Knives
by Greyrider, Wednesday, October 19, 2022, 20:41 (151 days ago)
I will be there for the month of November. I love to cook and wanted to bring a couple of kitchen knives with me as previous experience has shown me the knives in the bungalows tend to be dull to the point of uselessness. I was going to bring a Japanese vegetable knife and a fillet knife. Would customs at the airport have a hemorrhage if they found knives in my luggage and would I be safer just buying some new ones when I get there? Probably a dumb question but thought I’d ask anyway.
That is actually an excellent question! We are serious cooks, and always had great knives in our RV, and were never hassled. Now that we live here full time, we have our full array of knives we have had for many many years.
Check the regulations for importation when flying. If you can't legally bring them back and forth, there are several places to purchase decent knives, like Ferreteria del Centro. They have a decent array of knives, Forcshner, which is what we have.
If nothing else, bring your favorite steel with you and purchase something here. It will at least make cooking tolerable.
Knives
by midalake , Wednesday, October 19, 2022, 21:44 (151 days ago) @ Talley Ho
That is actually an excellent question! We are serious cooks, and always had great knives in our RV, and were never hassled. Now that we live here full time, we have our full array of knives we have had for many many years.
Check the regulations for importation when flying. If you can't legally bring them back and forth, there are several places to purchase decent knives, like Ferreteria del Centro. They have a decent array of knives, Forcshner, which is what we have.
If nothing else, bring your favorite steel with you and purchase something here. It will at least make cooking tolerable.
Maybe 5 years ago I brought a knife block with knives in my checked. No issues then, but this is a different crew working customs. I would not trust them.
Knives
by jakewills , Wednesday, October 19, 2022, 21:55 (151 days ago) @ midalake
Brought a few nice knives in checked luggage with us a couple months ago. I put them in janky cardboard sheaths I made with duct tape so they did not look remotely new. They were not questioned.
Of course, I was shook down over some other BS that I shouldn't have been, so I think they were just using the first thing they could find to squeeze me. Didn't say a word about my electronics that could have been a legit question for receipts.
Bottom line, if just visiting I agree it is not worth the risk for knives you really care about. It is expensive when they squeeze you and you don't have the time to fight it.
Bring a knife sharpener and use it when hanging out on the beach... Lend it to all your neighbors..

Knives
by Paxtonsmom , Vancouver Island, BC, Thursday, October 20, 2022, 22:53 (150 days ago) @ crumbster
Listen for the whistle of the knife sharpening fellow who rides his bike around town. I've taken knives down to him from my bungalow in La Madera in the past.
PM
Knives
by wisconsinjuan , Friday, October 21, 2022, 17:29 (150 days ago) @ Paxtonsmom
We rent a condo with crappy knives. I bring 1 good one in my checked luggage every year. Never had a problem. A few years ago, I forgot to pack it for the return flight. Low and behold, the maid had set it aside so nobody could "borrow" it and it was there on our return.