The Canada Border Services Agency (the equivalent to U.S. Customs and Border Protection) will ban knives capable of opening with one hand, per a
recent announcement made on Jan. 10. The prohibition is in effect now.
The Exact Language of the Ban
Specifically, the restriction covers knives meeting these conditions, as specified
here:
- a knife has a blade that opens by centrifugal force, when the blade is released from the handle into the fully ejected and locked position with a simple and brisk outwardly flick of the wrist; and
- it includes knives that require some preliminary or simultaneous minimal manipulation of either a flipper or other non-edged parts of the blade.
Applies to Most Folding Knives
This applies to flippers, assisted openers, automatics or any blade that doesn’t require two hands to open. Much sway is given to CBSA officers’ judgement. A cautious traveler to Canada may want to leave all folding knives at home.
History
This development comes after the resolution of an appeal in the
T. LaPlante v. President of the Canada Border Services Agency case. That case came about after the CBSA seized five imported
Kershaw Skyline Model 1760 knives (pictured above) at the border in August 2016.
This isn’t the first time the country banned a wide category of knives. The decision adds to Canada’s growing list of prohibited weapons, available
here. That includes:
- Bladed finger ring
- Push daggers
- Devices shorter than 30 cm containing a concealed blade; including canes, daggers and multitools
- Belt buckle knives
- Morning stars
- Spiked wristbands
Big Changes for Canadian Collectors, International Tourists
Note that this doesn’t prohibit the exportation of these items, only the importation. This doesn’t spell the end of the Canadian knifemaking industry.
It does, however, mean the end of bringing a large category of knives into Canada. It’s likely this will especially impact Canada’s hunting and fishing tourism industries. Canadian knife collectors purchasing internationally will also be hit hard.
