen to clear the package. They haven't seized it yet, just holding it (for almost 3 weeks) to 'determine admissibility'.

Will keep everyone posted.

[Syph007]

Thats annoying an no Ive never had that happen.  Seems pretty random as Ive had many many thing declared 'tools' etc.

What type of knife is it, and does it look extra tactical or something?

More than once Ive had 10 packs of SAKs coming to me underdeclared and theyd open up the box and see the actual bill inside, and charge me duty, but no extra penalties or hassles.

The only times Ive heard of people having things confiscated are when they are not legal here, like brass nuckles or switch blades.

[Toolslinger]

It's a ZT0392. They declared it illegal to import because it can be opened with 'centrifugal force', ie a wrist flick. So now I have to wait for them to send me the forms so I can ship it back. What a pain in the smurf. There is an appeal option and I can submit arguments for my case, but they just end up repeating the test. I looked at the success rate for appeals on this kind of stuff and there is a 0% success rate as it's all internally handled. BS IMO.

What gets me is that I can by a ZT with the same ball-bearing pivot and flipper arrangement at my local knife shop and wrist flick it open without trying. In fact, most knives can be kinetically opened with a little technique from Buck 110 folders you can buy at Walmart all the way up to my CRK Sebenza 25.

[Syph007]

Yup my benchmade and SOG folders can all be flicked open.  Pretty lame.

[gregozedobe]

Maybe tighten up the pivot so it is too stiff to "flick" open (then loosen it back to normal after you get it) ?

I've heard that Oz customs are very fussy about what they let in to Australia, and will block anything they deem even slightly suspect.  Every now and then they open one of my boxes of MTs, but so far they have let everything through (but I don't get anything more scary  than a regular SAK).

[dks]

allegedly, one way is to take it apart and send it in two parcels as parts..

[ColoSwiss]

CRKT had problems with US Customs some years back, when Customs all of a sudden decided their knives were switchblades.

"On October 3 of 2000 US Customs seized a shipment of 80,000 CRKT folding knives worth more than $4.3 million. All 50 models seized had always passed every Customs test in prior situations. The shipment had cleared Customs on September 29 but on October 3 an inspector decided that the knives acted like switchblades despite the fact that none of them fit within the definition set forth by the U.S. Switch Blade Knife Act of 1958. On October 17 a letter was co-signed by Oregon U.S. Congresswoman Darlene Hooley and Senator Gordon Smith that petitioned the head of Customs to aid CRKT. Because of their action there was a Federal inquiry of the US Customs actions that had to be answered within thirty days. On October 20 the company was once again allowed to move their product. However this was not before losing over $1 million in sales and spending over $30,000 on legal fees.[3]"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_River_Knife_%26_Tool

[dks]

Most modern legislation is performance based, rather than prescriptive, allowing for the people that enforce it to use common sense and their experience when making decisions. The outcome, when in doubt, should in theory be in favour of the citizen.

However, with less experienced personnel, the interpretation of the law may be wrong, as there are no set standards to use.

CRKT had the money and the need to go through with it. If someone had 1 knife confiscated they probably would not have spent a few thousands to get it back.

[zoidberg]

Did you get it sorted?