I've just experienced a near disaster delivering a sword to a fellow forum member. I put the Del Tin sword into an old Albion sword box and took it to my local post office. They insured the package fully, cautiously designated it as a potentially hazardous package, and conspicuously marked it as 'FRAGILE'. The box was supposed to arrive a week ago Friday. Instead of traveling directly from my home town to Wyoming it took a left turn at Kansas City and spent eight extra days bouncing around Chicago, a location it never should have come anywhere near. I'm told that the box arrived today with crush damage, signs of abuse, and possible inexpert opening for inspection. The box is a loss but thankfully the sword inside came through it all unscathed.

I'll never use USPS to ship a sword again. It's worth the extra expense to have the professionals at UPS or FedEx deliver swords. Anyone else who has a similar tale of wandering & abused blades please post your story as a reply.

I certainly avoid USPS whenever possible. I have had numerous issues with their handling of packages.
Back years ago when the Cold Steel composite training swords were the only ones readily available on the market, I ordered a set of two. I received a tracking number for the swords, and followed their progress from the vendor all the way to the local post office, where they suddenly vanished never to be seen again... I went to the post office to ask after them, and all I got in response was an "I dunno" that led to nothing. I then contacted the post masters office and complained, and they told me "We'll look into it", and that was the last I ever heard about my composite swords. A while later I ordered some new ones, and had them shipped via UPS and received them promptly and with no damage or issue.
Even the thought of a high end sword being shipped through USPS is a bad one.

I had a similar experience though with something less valuable. My dad sent me a CD as a birthday present a year ago, and it almost came to CA from MN. Almost. It came to my local post office, and then bizarrely ended up getting re-routed to TN, before eventually, weeks later, getting to me. I was able to track it partially, and could not understand how it almost got here, and then went to nowhere near where it was supposed to be.

Government workers... in fairness, though, I've had plenty of packages arrive without incident.

This is why I always use a hard TUBE when I ship swords. The extra few dollars are well worth the peace of mind. A very well known maker sent me a product a few years ago wrapped in a large piece of old cardboard folded over with no rigid support inside. Of course it was broken and bent when it arrived. Frankly I'm surprised the insurance paid as it was not properly packaged to begin with. We do have a responsibility to package the stuff up properly. I did get 100% of my money back plus shipping costs, but I waited almost a year for the custom piece and had numerous presentations scheduled based upon the reputation of the maker that I had to cancel. It was a learning experience for sure as I had several professional conversations with the maker regarding shipping nightmares and he assured me the $1,800 product would be packed very well. I was truly shocked and disappointed that he lied to me.

I suspect that things can go wrong no matter what you do.

However, I've shipped dozens of swords across Canada-US border with USPS/Canada Post and not had a major problem. The worst things that happened were some delays sitting at the border (which I could track) and once I suspected they opened the package and messed around a bit. It was always easy to pick things up at my local post office and I never had complaints going the other way.

On the other hand, every time I used UPS there was a problem. The product was stopped at the border until I payed them inflated brokerage fees. If you are not home when it arrives (which is always the case if you work away from home) they give up after several tries and then you have to travel a distance to some big sorting facility, then wait in line for them to find it.

Why pay more for worse service?

Ironically, I have shipped, literally and I do mean literally, hundreds of blades and never had a problem with the USPS. I had just one problem with UPS, a blade which slipped out the end of a box and ended up with a bent point. This was in spite of using a wooden block at the tip along with ample packing material. UPS would not honor the insurance because they said it was improperly packed. Not sure how they determined that since most of the packing material at that end of the box was gone but, thankfully, I was able to hammer out the point - after replacing the sword for the buyer - and later sold it. Some people have bad luck and some have good luck and there is not telling which one you will have at a given time.

I can think of more than one bad incident I've had with UPS, and another with USPS. I don't think any of the shippers are immune to this. However, for the most part, I've received my items intact and promptly.

I think many of the problems with USPS, UPS, and FEDEX are local, rather than global. USPS may be fine in San Jose CA, but bad in st. Louis, MO. One thing I've noticed. With USPS, more things tend to go wrong on weekend deliveries, when the second string staff is making the rounds.

I work In a Huge Volume mail facility, 55 million pieces of mail a year, plus. We get trays that have mail of all sorts in them ALL the time. The post office has been undergoing HUGE changes and consolidations of Mail facilities and personnel. They have cyt wages to their employees and these underpaid people have a huge resentment for their 'Company'... Fed x is still solid as is UPS and as long as your package isnt going to a PO box number then i would highly suggest going with them. GET INSURANCE and document everything. Take pictures , keep receipts and Tape and stuff that Item with a LOT of tissue, newspaper and bubble wrap packing materiel. After your done with your package SHAKE it and if the item is bouncing around even a little, open it up and stuff more packing materiel, Styrofoam peanuts into the package... Trust me, you lose or get a damaged item one time and you will heed my advice!!

I've only ever had one major problem with the USPS. I once bought a helmet online from a seemingly reputable company. I won't name any names, but they are NOT in the USA. When it arrived in my mailbox ( :surprised: ) I was quite shocked at how small the box was! The box its self was badly crushed on one corner. The helmet was damaged to the point that it was unrepairable. I don't entirely blame USPS for this though. The helmet was a cheapo and I did get a refund--and got to keep the helmet anyway. :) If everyone would pack their stuff like KOA and MRL, maybe these problems wouldn't arise as often. It doesn't take THAT MUCH more effort and expense to pack something correctly, whether it be a $50 helmet or a $1500 sword. Any time I ship something, I always try to double-box it and reinforce the corners. And, I have enough bubble wrap and KOA brown paper to wrap my house! :lol: ......McM

I once received a bronze helmet in a bubble wrap ENVELOPE! The sender was just lazy, but it arrived amazingly without any damage at all.

I have known several people to have boxes crushed and contents destroyed by UPS, and were refused compensation. I have seen the corners of large crates crushed by FedEx, probably fork lift mistakes. I have had no problems yet with USPS. Note I said yet. ;) I do a lot of praying.

Thanks for sharing a word here. Hopefully it will help few people to stay away from any trouble with USPS

Man, I feel this one. Several years ago I ordered many plate and mail pieces from a Ukranian maker and USPS delivered me an empty torn open box! The New York customs office got some nice armour that week!

What I'm taking out of this is that service depends on the area and if you're lucky to have good people handling your packages or not. I guess there are good and bad experiences with all of them.

I had a four figure antique arrive in an approved box that was literally ripped in half. Taped back together and somewhat shorter.

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Failed to be delivered the first day. Carrier "misplaced it" the second day. Visit to the post office and the clerk passed it to me with a smile, no explanation. Fortunately, the old leather scabbard and sword were flexible enough to make it through ok. A lot of my old stuff arrive feeling like boxes of air. I can imagine it got caught up in a conveyor, somewhere between Texas and Massachusetts.

Most of the time, bad packaging can be the culprit. I honestly give good marks to all the carrier businesses. USPS though, those wacky guys.

Cheers

GC

I had a car cover track to my local post office...track to it...and then just disappear there. Poof! Gone! Company I bought it from refunded me. They got their insurance from the post office. Next one got to me fine. So in the end, we only lost time. It was just weird that they knew it hit the door of the building but then it just vanished. They did have a postal worker go postal and kill two of his managers they day the car cover got to the local post office (seriously) so maybe that had some thing to do with it?