Kiami

Hi all,

I wonder if anyone had the experience like this. I own a practice sword (Iaito) for japanese martial art Iaido. And now I have to somehow manage to take it with me to Canada and declare it on my goods to follow list. The sword looks like a real japanese katana, except it hasn't been sharpened. (beginners use blunt swords to avoid any nasty accidents ) But to the customs officers it would just look like a weapon. (and could be shapened from their point of view) I have no papers for it, as in the UK it's ok to carry it as long as it's to training session. And as I bought it over 5 years ago (never thought of moving so far back then) I no longer have any confirmation of purchase.

If anybody has experience of shipping such items any help would be much appreciated!!

Zoe Bell

We shipped a katana and a wakasashi

Not antique but traditionally made with folded blades that were clay quenched.

We packed them ourselves as " ornaments" to avoid problems with the shipping company ( not a lie , it's all we ever used them for , apart from that one incident with the rose bushes )

When we cleared or goods in Canada , there was a question on the form about weapons. We answered yes.

She asked s a couple of questions , mostly about if they were sharp , when we told her we didn't know but w just used them as ornaments she stamped the form

I don't think you'll have a problem with genuine practice equipment. Having said that a display of samurai armor at the ROM had all the blades missing due to import restrictions

There is a Japanese cultural centre thingy in Toronto

Zoe Bell

Sorry damn iPad won't let me go back a paragraph ....

There is a Japanese cultural centre that may have experience of importing these things
Try googling them

minimeeze

My boyfriend is a Kung Fu instructor and we shipped a whole bag full of assorted weapons, swords, butterfly knives, nunchucks etc with no problem at all. We listed them on our goods to follow list as 'martial arts equipment / weapons'. No-one asked any questions.

flyboy74

i brought with me (and now travel frequently with) fencing equipment (swords, not post and rail...). narry a problem beyond some interested [and friendly] questions...

scottandsel

we shipped with part load container a katana and i didnt mention it an no one else did, its my sons and i never gave it a thought tbh - pretty naive of me really!

GC44

Interesting thread, I have wondered wether there would be an issue with a Kukri that I was presented with by some Gurkhas I worked with. Its extremely sharp!

Alan2005

So are kitchen knives.

Steve_

The following weapons are prohibited:

automatic knives such as switchblades;
centrifugal knives such as flick knives or butterfly knives;
gravity knives;
mace or pepper spray designed for use on humans;
nunchaku sticks;
shuriken (throwing stars);
manrikigusari or kusari (fighting chains);
finger rings with blades or other sharp objects projecting from the surface;
Taser and stun guns shorter than 480 mm;
crossbows designed for one-handed use;
crossbows 500 mm or shorter;
Constant Companion (belt-buckle knife);
push daggers;
devices shorter than 30 cm concealing a knife blade (e.g. knife-comb);
spiked wristbands;
blowguns;
Kiyoga or Steel Cobra batons (spring batons);
spring-loaded rigid batons (triggered by a button or lever);
morning stars; and
brass knuckles.

Bear in mind that other types of crossbow require a firearm licence (unlike the UK) to possess.

Also the one thing that a lot of people trip up on is that realistic imitation firearms are prohibited, and the prohibition is broader than in the UK, even if it's brightly coloured it may still be prohibited, it merely has to "resemble with near precision" a real firearm, excluding colour, so if you could paint it black then it is technically prohibited, so even a post-VCR Act airsoft gun in the UK might be prohibited here.

In Canadian Tire you will see transparent airsoft guns, those for some reason are considered legal (although the Daisy ones aren't terribly realistic copies, I assume that's why). Note that an airgun/CO2 gun that resembles another type of firearm is not a realistic imitation firearm, it is a firearm in its own right, merely a type of firearm that does not require licensing (provided it is under power limits).

I mention this in detail simply because I often see regular imitation airsoft guns being sold at various venues, they are prohibited, no question about it, anyone who says otherwise does not understand the law.

When you enter Canada you present your B4 personal effects accounting form to CBSA at the POE, most likely they won't even bother to inspect your luggage but they are pretty clued up on what is legal and what is not, so simply declare it and you will be okay.

Steve_

Not legal either here or in the UK.

GC44

[QUOTE=Alan2005;9419384]So are kitchen knives.

Ah yes the veggie knife. The fabled weapon that put the fear of God up the Japs!

Alan2005

It would still make no sense to restrict one and not the other given they are both smallish knifes.

dbd33

Well, that makes a great deal of sense considering that real firearms are not generally prohibited.

GC44

No, it wouldn't make sense but I would presume to say that most people (customs included) would class a kukri as a weapon, not a kitchen utensil.

eskimonel

I shipped a shinken (Live Blade) and also an Iaito (training Blade) from the UK to Canada sent air mail, all we did was pack them very well in Bubble wrap and then inserted them both into part of a plastic drain pipe, then sealed the ends up very well with wooden plugs and screwed them in top and bottom, arrived no problem declared them on the documents as swords and had no issues at all with customs. Hope this helps you.