How the heck.........

[bigduke6]

Letter opener/ paper weight, Antique blade, or repaired cutting tool

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

Might want to avoid "sharp pointed disemboweling implement". FEDEX might even balk on that one. Perhaps butter spreading device?
Arkansas toothpick might not raise an alert on your side of the pond.

[James.Bolton]

Peter I have recently come across this problem that seems to have started a couple of months ago in the UK. The way I manage to get around it is to make sure that I fill in the customs form and stick it on the packaged bayonet before I get to the post office (by the way the post office should give you some stick on customs forms if you ask them).

On the customs form under description I write something like 'Antique Bayonet & Scabbard' and enter the customs code 930700 on the form which is the standardised customs code for; I quote "Swords, cutlasses, bayonets, lances and similar arms and parts thereof and scabbards" (for example see http://www.foreign-trade.com/reference/hscode.cfm).

When the post office show me their standard form or ask me if the package has any prohibited items I just respond no. If they ask further I tell them it is an old military antique. So far I have successfully sent about 10 or so bayonets via through the post office to overseas locations.

Hope this helps - James

[armourer]

I have heard of this problem eminating in the US., And quite a few dealers will not send them out of the country at all!!
I don't live in the UK, but people have occassionally had problems sending bayonets to me in Norway. If the bayonets are short, then perhaps send them as 'camping equipment' or antique fire poker or theatrical prop.Well thats me bu**ered in future then!

Hope that this helps! Happy hunting!

[Peter Laidler]

I checked with the US side of the pond and it seems as though everything there is OK with bayonets. British Airways (the only carrier I got any sense out of.....) said that they only carried Mail on contract so they weren't really interested in anything of a non flammable/corrosive/explosive nature. And at this end, nobody could give me a definitive answer of who exactly authorised this apparent change in the 'law'. It certainly didn't go through Parliament.......... Maybe it's a European directive. But as it's not going to Europe............ It's mind boggling!

The plot thickens

[gsimmons]

So, hopefully the equine hoof trimmer will make it to the US, despite the jobworths.

[Aragorn243]

I just had a bayonet delivered to the door two days ago. Crappy Spanish Centme bayonet I have no idea why I bought but nonetheless it arrived safely with no problems.

[Lobo RSA]

Hi, Interesting as there are a few threads related to "Bayonets" being restricted. I have friends who buy bayonets for me in England , have it sent to Ireland as this is permitted and them bring it out when they come on business to Cape Town Neither DHL or TNT will ship them as FedEx has refused as well.

I have had parcels from the Netherlands and the USA and the trick is NOT to use the word BAYONET. Write on the parcel USED DISPLAY BLADE and all is forgiven

[jonnyc]

For a while here it was very common for SKS and AK bayonets to be marketed as tent stakes. Many of us like to collect different tent stakes. At my range we even have a tent stake day, where you can only shoot your old military rifle with a tent stake attached to the muzzle end. Seems odd, but they do tend to look a lot like bayonets.