Canada Customs woes - PLEASE HELP

[bodz]

I just bought a Spyderco D'Allera knife online, requested it to be shipped to Canada from the US. Canada Customs calls me and says it's been seized because they have determined it to be a prohibited weapon. They said that because they can open it with centrifical force by flicking it in a circular motion that it fits the criteria for being prohibited.

Now first of all, if I was of the mind to try to do harm with a knife would I order it online and have it shipped through Customs? Is there a better attack weapon that the D'Allera? GEEZ !! I could go on and on why this makes no sense whatsoever. I'll never understand the logic behind it. The reason I bought the D'Allera was due to its toughness, safety tip and usefulness in emergencies. It was highly recommend here on Forums too and I can see why.

Has anyone ever had a similar experience with Canada Customs? What did you / can you do about it? Is there a right way and a wrong way to deal with them? I'm told I can appeal it, ship it back to the seller or abandon it. Neither of those choices sound any good.

I was so looking forward to my new baby and am so bummed out now I can barely think. :confused: Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[Andre V]

Ridiculous.

I bet you the customs official liked the knife so much that he is trying to keep it.

[zenheretic]

I have seen many Canadian knife bros lament the lose of their knives due to Customs seizures. But hey, you got "free" medical care...even if will stifle your economy.

[The Deacon]

I just bought a Spyderco D'Allera knife online, requested it to be shipped to Canada from the US. Canada Customs calls me and says it's been seized because they have determined it to be a prohibited weapon. They said that because they can open it with centrifical force by flicking it in a circular motion that it fits the criteria for being prohibited.

Now first of all, if I was of the mind to try to do harm with a knife would I order it online and have it shipped through Customs? Is there a better attack weapon that the D'Allera? GEEZ !! I could go on and on why this makes no sense whatsoever. I'll never understand the logic behind it. The reason I bought the D'Allera was due to its toughness, safety tip and usefulness in emergencies. It was highly recommend here on Forums too and I can see why.

Has anyone ever had a similar experience with Canada Customs? What did you / can you do about it? Is there a right way and a wrong way to deal with them? I'm told I can appeal it, ship it back to the seller or abandon it. Neither of those choices sound any good.

I was so looking forward to my new baby and am so bummed out now I can barely think. :confused: Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

If you do a search on this forum you will find more than a few of your fellow Canadians have had the same problem with one Spyderco model or another. And the really bad news is that I don't beleive there has been one successful appeal of it to date. Seems to occur more in certain areas of the country than others, so the consensus seems to be if you live in those areas, purchasing from a Canadian dealer, although it may seem a tad more costly, may prove less expensive in the long run.

[mrd74]

Whenever I have a knife sent up I ask the seller to tighten up the pivot screw to the point of seizing the blade closed. If they can't flick it open they have to let it in. If it doesn't have an adjustable pivot I don't buy it.

[talonturbo]

Sorry for your troubles. Same happened to me. Twice. Dodo, and Emerson SCQC-7. If the sender doesn't overtighten the pivot, it's risky. Writting an appeal is a waste of time (trust me) but you can supposedly get the item expedited back to the sender. I tried this the second time, got sent on a wild goose chase, and when I talked to the right person one day, my knife had *coincidentally* been destroyed that very morning. Bull. Best of luck, make sure it's overtightened next time. For revenge, carry a huge fixed blade (legally, no blade length here) and when the LEO's question you say its customs' fault.

[TurnerIII]

Well now there is ANOTHER reason for not living in canada.

And whats so great about free/low cost medical services if the wait in line kills you? :eek:

[thom lambert]

I have seen many Canadian knife bros lament the lose of their knives due to Customs seizures. But hey, you got "free" medical care...even if will stifle your economy.

Sorry, tried to resist, but it was futile. You really need to check out the American economy relative to the Canadian economy before you make statments like that. Americans are carrying the largest per capita debt of any 1st world country right now, the US dollar has been going down steadily for almost 2 years.....having almost 1/2 of your population without health insurance is not a great way to encourage economic activity.

Sorry for the hijack bodz. Do a search here and on Blade Forums and you will find a ton of info. You don't have much of a chance once they decide that it is a weapon. The appeal process is ridiculous. I am betting it came through southern Ontario?

Thom

[flipe8]

Well now there is ANOTHER reason for not living in canada.

And whats so great about free/low cost medical services if the wait in line kills you? :eek:

I know OUR country is far from perfect, but I also know YOUR country isn't exactly a shining example, either.Do you really want to go down that road?BTW BODZ, a buddy of mine just picked up a his D'Allera in Canada for for well less than 100$(around 80) can.For real. If I can't bring it across myself, I'll do my best to find it here first eventhough I haven't had any problems with customs other than the waiting time.

[Nicky]

Hello bro, there is nothing to do except if you want to go infront of the court. No one did so far... Good luck!

[infamous]

bodz;
Unfortunate incident. Learn from this, as unfortunately your "highly-restricted-automatic-centrifugal force opening-flick knife-Spyderco D'allara" is in their hands....... I'm sure we all feel for you.

As mrd74 stated, have the pivot screw tightened down prior to the knife being shipped, so that in no way can the blade be flicked open using centrifugal force (even if the Custom's officer has 26" biceps).......

This is quite common practice I believe amidst Canadian's, and having a knife such as a Spyderco confiscated is also unfortunately quite common.

[d.g.g]

Send it back for credit. Then change your citizenship to a country with more intelligent customs officials. Seems like they are afraid of their own citizens having too much power and freedom in the great north (sort of like Russia was back in the 20's and 30's when they took away all the guns). Better yet, organize and toss the bums out who make such goofy laws.

I always thought of the D'Allara as a form of "rescue" knife with the blade shape it has.

I won't buy anything from Canada that has to be shipped just because of these types of problems. I'm sure there are many like me that feel they just don't need the heavy-handed hassles.

[d.g.g]

Sorry, tried to resist, but it was futile. You really need to check out the American economy relative to the Canadian economy before you make statments like that. Americans are carrying the largest per capita debt of any 1st world country right now, the US dollar has been going down steadily for almost 2 years.....having almost 1/2 of your population without health insurance is not a great way to encourage economic activity.

Sorry for the hijack bodz. Do a search here and on Blade Forums and you will find a ton of info. You don't have much of a chance once they decide that it is a weapon. The appeal process is ridiculous. I am betting it came through southern Ontario?

Thom

What are your sources for this information?

[TazKristi]

First, guys, let's keep from the negative comments about our own and other countries. We don't need the politics here. No country is perfect, just like no one person is perfect either.

Bodz,
I'm sorry for your troubles, but the D'Allara does seem to be one that is particularly difficult to get across the border. I handle Canada as part of my Sales Territory for our wholesale Sales. It honestly seems to be a crap-shoot. Depending on the day and the agent that gets your package. I have had entire orders stopped. We've brought them back, shipped them out again and then they get through without incident.

There is no fool proof answer though.

Kristi

[goke]

Getting the seized knife sent back by bonded courier is cost prohibitive, around $100CDn from what I've heard. Call UPS for a quote.

The only appeal I've heard of working is when a LEO or Armed Forces member gets a boss to write Customs a note saying the knife is necessary to do their job.

As other have been saying... use a place like New Graham as they will tighten pivots for you. I buy most blades privately so senders are always willing to adjust pivots. I seldom buy non-adjustable knives and when I do I understand that importing them is at my own risk.

If you're near a border, get blades sent to the nearest US Post Office and import them your self.

[psimonl]

hey Bodz... Sorry for your lost...

PM me , I might have an idea for you...

(Not for your D'allara, but firther ones...)

Simon

[CKE]

I am not going to add to this...lets just say heed what Kristi said about the "Country Bashing" WE don't want to go done that road. IT WON'T BE PRETTY :mad: :mad: :mad:

People who live in glass houses... :rolleyes:

bodz, sorry to hear this. It is very common. Where I live I have never had a problem(knock on wood) if you are near one of the major centers than it has been much more common. Try to get it shipped back to the sender. If they will tighten the pivot then do that. If not, order from some where else. There is always the option of buying in Canada...you may pay a bit more, but you know you will get it. Take Care!!!

Craig

[Axlis]

I'm sorry to hear your knife got confiscated . I hope that you can get something worked out, even if you have to pick it up yourself :) .

[eljay]

Just as a side note - I sell fine art nude photographs (very tasteful stuff, often just "implied nudes") and a good number of them are shipped internationally. I refuse to ship to a couple of countries where it's illegal but I always dread Canada. Their speech protections aren't as strong as ours in general, but in particular the courts there have decided that those protections, such as they are, stop at the border. Customs can make and enforce their own rules for what can come into the country, even if it would clearly be protected as art in Canada itself. Luckily I haven't had that many Canadian customers - I ship way more to the UK as an example - but from talking to other artists I know it's just a matter of time.

[deeker]

Now, if I would have seen this post a week earlier I might not be feeling a sense of impending loss. :confused:

I also just ordered a D'Allara Rescue (and do work on a volunteer SAR team). I'm hoping it will not be a problem. That would suck. We'll see in a week or so, I guess.