In addition to Jeremy's sword, mentioned above, we have started to see problems across USPS and even a few other shippers. Over the years all have failed on a package or two over time and we have had to deal with the results. The current situation is different. I went and checked things yesterday and we have had delays and have more things stuck in route then we have ever had. I suspect other businesses are feeling the same. It's quite frustrating as the reliability and efficiency of our delivery systems is one of the rails our economy runs on. All we are left to do is apologize to the customer for the problem.

The UPS rep came in two days ago with a new delivery time map. Almost the entire country is listed as faster normal shipping. He said their stated goal is to get to a three day shipping time across the country. He did not know if this will cost more.

We strive to make shipping work for the customer in the best way possible, weather that's a particular carrier, time frame or finding the most economical option possible. Sadly this is getting harder and harder these days.

Craig

Ordered a Bowie knife from Tod Cutler about a week ago. Tracking shows it is in a sorting facility and should be heading for
me right away. How long it will take to get to NC from CT is another matter entirely. For about four days there was no tracking information, whatever that might mean and I just got an update last night then again this morning.

Apologize for being off the subject, just another problem of dealing with USPS, their carelessness .

Have not experienced any significant delays in service for quite some time. However, recently sent a sword from CA to NY via USPS. Timing was fine, but sword was damaged badly, despite being in a wood core scabbard, taped to light plywood and wrapped in card board. Scabbard and sword both sustained a bend of about 30 degrees, about 3/4 down from the cross.

Dan

I live in a rural region of West Virginia. Mail is taking about 3 weeks to reach us.

I have not received any mail in the past 5 days. They have not picked up our outgoing mail, either. Mail service seems to have completely ceased.

Another tangent: for those in the UK, what are your thoughts on the privatization of the Royal Mail? It's been how long now, about a decade? How has it worked out?

USPS has been slow and sloppy for many years, and needs a major shakeup...

I had a USPS package that was sent back to Jerseys because the usps delivery claimed the box had "no address label" on it.

Yet another example of USPS stoopid...

I have a small item coming to me in Cali from the Phoenix area. It shipped Wednesday. I find out today that it is now being processed in ALBUQUERQUE, which is in the total opposite direction some 336 miles by air and 464 miles by truck, following the I-40 route (about a 6.5 hour drive non-stop).

Frakkin' insane.

Got my knife from Tod Cutler on Friday, 8-28. He shipped it on 8-17. The knife, once it cleared customs, was in transit for three days. I have no complaints about the shipping time to me by USPS but clearly other folks do. All I can report is my personal experience.

I really like the knife and will order from them again in the near future.

I finally got my sword from A&A.

The packaging was not damaged in any way. I believe it was just held up in my local distribution office.

I support the USPS and believe many of their current problems are due to forced cutbacks and Covid.

I will use them again.

USPS package Indiana to Seattle: 3 days
Small package Norway to Seattle: 35 days
Small package (t-shirt) Royal Airmail UK to Seattle: 66 days
Package with bottle of rum (which broke!) and a t-shirt Netherlands to Seattle: 79 days

By way of comparison, I just had some swords sent via FedEx from India. Amritsar to Louisiana in 3 days.

Got my stuff two days ago after a long delay. USPS thought it was still in Chicago according to their tracking system, so it all ended up being a pleasant surprise.

Several years ago, I was going to Hawaii for a month. To save on hauling a lot of luggage, I shipped a large box of my scuba gear to my friend on the Big Island. I shipped the gear via USPS Priority Mail about 2 weeks before departure from the Pittsburgh area.

My box of scuba gear arrived in Hawaii 3 months later. The USPS said "read the fine print" regarding Priority Mail delivery times.

Just a quick plug for USPS.

I had an expensive item sent from the UK on September 16th through Parcelforce then USPS. It spent about 9 days in the UK and then just 2 in the US before arriving at my door.

I was very pleasantly surprised.

We have had a great deal of trouble with USPS of late with many parcels getting delayed.

However it is important to note that these are delays, not losses. They do get there but just slowly.

After some research on our end we have discovered that there two main import hubs from the UK (and presumably the rest of Europe) into the US for USPS and these were in I think Florida somewhere and the other was Chicago. Parcels going through Chicago are the ones suffering the delays on the whole, but as I said they do get there.

Tod