Shipping swords internationally -- myArmoury.com

Michelle Whitmore · Posted: Tue 14 Oct, 2014 4:41 pm Post subject: Shipping swords internationally

Does anyone have any advice on shipping swords form the US to other countries? I have an A&A 15th 2-hander for sale and a gentleman in Germany is interested. As far as I can tell the German postal service will not accept packages over 60in in length. Would UPS, FedEx or another private carrier be a viable option?

Marik C.S. · Posted: Tue 14 Oct, 2014 9:28 pm Post subject:

I'd be very surprised if our local carrier wouldn't ship packets of the size of a longsword.
You have to keep in mind though that the german postal service has split it's services.
There is the classic postal service which will only deliver letters and small parcels and then there is DHL which is their logistics-branch and will pretty much ship whatever you want them to even internationally.

Not the cheapest of services but the option is certainly available.
Finding the necessary information on the US-DHL-Website though.. that thing is a maze.

Ian Hutchison · Posted: Tue 14 Oct, 2014 9:34 pm Post subject:

I've shipped swords to and from Europe. In most cases there is no issue on our end, any of those carriers should work. The only issue is if it is held by the recipient's customs for tax purposes etc.

Jeroen T · Posted: Tue 14 Oct, 2014 10:48 pm Post subject:

Won't they ship above 60" or do you have to pay extra?

Here in Holland i was shipping a sword like i've done before, and then the girl at the postoffice said " it's over 1 meter i can't ship it"
After some talk she of course could send it but not for the standard rate.

Theo Squires · Posted: Wed 15 Oct, 2014 12:14 am Post subject:

I know that FedEx ship swords internationally as I recently shipped one USA-AUS with FedEx. Expensive though. Some couriers do not ship swords or daggers, regardless of dimensions, as they have anti-weapon policies (eg, TNT). Their policies don't match custom/import laws in origin or target country, so be sure to find out that first.

Li Fu Xiang · Posted: Wed 15 Oct, 2014 6:26 pm Post subject:

DHL does ship swords internationally...
I have one shipment from USA to Singapore without issue recently.

FedEx also can handle sword as far as I remember.

UPS is the odd one... I have received more than 5 shipments using UPS in the past; However when I contacted UPS Singapore a while ago, they said sword is considered weapon and can't be transported through their services. Maybe this is specific country restriction/new restriction? I'm not sure... but I have shipped sword using UPS several times without problem. The last one was late 2013 so things might have changed.

I haven't tried TNT but couple of my friends seems to have a good experience shipping sword through them... so I'm tempted to try since their price seems to be pretty competitive.

Note: It would be cheaper to ship internationally through forwarder. I have been using stackry.com (FedEx) and Myus.com (DHL). MyUS price seems to be little bit lower than stackry but they keep changing their policy regarding sword (sometimes it is OK, sometimes it's not). Best to email myus.com prior shipping the sword to them to be sure.

Also myus.com inspect all incoming package (they open your box - while I have no issue with it, sometimes I'm affraid the person handling the packaing touch my blade and leave a fingerprint there). Stackry doesn't seems to open the package so it might be a better choice in some situation.

Hope that's help

Leo Todeschini · Industry Professional

In my experience the same companies have different policies in different countries. TNT in the US doesn't mind swords, in the UK they won't touch them and so on.

In my experience none of the couriers in the UK will take a sword, they will all however take 'sports equipment'. If the items are shipped by road and not x-rayed i.e. truck to Europe or UK then there is never a problem with swords, crossbows etc.

If the items are shipped by plane then the x-ray operator who looks at them is far more concerned with whether it will bring down a plane and swords pass that text so he/she is not interested either. They seem to be more interested in crossbows, but still they don't worry about them much.

The bottom line is that in my experience they say no, but don't stop them even when x-rayed, so don't lie - thin ice and morally wrong, but try to call it something else.

Sports equipment
decorative wall hanger
theatrical prop
museum display goods
tools
exercise equipment
all of these are descriptions that fit a sword

and so forth.

Tod

Matthew Bunker · Posted: Thu 16 Oct, 2014 2:48 am Post subject:

I take the same approach as Tod, basically don't make 'sword' the first word they see.
I list them as "Theatrical Prop swords secured in a scabbard" with the emphasis on secured. I use Parcelforce (the parcel division of the UK Post Office) and haven't had any trouble yet shipping to UK, US, Europe, South American and Australia.

When Vince shipped my V8 to me from Hawaii, he listed it as 'Educational Material - Replica Sword' which worked.