- Joined
- Dec 24, 2003
- Messages
- 1,390
I had the package sent by regular International Delivery, being that most things sent here are not brought directly to one's door. A notice is first sent to the recipient, stating that the item has arrived at Customs. I then have to state what the item is, and confirm under oath the stated value, by fax no less...! 
Then another notice is sent by snail mail, letting me know what the duty is. I then have to go to the Post Office, and send what is called a "vaglia postale", which is like a U.S. Postal Service electronic fund transfer. In Italy, it is quite an adventure since waiting times in ANY public place is a lesson in patience. 
My secretary doesn't seem to mind though, so I don't usually deal with this sort of nonsense.
A company which imports katanas offered to bring a katana in for me a couple of years back. I would only have to pay for the shipping, and a "mere 33% customs fee". The company was doing me a favor, and was not making a profit off of me. Swords are illegal in Italy if they are sharpened... Stores that sell guns and knives oftentimes sell "Duncan McCloud type" plastic dragon handled stainless steel katanas, which are sharpened like butterknives. If I were to sharpen one, technically it would be as illegal as an unregistered machine gun
would be.
A friend recently suggested that I have "Nepali Souvenir", "Oriental Decoration", or similiar description written on the package. If I do have problems, I will try getting another blem sent over, and after I have it "tuned up" in the U.S., have the individual sharpening it wrap a bit of plastic on the "butter knife blade", and then wrap a few kilometers of duct tape around it to discourage any industrious Customs official (there are probably a few here) from checking out the blade's sharpness. As a courtesy, I could ask Pendentive to throw a few bandaids in the package just in case.
Should there be a problem, I will have to look into having future khukuris sent to another European Coummunity country, and transferred to me here, but I might have to deal with Customs all the same... Theoretically, there is free trade between EC members, but in practice, there are still many technicalities that need to be worked out, and many disagreements between member countries that are currently unresolved. Khukuri afficionados sure have it easy in the U.S.
Has any forumite ever received a khukuri sent from the U.S. to Italy? Whenever my mom sends me a "C.A.R.E. package" from the U.S., it completely avoids the Customs, just like Amazon book shipments. Perhaps I can ask Uncle Bill to not send an invoice, not make any reference to Himalayan Imports, and write "Nike Running Shoes, GNC Multiple Vitamins, and Ethnic Decorations" on the contents label of the famous triangular box...
Then another notice is sent by snail mail, letting me know what the duty is. I then have to go to the Post Office, and send what is called a "vaglia postale", which is like a U.S. Postal Service electronic fund transfer. In Italy, it is quite an adventure since waiting times in ANY public place is a lesson in patience. My secretary doesn't seem to mind though, so I don't usually deal with this sort of nonsense. A company which imports katanas offered to bring a katana in for me a couple of years back. I would only have to pay for the shipping, and a "mere 33% customs fee". The company was doing me a favor, and was not making a profit off of me. Swords are illegal in Italy if they are sharpened... Stores that sell guns and knives oftentimes sell "Duncan McCloud type" plastic dragon handled stainless steel katanas, which are sharpened like butterknives. If I were to sharpen one, technically it would be as illegal as an unregistered machine gun
would be.
A friend recently suggested that I have "Nepali Souvenir", "Oriental Decoration", or similiar description written on the package. If I do have problems, I will try getting another blem sent over, and after I have it "tuned up" in the U.S., have the individual sharpening it wrap a bit of plastic on the "butter knife blade", and then wrap a few kilometers of duct tape around it to discourage any industrious Customs official (there are probably a few here) from checking out the blade's sharpness. As a courtesy, I could ask Pendentive to throw a few bandaids in the package just in case.
Should there be a problem, I will have to look into having future khukuris sent to another European Coummunity country, and transferred to me here, but I might have to deal with Customs all the same... Theoretically, there is free trade between EC members, but in practice, there are still many technicalities that need to be worked out, and many disagreements between member countries that are currently unresolved. Khukuri afficionados sure have it easy in the U.S.
Has any forumite ever received a khukuri sent from the U.S. to Italy? Whenever my mom sends me a "C.A.R.E. package" from the U.S., it completely avoids the Customs, just like Amazon book shipments. Perhaps I can ask Uncle Bill to not send an invoice, not make any reference to Himalayan Imports, and write "Nike Running Shoes, GNC Multiple Vitamins, and Ethnic Decorations" on the contents label of the famous triangular box...
