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David Lewis Smith
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 Posted: Thu 17 Mar, 2016 7:59 am Post subject: Antique Sword Restoration Companies in the USA |
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I have a couple of Wilkinson swords I would like to restore and I am looking for companies in the USA that does this.
I do not want to mess with British Customs, at times they are a little over zealous and confiscate or destroy antiques (so I have heard)
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
David L Smith
MSG (RET)
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Leo Todeschini
Industry Professional
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| Posted: Thu 17 Mar, 2016 8:21 am Post subject: |
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David Lewis Smith wrote | Quote: | | I do not want to mess with British Customs, at times they are a little over zealous and confiscate or destroy antiques (so I have heard) |
Sorry David, I can't actually help with companies in the US or indeed in the UK, however I would like to take issue with you on this point.
Swords and daggers are entirely legal in the UK, with some minor exceptions for push daggers and concealed swords/knives but majorly only one sword type is tricky. Swords with blades over 18"/50cm that are curved and not made by traditional techniques (forged) you need to be part of an appropriate organisation to have, i.e. martial arts or reenactment. Thats it. As far as I can tell nobody is too bothered about enforcing even this part except when the circumstances warrant it. Basically they don't want Samurai swords (cult object in UK) sold for £30 to 18 old gang members who live in tower blocks so they can chop each other up with them.
I have not ever heard of anyone I would consider to have a legitimate reason for having such a sword, being troubled or prosecuted for ownership.
Tod
www.todsworkshop.com
www.todcutler.com
www.instagram.com/todsworkshop
https://www.facebook.com/TodsWorkshop
www.youtube.com/user/todsstuff1
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David Lewis Smith
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| Posted: Thu 17 Mar, 2016 8:42 am Post subject: |
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| Leo Todeschini wrote: | David Lewis Smith wrote | Quote: | | I do not want to mess with British Customs, at times they are a little over zealous and confiscate or destroy antiques (so I have heard) |
Sorry David, I can't actually help with companies in the US or indeed in the UK, however I would like to take issue with you on this point.
Tod |
Tod, I am sorry if you took offence as that was not my intent. I know the legalities of UK sword and knife ownership and know what is right and legal. I also know from many years of buying, selling and trading swords that sometimes the individual UK Customs Agent does not know what is is legal or right. I also moderated on another forum as well as read on it for many years where people asked questions in the legal sub forum and shared their own stories of troubles they had had with UK customs.
I am sure as a body that the UK Customs is a fine and professional agency that does a fine job. I also know no agency is infallible and with one sword in particular I am not willing to risk the 97% passing score against the 3% fail rate. (Inspector General Numbers for a Green Passing Score for most agencies).
Respectfully
David Lewis Smith
David L Smith
MSG (RET)
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Lee O'Hagan
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| Posted: Thu 17 Mar, 2016 9:57 am Post subject: |
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Although UK based,
https://www.yell.com/biz/casque-and-gauntlet-militaria-farnham-1843545/
Might be worth a phone call to see if they use anyone stateside,
I'd also add,
I doubt you'd have trouble sending antique sabre's over,
I've had very good and very bad with the custom's over here,
9-10 times pretty good,
once had a katana returned, even though hand made by a US smith and all legal,
costly experience, but hey ho, better than the wrong element getting a curved sword instead of buying the now legal straight katana sold everywhere for £20.00,
or the now more typical £5.00 machete from every DIY store,
over the years I've had maybe 20+ swords sent over,
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David Lewis Smith
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| Posted: Thu 17 Mar, 2016 10:02 am Post subject: |
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| Lee O'Hagan wrote: | Although UK based,
https://www.yell.com/biz/casque-and-gauntlet-militaria-farnham-1843545/
Might be worth a phone call to see if they use anyone stateside,
I'd also add,
I doubt you'd have trouble sending antique sabre's over,
I've had very good and very bad with the custom's over here,
9-10 times pretty good,
once had a katana returned, even though hand made by a US smith and all legal,
costly experience, but hey ho, better than the wrong element getting a curved sword instead of buying the now legal straight katana sold everywhere for £20.00,
or the now more typical £5.00 machete from every DIY store,
over the years I've had maybe 20+ swords sent over, |
Thanks Lee.
David L Smith
MSG (RET)
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Leo Todeschini
Industry Professional
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David Lewis Smith
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| Posted: Thu 17 Mar, 2016 12:40 pm Post subject: |
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| Leo Todeschini wrote: | Hi David,
No offence taken at all, and in essence I would agree that not all would know the required laws or subtleties of them, but I didn't want people to think the UK has issues with swords or the shipping of them in or out.
Tod |
I have never had a problem with things I have bought from the UK coming to me. I I have heard and read that coming in to the UK can have problems is all.
David L Smith
MSG (RET)
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Mark Griffin
Location: The Welsh Marches, in the hills above Newtown, Powys. Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 802
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| Posted: Fri 18 Mar, 2016 3:37 am Post subject: |
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It's horses for courses the world over. Some officials/public servants are under trained, badly managed or a little over zealous. Or an annoying combination of all three.
I've had a UK policeman sniff a gun to see if it had been fired and a US customs official take exception to a sword as it was a 'pointed object'. When i said but a pencil would fall into that category he agreed and said he'd confiscate those too. Maybe he had trouble at home...
Go figure.. but on the whole, swords coming in and out are fine, with what Tod said on the legal side. I do it all the time, Tod probably does too.
Its the charges that get me, but i can see that you don't want any hassles with your swords, totally understandable.
Currently working on projects ranging from Elizabethan pageants to a WW1 Tank, Victorian fairgrounds 1066 events and more. Oh and we joust loads!.. We run over 250 events for English Heritage each year plus many others for Historic Royal Palaces, Historic Scotland, the National Trust and more. If you live in the UK and are interested in working for us just drop us a line with a cv.
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