Experience with outside US sales question

Kryptoglow

Kryptoglow

Joined
Jan 8, 2011
Messages
651
Hey guys/gals,

Just wondering if anyone here might have some advice on sales outside lower 48. I have a knife, the KG Hybrid that will be for sale in the near future. I have had people asking to have an option for 1 of the 10 knives to be offered. I have someone from Australia, Spain and Canada who would like to purchase one.
I don't want to loose a knife to customs so I'm interested to see if there is any feedback on shipping to these countries. The knife in question is a 12" fixed blade with a sharpened swedge.

Thanks for any advice on shipping or not shipping to these destinations.

Dan @ KG
 
12345678910 said:
Use USPS, the other services charge silly brokerage fees.
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I agree. Keep in mind though, once it reaches the destination country it will (obviously) no longer have anything to do with USPS. That may or may not make tracking a bit dicey. Anyway all the international shipping info you need is available on the USPS website, including customs forms, tax info where applicable, etc. Check laws on the receiving end... in one case I asked for and got an e-mail from the customs official to print out and include with the packing slip saying the knife (large bowie-type w/sharpened swedge) was OK with him.

I haven't sent to Spain but I have shipped knives to Norway and Australia. The only problem I had was, the two going to Australia arrived shortly before Christmas and took several weeks to get through Customs... they didn't hassle me or the client about the knives, I think it was just the busy season.

Regardless, you must inform your clients that you will of course insure the knife properly, but other than that you can't really be responsible for what happens when it leaves the US. Have them sign off on a waiver of sorts, that you'll both abide by whatever the insurance deems appropriate, in case of a loss or major foul-up.
 
I ship insured USPS Express mail and have had great luck with international packages. One package went missing in Spain but it was stolen after delivery.

So far I have knives in Australia, Ireland, England, Spain, New Zealand, Tahiti, Austria, Canada, Sweden, Puerto Rico and Finland... more I am forgetting.
 
Willie71 said:
How about the reverse, shipping from Canada to the US?
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No problems as long as you ship legal goods.

I use tracking , signature and insurance.
We don't have the flat rate options they have within the US and it's always more expensive, but I've found the Canada Post - USPS tracking works pretty well.
 
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I've shipped to quite a few countries- occasionally I'll have a request that a knife be declared as a "camping tool" on the customs form. That's always worked fine. Communication is the main thing, quote a shipping price with and without insurance, and in the very likely event they opt for shipment without insurance, make it crystal clear that you will not be held responsible for anything that happens to the knife in shipment.

Canada, France, Indonesia, Greece, South Africa, Germany, I forget where else my knives have gone... but I really enjoy sending them that far away.
 
Thanks for the info/advice. I have sent grips to russian fed., singapore, austrailia and about 10 other foreign countries with no real problems.
 
In my case, i would ask for 1st class with custom numbers. Unless the blade looks like a T-Rex post carnage with bleeding serrations on it, i don't see any issue. As usual my policy is once it leaves CONUS the risk on my side.
 
JayGoliath said:
In my case, i would ask for 1st class with custom numbers. Unless the blade looks like a T-Rex post carnage with bleeding serrations on it, i don't see any issue. As usual my policy is once it leaves CONUS the risk on my side.
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Same like what Jay said. :-)
 
I have sent stuff to the UK, Germany, Italy and Belgium. USPS Priority International works fine to almost all places. A number of customers over there like to have knives labeled "camping tools" and take the chance on not insuring for full value so that they can claim that something is a gift and worth less than the cut off value for the tax man. That is their business as far as I am concerned. The German Zollamt boys will hit you for about 30% of the value of the item AND the shipping cost if you come to their attention, so I can kinda understand.
 
In Canada we only get charged 5% of the stated value so I don't ask anyone to lie on customs forms. In my experience I only have between 5 and 10 percent of my incoming knives get stopped by customs.
 
Zidfeldts said:
In Canada we only get charged 5% of the stated value so I don't ask anyone to lie on customs forms. In my experience I only have between 5 and 10 percent of my incoming knives get stopped by customs.
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count yourself lucky to be in Alberta, we get hit with the full 13% HST in Ontario

You won't be taxed on gifts under $60, but if it's insured for more, they don't fall for the "gift" label
 
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Daniel Fairly Knives said:
I ship insured USPS Express mail and have had great luck with international packages. One package went missing in Spain but it was stolen after delivery.

So far I have knives in Australia, Ireland, England, Spain, New Zealand, Tahiti, Austria, Canada, Sweden, Puerto Rico and Finland... more I am forgetting.
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Aren't you a fancy lad! :p

I have heard nightmares about Australia Customs. My attitude is once a knife leaves US Soil it becomes the buyers responsibility. I put what ever coverage they request / Pay for. I have been pretty lucky (Knock on Wood)
 
RyanW said:
Aren't you a fancy lad! :p

I have heard nightmares about Australia Customs. My attitude is once a knife leaves US Soil it becomes the buyers responsibility. I put what ever coverage they request / Pay for. I have been pretty lucky (Knock on Wood)
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Pinky up, mwahh mwahhh! :p :D

Just saying they were not problematic... that does remind me once AU post just sent a knife back for no reason. (postal strike?) That was only once though out of probably twenty going there this year.

Sometimes I wonder why Canadian customs holds them so long... fondling I think. ;)

I have made one replacement knife (I tracked the package and we know it was stolen but I just felt bad that the guy did not get his knife) and my policy is stricter now, after making a $300 knife for free it gets you thinking. So far insured express has been great.

There are some places I probably wouldn't send a knife to as well. I won't even discuss the postal situation in the Virgin Islands after living there, my advice is bring a machete. :D
 
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A little late to this one but Australian Customs will not allow a blade sharpened on both edges into the country.
 
If they notice it you will get the hit with the new HST on it in PEI ( Prince Edward Island) and always add at least a weeks extra time for shipping to PEI because it seems to take that long here. I guess life is slower here and so is the mail.
 
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