Any Experience Shipping Overseas?

dogman

dogman

Joined
Jul 26, 1999
Messages
1,109
I had a European forumite inquire about purchasing a knife I am selling on the forum. I have no personal problem shipping to Europe (Finland), but does anyone have experience doing it? Are there troubles with: weapon size, import laws, declaring items, means of shipping (i.e., USPS, UPS, etc.)?

Assistance, please.

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Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
 
So far, I have had 2 knives shipped to me, in the Netherlands that is. One was from Robertson Custom Cutlery and the other from PVKT. I have had no problem with customs or anything. Both were sent via UPS. I think that as long as the knife is perfectly legal in the country you are shipping to it's no problem. It could help if you label the package with "tool" or something like that. Then again, Holland is not the same as Finland, but Finland doesn't strike me as a country with strict and overactive custom employees. Maybe you could inquire with some of the larger knife dealers on the internet, who have the experience of shipping to finland?
 
I'm one of the smaller dealers on the Net, and my "data base" is too small to make good statistics, I've mailed folders to Finland, and they've gotten there, and I've mailed or shipped fixed blades and folders to various countries, and haven't had anything disappear or get nabbed by customs yet. There's always a first time.

If the shipment is valuable enough that I and/or the customer want insurance and accountability, it gets expensive. Airmail for the usual folder is about five dollars, more or less, in a padded envelope. It depends on whether the customer has confidence in their postal service and their relations with their customs service. Federal Express or UPS can raise the shipping cost from $4-$5 to $40-$50.

I don't know how thing work in other places, but when I get Swedish knives shipped to me by mail from Canada I don't pay import duty, but when they come by private courier I pay. Go figure.


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- JKM
www.chaicutlery.com
AKTI Member # SA00001
 
One other thought -

I don't ship weapons overseas. That would make me some sort of international arms dealer.
frown.gif
I ship knives.

On customs forms, I don't say "knives." That's a scary word for authority figures. I say "cutlery" or "tools."


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- JKM
www.chaicutlery.com
AKTI Member # SA00001
 
I have shipped to Greece and Germany, no problems. I used the Global Priority Mail with no problems, expensive, but smooth and fast. Now, domestic mail is another story... but much better than UPS!
 
I have shipped knives to Germany, Malaysia, and South Africa via USPS with no problems, and received knives from Germany and the UK, also without problems.

I always list the knives as "Cutlery" and mark them as a "Gift" on the customs form. Some people will want you to list the value as less than it is worth, so they do not have to pay tarrifs or something. That is a personal call. Shipping overseas is spendy, but if the buyer is willing to pay, or if they are sharing the cost, it is really no problem. Good luck!

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"They sicken of the calm, who know the storm."
RFrost5746@aol.com or Robert_Frost@ars.aon.com

 
My only advice would be to avoid using UPS. In this country (Australia) they seem to think it is their duty to submit items to Customs for assessment. OTOH all the packages I have had sent by mail have arrived without duty. EMS seems to be the most reliable way of sending by mail.

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Take care,
Clay

Don't worry that the world might end tomorrow....in Australia it's tomorrow already.

 
Thanks for the advice guys. I hate to leave our international brethren out of the buying, selling and trading frenzy we perpetuate here. I do not need to make a quick return, so off to Finland it goes.

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Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
 
Dogman,

I haven't shipped knives oversea (although I have received a few) but I have shipped just about everything else.

With international shipments there are four primary concerns.

1. Check with the purchaser to identify a workable shipping company. Don't assume that your regular shipper has (FedEx, UPS, Emery, etc.) has a presence in your customer's local. Find a company that both of you are comfortable with.

2. Once you identify a shipper, work with the shipper to complete required documentation. Most shipping companies will be happy to assist you with forms and advice.

3. Check with the shipping company to identify correct duty tax codes etc. (on small shipments this is less important - however, if you want to derisk delays at customs give them unambigous information)

4. Check to ensure that you have complied with export controls. For knife shipments from the U.S. I can't imagine its a big deal. However, for some countries exports of historical artifacts can be tightly controlled. So use caution especially when shipping to the U.S. from overseas.

 
Hi dogman!
I live in Austria and with the exception of one knife (ColdSteel Ready Edge) I received all the knives that were shipped to me from the states.
A lower declaration on the customs-declaration froms helps. Sometimes they charge nothing at all.
smile.gif

I used UPS and USPS but prefer USPS express mail service.
Greetings
red
 
I mailed a folder to a Customer in France last year. The first charge quoted to me at the Post Office was less than $10.00. Then the lady asked if I had inclosed a letter. I said yes, and the price went to $30.00. Now I either keep my mouth shut, or mail a separate letter.

A.T. http://www.customknives.com
 
I'm not a knife dealer, but I have shipped rare books all over the world...from El Salvador to the Peoples Republic of China. Tell your buyer that pays to go Global Priority. I use a solid box with good packing that fits inside the flimsy GP box, to insure that the goods arent damaged. Good idea above about phrasing the customs declaration, avoid using words with "weapon" connotation. I would go so far as to say "TOOL".
 
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