Best bet from the US to the UK is the US Mail (USPS) - much less expensive than UPS, Federal Express, etc., and I haven't heard any bad news about the UK post office. The only thing you may not send by US Mail is a switchblade, and UK customs officers won't be amused by the switchblade no matter how it travels.
If the package weighs under a pound, and between you and the recipient you don't mind a rather small risk of loss for the value of the knife, simple airmail postage on a padded envelope, dropped into the mailbox without paperwork, will normally get it there.
If you give an international package to a US postal clerk, you'll have to fill out a Customs form where you tell the government at the far end how much to charge import tax on, if they look at it. I haven't been hit for tax on anything I've received by mail from overseas yet, but I've heard that many European tax collectors are more vigilant than ours. If you lie about the value or mark it "gift" when it isn't, remember that God didn't get Slick Willy for lying because He's laying for you instead.
"Cutlery" or "tool" are a nicer words than "knife" on paperwork that's going under the nose of some authority figure, and we never ship "combat" knives to the UK. A common chef's knife is "suitable for combat" as defined in the UK Knives Act of 1997, but it's OK to sell one there as long as you don't say so.
For accountability and speed, try International Express Mail. Figure $25, more or less, and you get $500 in insurance coverage.
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- JKM
www.chaicutlery.com
AKTI Member # SA00001
[This message has been edited by James Mattis (edited 08-04-2000).]
