Canadian Customs Seized Items

The CoPilot · #1

I've frequently read posts on here from our Canadian friends expressing their concern that Canadian Customs officials will seize incoming Spyderco knives at the border. Does anyone know what becomes off all the knives that end up being seized as "illegal". Does Customs have an obligation to destroy them? Does the government auction them off as surplus property? Do some end up "disappearing"?

A.P.F. · #2

They are destroyed as prohibited weapons.

:mad:

jimbo@stn24 · #3

Percival wrote:They are destroyed as prohibited weapons. :mad:

That's my hope and understanding, however if you poke around in the CBSA (Canada Border Services Agency) website you will find that they may also be "disposed of according to the station managers discretion", or something to that effect. Found it once and not sure if I could do it again.

Spyderwings · #4

From my experience of having knives confiscated at canadian customs you get a letter in the mail.
It says what has been taken, and gives you 3 options: They destroy it, send it back to the original sender, or you can make an appeal and go to court.

This is even the same letter i got when i got a bali confiscated, but we wont go there...

ozspyder · #5

Similar deal with the Customs here in Australia

The law is so grey in faact that on some occasions (LOL most occasions) the customs officers even classify stuff as illegal when it clearly is NOT illegal according to the prohibited weapons/ items act.
Letter telling you that you have imported an illegal item....3 choices:
1) Write back to them saying.... "Yes please, I am sorry, destroy my Spyker ASAP !!!"
2) Write back.... "I think you guys have got it wrong, I am contesting this, please take me to court and I shall pay all my legal fees, your legal fees and possibly end up in prison for some length of time ! "
3) Write back ..... "I have a permit for those illegal 'weapons' you have seized, please release them immediately into my custody"

Customs officers seem to be a power unto themselves when it comes to managing what is or isn't illegal. Seemingly contradicting their own black and white documentation. This is the reason I won't risk importing a P'Kal, Shabaria, Military, Chinook or Civilian

I want them all, but sadly I cannot rely on their safe journey to their rightful owner (me :) )

I'm not too sure of Canadian knife laws, but it looks like very similar to all other Commonwealth nations.... so sad, so sad. Knives are tools....and so are customs !!! :p

Cheers
Dan

Th232 · #6

Hey Daniel, don't we also have the ability to ask them to send it back to the sender at our cost? Actually, now that I think about it, we probably don't.

ozspyder · #7

Th232 wrote:Hey Daniel, don't we also have the ability to ask them to send it back to the sender at our cost? Actually, now that I think about it, we probably don't.

Yes we do...but they don't say that in the first letter. They are hopeless actually. Revenue raising buggers and god-complexes the lot of them :mad: All they are interested in is to grab your collectible knife and use them to open up all their parcels (I bet they know which knife is the best for package opening!)

Dan

The Mastiff · #8

Those same knives can be bought in country at canadian knife stores so it's trade protectionism rather than a anti knife issue IMO. Joe

Spyderwings · #9

Thats what i find ridiculous. Most knives that get confiscated can be bought in Canada, and yet customs still deems them illegal. And whats with the lack of free trade. We get something mailed to us from the states and it cost us.

flipe8 · #10

I don't know what you choose to call it, but from my one experience, I now try to buy from within Canada. If I'm unable to find a certain model, I make sure it's a knife that can be tightened or I'll send it to an address in a border town in the States(Calais, Maine) and pick it up myself. I now know of two Stateside businesses in Calais that will receive packages c/o the person being shipped to and charge a minor fee to accept the package. This isn't just for knives, as I've seen tires, rims, kayaking gear, and just about anything else at one of the warehouses. Wish I thought of that business :D .

deeker · #11

Spydies are nice because the hole can be zip-tied closed. Customs agents are not permitted to cut the zip-tie - or tamper with any object. A knife-with-a-hole should be good to go from there.

If the knife has an adjustable pivot, ask your e-retailer to tighten it previous to shipping out. NGK has done this for me.

Just about everything Spyderco sells (minus the balis, etc.) is available to us north of the border, so Customs confiscating it is a bit of a double standard.

I don't know what to suggest if you are concerned about your new purchase being confiscated, other than look for your knife of choice in your own country... as has already been suggested.

markg · #12

Spyderwings wrote:Thats what i find ridiculous. Most knives that get confiscated can be bought in Canada, and yet customs still deems them illegal. And whats with the lack of free trade. We get something mailed to us from the states and it cost us.

In many ways, the same here... Witness the recent events where US Customs now considers Bali's "switchblades."