Calling all Canucks

[Grant Lamontagne]

Recently there has been a lot of hooplah in the media regarding the importation and legality of folding pocket knives, and a lot of hysteria, paranoia and misinformation. 

The MTO Admin Team published this article last night to address this, dispel some of the unwarranted fears and outline some of the realistic potential ones.

Please take a few moments to read this.  If you are Canadian and a member of this forum this WILL affect you.

http://multitool.org/news/concerns-about-canadian-international-trade-tribunal-decision-on-centrifugal-opening-knives

Def

[Don Pablo]

I hope that this works out in your favour. 
Good luck Canada!

[Don Pablo]

Maybe include in the newsletter???

[Vidar]

That seems like a total knee jerk overreaction by people who likely haven't really considered or understood the full consequences. Good someone pays attention.

[ThePeacent]

this has been the discussion subject on the knife forums all this week.
Don't they realise how stupid, pointless and ineffective that is   

Really, Canada is going to end up like the EU before the end of this decade.

The most absurd of this thing is that Canadian stores and authorised dealers still sell and have sold for years these very same knives to the public...

[Don Pablo]

this has been the discussion subject on the knife forums all this week.
Don't they realise how stupid, pointless and ineffective that is   

Really, Canada is going to end up like the EU before the end of this decade.

The most absurd of this thing is that Canadian stores and authorised dealers still sell and have sold for years these very same knives to the public...

T K Maxx (a clothing store!!!!!!! ) sometimes sells made in china multitools here.
And here the law technically prohibits carrying ANY kind of sharp or pointy object in public without a reason.
I'm pretty sure that you are not told that when you buy a knife in a shop.
Sooo.... I assume that there are lots of people unknowingly breaking the law? 

[ThundahBeagle]

Hi Grant,

Please clarify...does the CBSA mean to say that anyone crossing the border from the US to Toronto to see Niagra Falls from the nicer side would be prohibited from bringing their one-hand trekked across the border with them? While it seems for the time being, they are still legal to buy, sell, and own in Canada?

Also, I have an old Browning model 810 composite and wood featherweight lockback folder. There is only a nail knick with which to open it, but I practiced doing it with one hand. So, just because I'm skilled, I can't carry that?

Y-yikes

[Grant Lamontagne]

Yup.

I am limited in what I can say in the topic, but yes, when you enter a country you are expected to follow their laws, and so yes, it would be illegal to carry your knife into Canada, even if you are visiting.

Def

[dks]

Can you carry a knife on you if you are flying over Canada?

[Don Pablo]

Can you carry a knife on you if you are flying over Canada?

Totally a valid question if you have your own plane. 

[dks]

Doesn't everybody?

[Don Pablo]

Not everyone are as rich as you and me unfortunately. 

[dks]

peasants..... they are everywhere...

[Don Pablo]

What can we do about them I wonder....

[Vidar]

Can you carry a knife on you if you are flying over Canada?

Assuming you are in a plane (good idea for human flight) the laws during flight should be the laws of the country of the planes registration. Before you takeoff or after landing the laws should match the respective countries.

In general though carrying a knife on planes these days seems to be asking for hassle or worse.

[Smashie]

Would they be prohibited to own or just carry?

[Nix]

This is some sad news indeed.

As a frequent visitor to the great state of Canada I've carried all sorts of folding knives and fixed bladed knives when traveling there. The officers who have guarded the borders of Canada from the likes of me have always been extremely polite and friendly and have never hassled me about the knives I've carried into Canada. I've always been extremely candid in declaring the hardware I carry into Canada (because the border officers explicitly ask), but I've never had an issue. Damn fine fellows.

Let's hope it stays that way. I'd hate to see Canada go the way of California......

[Grant Lamontagne]

Just so you know, Canada is actually a country, not a state.  We have a flag and everything.... 

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

Would they be prohibited to own or just carry?

As it is, it isn't a law.  It is an interpretation by the border guards (CBSA= Canadian Border Services Agency) so at this point it is only importation of knives.  So, there's only potentially a problem when playing in their neighborhood.

Def

[Nix]

Just so you know, Canada is actually a country, not a state.  We have a flag and everything.... 

Def

Are you sure? I swear it's part of the country. I mean, we have a flag too.....



It's not as pretty as your tree leaf flag, but it's a real flag. You may want to check the outcome of the unpleasantness that ended in 1865 before y'awl decide to secede. Just sayin'. 

[Smashie]

Would they be prohibited to own or just carry?

As it is, it isn't a law.  It is an interpretation by the border guards (CBSA= Canadian Border Services Agency) so at this point it is only importation of knives.  So, there's only potentially a problem when playing in their neighborhood.

Def

But it stops the import, so the same as a law but without having to go through all the hassle 

[theonew]

I just tried what you showed in the animated gif in the article with my One Hand Trekker and even flailing my arm wildly I can't get it to open all the way. I guess that just has to do with the pivot tension.

[ThundahBeagle]

Would they be prohibited to own or just carry?

If I am reading this right, and understand Def correctly, it means we from the US may not, nor the Russians by way of the Lomonosov Ridge, nor anyone from, say, Thule Greenland, and presumebly the same by it and sea - none may cross the border into Canada whilst carrying any of those knives described. Which unfortunately now seem to include swiss army knives and certain leatherman tools.

Once there, however, we may purchase them, own them, carry them, trade or sell them, and we may even cross the Canadian border back into our home countries or possibly any other country with them.

The additional fear being that this border restriction might someday be adopted as a national carry law in Canada

[ThundahBeagle]

Would they be prohibited to own or just carry?

As it is, it isn't a law.  It is an interpretation by the border guards (CBSA= Canadian Border Services Agency) so at this point it is only importation of knives.  So, there's only potentially a problem when playing in their neighborhood.

Def

When you say importation, I presume your mean personal importation. The CBSA have no authority to ban a knife nor the import in the commercial Freight Forwarding sense, of any item that is legal in Canada. That would require an act of Canada's legislative branch, I would think. They can only ban personal such items (or crates of contraband such items, which goes without say) from crossing the border, due to safety concerns of their officers, much the same way I can carry a leatherman all day, but not on a plane.

Right?

[Grant Lamontagne]

Would they be prohibited to own or just carry?

As it is, it isn't a law.  It is an interpretation by the border guards (CBSA= Canadian Border Services Agency) so at this point it is only importation of knives.  So, there's only potentially a problem when playing in their neighborhood.

Def

But it stops the import, so the same as a law but without having to go through all the hassle 

Pretty much.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

I just tried what you showed in the animated gif in the article with my One Hand Trekker and even flailing my arm wildly I can't get it to open all the way. I guess that just has to do with the pivot tension.

The wording includes manual manipulation. If you look closely I open it halfway normally then flick it the rest of the way.

The test board also allowed numerous attempts and will fail the knife even if it takes 3-4 tries to snap it open.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

Would they be prohibited to own or just carry?

As it is, it isn't a law.  It is an interpretation by the border guards (CBSA= Canadian Border Services Agency) so at this point it is only importation of knives.  So, there's only potentially a problem when playing in their neighborhood.

Def

When you say importation, I presume your mean personal importation. The CBSA have no authority to ban a knife nor the import in the commercial Freight Forwarding sense, of any item that is legal in Canada. That would require an act of Canada's legislative branch, I would think. They can only ban personal such items (or crates of contraband such items, which goes without say) from crossing the border, due to safety concerns of their officers, much the same way I can carry a leatherman all day, but not on a plane.

Right?

Wrong.

They have the authority and the latitude to interpret the laws any way they feel is necessary to effectively achieve their mandate. 

Def

[ThundahBeagle]

Y-yikes. I can see why this molehill could become a mountain in a hurry.

How the  check can they do that, if their jurisdiction is border only, and they don't make law. I hate that crap.

Good luck up there

[Vidar]

Reading those suggested rules again they will not even work as intended:

If they actually want to ban knives that can be opened quickly with one hand that is exactly what they should write. Instead they try to ban a few specific implementations to that end. Those will just end up being circumvented by other technical solutions offering the same quick one hand opening.

[WoodsDuck]

I just tried what you showed in the animated gif in the article with my One Hand Trekker and even flailing my arm wildly I can't get it to open all the way. I guess that just has to do with the pivot tension.

I can do it with my "German Army" OHT, but not my camo plain edge variant, which has a pretty stiff pivot. Probably the biggest discrepancy I've experienced in new Victorinox products.