Sending knife to USA

[Perrari]

Hi
I have sold my first knife outside the UK today going to the USA. As far as I can see from the internet there are no restrictions in sending it as long as it has the relevant paperwork. I think I will probably send it using Royal Mail Airsure.

Are there any makers out there who have had experience, good or bad in sending a knife to the USA ?
Any advise would be appreciated.

Thanks
Eifion

[Lister]

Can't see anything on the Royal Mail website, just the requirement for the CN22 (Customs Declaration) to be filled in and that the knife is properly and safely packaged/contained.

[Nektarios]

Well i have send some knifes to the us, and I have ask the Danish customs about that and the answer was if the blade it’s not longer than 12cm it’s no problem with that, the only thing is that the knife must be secure so it cannot make any damage or cut his way out of the packet. Hope that helps.
Regards
NP

[santaman2000]

Well i have send some knifes to the us, and I have ask the Danish customs about that and the answer was if the blade it’s not longer than 12cm it’s no problem with that...

Obviously I've never "sent" a knife to the US from outside but I have "received" a few; many of them longer than 12 cm. The longest I've received was over 10 inches (or about 23 cm) and it had no special paperwork. Also an 18 inch machete (about 42 cm)

I suspect that the length limit you referenced is probably due to your Post Office regs more than US Customs limits on incoming items.

[Perrari]

Thanks for your advice guys, I think I should be ok. My main problem I think will be the individual at the Post Office counter, although I have sent many knives within the UK I have never had to declare what was in the package, but for customs purposes I will. As I have found out when you tell people you make knives they 'freak out' and dont really understand that knives are a tool, and not a weapon.

Eifion
www.erknives.com

[hughtrimble]

Just say 'Cutlery' Eifion - that's what I did with a Benchmade Mini Rukus which I sent off for repair.
I can't see why they'd probe further, as it's a proper term for such tools.

[Perrari]

Good idea Hugh ! I did not think about that !

Thanks
Eifion

www.erknives.com

[Hugo]

I have sent a couple of my knives to the US and had no problem.
I made sure they were well packaged, they were received unopened and intact.

[Bazooka Joe]

Well i have send some knifes to the us, and I have ask the Danish customs about that and the answer was if the blade it’s not longer than 12cm it’s no problem with that, the only thing is that the knife must be secure so it cannot make any damage or cut his way out of the packet. Hope that helps.
Regards
NP

Good to know! I've been thinking about importing a knife from the UK, but wasn't sure about the law.

[Perrari]

Posted the knife yesterday, the guy at the counter asked what was in the parcel ? When I sain a knife he gave me a strange look, but I pointed out that it was safely packaged and he was ok about it. The knife is on it's way, so fingers crossed !

[sasquatch]

When I've posted them the guy behind the counter started asking loads of questions about making knives each time, he was far from mortified there was a knife in there. I'll bet he wants to have a go himself as the questions got better and better each time.

[palace]

Don't know about sending to the USA however I have had knives sent from USA to the UK they usually mark as "cutlery". Axes are no problem and I have had knives, parangs & kukri's sent from Malaysia, Nepal etc. usually marked as tools.

[jojo]

I sendknives to the USA and never had problems. You just have to fill the custom declaration form, declare exactly what's in the package, value (and weight I believe). I have written "bushcraft knife", or "carving knife" , never been opened as far as I know. As said, just make sure its very safely packaged, so that no injuries can happen to staff handling the package.. I started filling the custom declaration (just get a few at a time) myself, prior to sending the parcels as one post office staff gave me a bit of hassle once over the word knife, telling me it was not "legal" which is non-sense!

[hughtrimble]

The only time I've had a package questioned was a Parang from El Salvador.
The very clear-thinking people had written in big black marker pen: 'MACHETE' with my name in equally large letters, all across the top of the box.

That was not a clever move by them.

Garden tool would've been equally valid, or bushcraft tool etc.

For future reference DHL aren't supposed to ship bladed tools, or sharp objects apparently.

[Nice65]

Garden tool, camping equipment or cutlery usually saves any problems at the post office. I tend to put camping equipment, it doesn't rattle people at all.

[santaman2000]

...I started filling the custom declaration (just get a few at a time) myself...

LOL. This made me laugh wondering just who would fill it out if I didn't do it myself.

[jojo]

LOL. This made me laugh wondering just who would fill it out if I didn't do it myself.

Wellll...the first time I sent a knife to theSates, I made the mistake to let the post woman do it for me. She had a rant a me about knives being illegal... So after that I did fill them myself!

[santaman2000]

Wellll...the first time I sent a knife to theSates, I made the mistake to let the post woman do it for me. She had a rant a me about knives being illegal... So after that I did fill them myself!

The reason I thought it funny was because the Postal Clerks here don't fill out forms; they just point you to the counter where they are and holler, "NEXT."

[Ginn]

I recently sent a Bushcraft knife to the USA, with no problems. It was marked Cutlery. I also ticked the "gift" box on the sticker, to stop them any problems.

[ex member pyrophil]

Do what they do in china and hong kong, everything i get says diy tool. If you think about it diy tool does cover a lot of stuff. Knife is a diy tool.