I used to be a loader at a UPS hub and it just dawned on me that I should share with you some tips for shipping knives (or anything for that matter).
I cannot stress enough the absolute NECESSITY of good packing materials. By good, I mean anything that will pad out the box or envelope but in large quantities. Basically, fill your package with padding until it looks like enough and then add more and be generous with the packing tape.
If your package is large and looks sturdy, especially if it is roughly cubical, expect it to become a 'cornerstone' package. That means it will be the first package in the first row of a wall of boxes with about 10-12 feet of other packages on top of it. We are talking several hundred pounds sitting on your expensive stuff. These packages are also the most likely to get kicked.
If your package is medium to small-sized, especially if it is flatter, expect it to be used to 'lock-in' a wall. This means it will be forcefully wedged into a space smaller than the packages dimensions in an effort to keep the wall from shifting or falling while the loader builds walls. I can't tell you how many packages get crushed this way.
If you ship your package in an envelope or very small box, it will likely be put in a 'smalls bag' which are generally put off to the side of the rollers in a trailer and very often stepped on while the loader moves around building the wall. Once the wall is near completion, the smalls bag is often whipped up to the top of the wall. If it doesn't 'stick', it's thrown up several more times until it stays or the loader gets pissed, uses the load stand (which he or she is SUPPOSED to be using to get packages carefully loaded into the higher places instead of throwing) and punches the bag into place until it stays. If your small package is unlucky enough to not make it into a bag, it's wedged into whatever crevice the loader can jam it into. I worked with a kid who liked to whip envelopes at the ceiling of a trailer to try and get them wedged in the roof bows.
DO NOT put anything on the outside of the package that will give a loader or unloader any indication of what's inside. Employee theft is a big problem at UPS and employees who are suspected of stealing have to be caught red-handed with merchandise on their person. I heard about a guy who stole six handguns over the course of a year before he was finally caught and no, the guns were never recovered. A kid I trained with was fired for stealing prescription drugs but not before he pocketed and then sold several hundred pills. Also, putting the word 'fragile' on the outside of a package means nothing to most loaders. I once watched a loader kick a small package into a crevice in a wall while yelling ''get in there, you fragile bitch".
Size-weight ratio is key! Smaller, heaver packages wind up closer to the floor and larger lighter packages end up higher up. This is for two reasons: It's easier to drop a heavy package on the floor and stack on it than it is to lift it above your waist. Stacking on large light packages has a tendency to make the wall collapse which really pisses off loaders. This is because large, light packages usually have a lot of filler material in them and crush easier since the item inside does not add to the rigidity of the package.
The downside to having a large box and a small item is that these packages are more likely to break open when a conveyor or chute jams. The best thing that can happen in this event is your package quickly making it to the re-wrap table on a slow day so it gets back on track without losing a day in transit. The worst thing is having your package break open among other broken packages on a busy day. Good luck getting your item! (always give a detailed description of the item you are shipping to increase the chance of it making it out of the hub and to it's destination should the package break open.
Ship on off-days! You want your package to arrive at the hub on a Tuesday or Wednesday. These two days are typically the slowest and everyone is pretty calm and taking their time, not throwing packages or getting pissed off at supervisors. If your package is on the floor of a trailer and getting trampled because the chute is jammed and the belt is destroyed because the full-time, non-union coordinator didn't put enough staff in that section on a friday, the loader who is supposed to be taking care of your $500 custom folder doesn't give a crap. You might as well be shipping dog shit for all he cares.
Ok, so now that I have you good and terrified, I'll say this: Not all loaders are irresponsible little ass-hats. There are many UPS employees who take pride in their jobs and know that working efficiently with proper methods and equipment makes their jobs easier. Unfortunately, UPS's management likes to make the union worker's lives a living hell and it kills moral. New-hires are especially susceptible to developing bad habits because of frustration with the company, their pay rate, and management attitude, and that frustration has a tendency to be taken out on their work environment, i.e., your brand-new Benchmade. Also, this is my experience from the part of the building in the hub that I worked in. Other hubs in other cities could be different.
In conclusion: Pack large, over-stuff, reinforce, and ship on off days.
Side note: I've never worked at the USPS but I have a sneaking suspicion that you have a better chance with them.
I cannot stress enough the absolute NECESSITY of good packing materials. By good, I mean anything that will pad out the box or envelope but in large quantities. Basically, fill your package with padding until it looks like enough and then add more and be generous with the packing tape.
If your package is large and looks sturdy, especially if it is roughly cubical, expect it to become a 'cornerstone' package. That means it will be the first package in the first row of a wall of boxes with about 10-12 feet of other packages on top of it. We are talking several hundred pounds sitting on your expensive stuff. These packages are also the most likely to get kicked.
If your package is medium to small-sized, especially if it is flatter, expect it to be used to 'lock-in' a wall. This means it will be forcefully wedged into a space smaller than the packages dimensions in an effort to keep the wall from shifting or falling while the loader builds walls. I can't tell you how many packages get crushed this way.
If you ship your package in an envelope or very small box, it will likely be put in a 'smalls bag' which are generally put off to the side of the rollers in a trailer and very often stepped on while the loader moves around building the wall. Once the wall is near completion, the smalls bag is often whipped up to the top of the wall. If it doesn't 'stick', it's thrown up several more times until it stays or the loader gets pissed, uses the load stand (which he or she is SUPPOSED to be using to get packages carefully loaded into the higher places instead of throwing) and punches the bag into place until it stays. If your small package is unlucky enough to not make it into a bag, it's wedged into whatever crevice the loader can jam it into. I worked with a kid who liked to whip envelopes at the ceiling of a trailer to try and get them wedged in the roof bows.
DO NOT put anything on the outside of the package that will give a loader or unloader any indication of what's inside. Employee theft is a big problem at UPS and employees who are suspected of stealing have to be caught red-handed with merchandise on their person. I heard about a guy who stole six handguns over the course of a year before he was finally caught and no, the guns were never recovered. A kid I trained with was fired for stealing prescription drugs but not before he pocketed and then sold several hundred pills. Also, putting the word 'fragile' on the outside of a package means nothing to most loaders. I once watched a loader kick a small package into a crevice in a wall while yelling ''get in there, you fragile bitch".
Size-weight ratio is key! Smaller, heaver packages wind up closer to the floor and larger lighter packages end up higher up. This is for two reasons: It's easier to drop a heavy package on the floor and stack on it than it is to lift it above your waist. Stacking on large light packages has a tendency to make the wall collapse which really pisses off loaders. This is because large, light packages usually have a lot of filler material in them and crush easier since the item inside does not add to the rigidity of the package.
The downside to having a large box and a small item is that these packages are more likely to break open when a conveyor or chute jams. The best thing that can happen in this event is your package quickly making it to the re-wrap table on a slow day so it gets back on track without losing a day in transit. The worst thing is having your package break open among other broken packages on a busy day. Good luck getting your item! (always give a detailed description of the item you are shipping to increase the chance of it making it out of the hub and to it's destination should the package break open.
Ship on off-days! You want your package to arrive at the hub on a Tuesday or Wednesday. These two days are typically the slowest and everyone is pretty calm and taking their time, not throwing packages or getting pissed off at supervisors. If your package is on the floor of a trailer and getting trampled because the chute is jammed and the belt is destroyed because the full-time, non-union coordinator didn't put enough staff in that section on a friday, the loader who is supposed to be taking care of your $500 custom folder doesn't give a crap. You might as well be shipping dog shit for all he cares.
Ok, so now that I have you good and terrified, I'll say this: Not all loaders are irresponsible little ass-hats. There are many UPS employees who take pride in their jobs and know that working efficiently with proper methods and equipment makes their jobs easier. Unfortunately, UPS's management likes to make the union worker's lives a living hell and it kills moral. New-hires are especially susceptible to developing bad habits because of frustration with the company, their pay rate, and management attitude, and that frustration has a tendency to be taken out on their work environment, i.e., your brand-new Benchmade. Also, this is my experience from the part of the building in the hub that I worked in. Other hubs in other cities could be different.
In conclusion: Pack large, over-stuff, reinforce, and ship on off days.
Side note: I've never worked at the USPS but I have a sneaking suspicion that you have a better chance with them.
It's a wonder they delivery so quickly from the sounds of everything being jammed into every nook and cranny 
