Heads up - Post office not sending sharps after 22nd April

[C_Claycomb]

@Tantalus
I disagree that the discussion so far reflects badly on BCUK. No one is talking about banned weapons, shipping to the under aged, and those that have described success say they have been honest on Customs declarations.

Further, I reiterate what I said in post 202. Whether or not RM will ship a knife internationally is not a matter of law, but of company rules and it is not your role, or anyone else’s here (unless they work for RM) to enforce those rules. If another member chooses to run the risk of losing their kit in transit, that is between them and the person they are shipping to. No one else.

Everyone.
From a BCUK point of view, it would be better to cease posting to this thread until a poster has either personal experience with a knife package being denied at drop off, or has one confiscated. No more soap boxes, no more arguing interpretations or semantics or conjectures.

If you are managing to ship internationally…shut up and make the most of it while you can . Don’t all crow in one place and draw attention to the situation!

Regards

Chris

 

[Megatramp]

Well said and while you're at it will you please change that th to nd.
Cheers.

 

[tonyash]

There's a notice on royal mail website stating:

• UK - Allowed in the mail, with product restrictions and packaging guidelines. IMPORTANT NOTICE: on and from Monday 22 April 2024 Bladed Items will be prohibited by Royal Mail for all UK destinations.

https://personal.help.royalmail.com...tricted-items---advice-for-personal-customers

Added 07/02/24 - There's some confusion about age verification being allowed to send bladed items after April 22nd 2024, this is not the case.

From April 22nd 2024 Royal Mail will carry no bladed items at all.

Stew posted this on the next page: In it it clearly states that from 22nd April sending bladed items will be prohibited even with age verification, but non bladed items that use age verification will still be fine.

Is this the right place to have a bit of a rant about the Post Office? I would like to point out that the knife makers I know are among the most creative people around with multiple skill sets. I look forward with them to finding ways to bypass the restrictions that do nothing at all to address the knife crime issue in the UK.

 

[Megatramp]

Is this the right place to have a bit of a rant about the Post Office? I would like to point out that the knife makers I know are among the most creative people around with multiple skill sets. I look forward with them to finding ways to bypass the restrictions that do nothing at all to address the knife crime issue in the UK.

See post before mine!

 

[GreyCat]

It's strange, because this week I received an axe delivered from a UK maker by Royal Mail, box clearly marked "bladed item" and on aged verified service. All above board, clearly marked up.

I wonder if perhaps those with business accounts and that sell bladed items (and who use on-line verification of customer age/identity at point of sale) can still ship via Royal Mail, but private sending isn't allowed?

GC

 

[C_Claycomb]

I hate to say it, but you folks just joining the thread need to read more than the first and last pages if you want to avoid drawing incomplete conclusions.

For instance, see this post and it may explain how thing are still being sent by private individuals.

Heads up - Post office not sending sharps after 22nd April

I found a list of what can and cant be shipped using royal mail. The First tick is the UK THE Second Tick International The wording on the Offensive Weapons act is confusing, the only thing I picked up was that if you are selling a knife you cannot market it as a weapon, which is fine that...

bushcraftuk.com

Quite a lot of the thread has been about international posting, not just within the UK, and as said in post 221, this is not the place for a rant at the post office...the rant quota for this thread has already been exceeded

 

[GreyCat]

Hmm, well, there's certainly no "ban" because as I said, I have just this week had sharp items delivered in the post, RM 24hr service, from a retailer who was doing so in a totally above board manner. (I cannot say what it's like for private senders as I've not tried to send any sharps privately).

I think the RM didn't do a great job of communication. They appear to have made an initial statement without considering the ramifications, then a grown-up got hold of it and explained things better and/or they realised it was more complicated than they had initially envisaged and went and revised it.

TL;DR version: RM communicated badly a couple of months back, but currently they still ship legal sharp things domestically, so long as you use the correct service.

International shipping is a whole new ball game. I can understand why only a handful of organisations are willing to carry sharps internationally, because it's such a minefield. You also have to appreciate the role played by brokerage, i.e. managing shipments across different tax regimes.

It's one of those things where if it goes OK you don't notice, but if a rule in a particular situation is slightly ambiguous and interpreted differently by retailer and broker/tax authority, you can run into a wall of pain. I've recently had that happen with a shipment from Varusteleka- it took a while to unscramble, partly because of the disinterested Broker and partly because there is a very small ambiguous area in the UK VAT regulations and the goods value just fell into that grey area. In addition, there was an initial suggestion from the carrier that it was a commercial shipment not a retailer to private buyer (they have different tax requirements). Sorting out just one small shipment took way too much time on both my part and 'Leka's part.

Add in the different legal regimes for sharps in different countries, and I'm not surprised that most carriers just stick it into the "too difficult/it's unprofitable" box (unless you're shipping a couple of containers-full, business-to-business).

So, I don't think that RM deserve to be ranted at for not shipping sharps internationally. Rather, I am bloomin' grateful that there is still at least one carrier who does ship sharps internationally- albeit at a cost, and albeit they can be blinking difficult to deal with if something goes wrong.

Incidentally, I have had a previous sharps shipment from 'Leka opened by Border Force. (You know they have done it because they open the box neatly then re-seal with their own special tape). It was checked, all was legal, it continued on its way with only 1 day delay. But without the proper paperwork or if the item had aroused any concern over legality, it would have ended up in the bin. Whether it gets checked is pretty random and outside the control of the carrier or sender.

TD;DR version- international shipping of sharps is difficult, just be thankful that at least one carrier still does it for single items!

I'll get off me soap box now.

GC

 

[Tantalus]

@Tantalus
I disagree that the discussion so far reflects badly on BCUK. No one is talking about banned weapons, shipping to the under aged, and those that have described success say they have been honest on Customs declarations.

Further, I reiterate what I said in post 202. Whether or not RM will ship a knife internationally is not a matter of law, but of company rules and it is not your role, or anyone else’s here (unless they work for RM) to enforce those rules. If another member chooses to run the risk of losing their kit in transit, that is between them and the person they are shipping to. No one else.

Everyone.
From a BCUK point of view, it would be better to cease posting to this thread until a poster has either personal experience with a knife package being denied at drop off, or has one confiscated. No more soap boxes, no more arguing interpretations or semantics or conjectures.

If you are managing to ship internationally…shut up and make the most of it while you can . Don’t all crow in one place and draw attention to the situation!

Regards

Chris

Any further comment now that it seems Royal Mail has taken to seizing and destroying knives they deem to be "Dangerous goods" ?

 

[C_Claycomb]

Any further comment now that it seems Royal Mail has taken to seizing and destroying knives they deem to be "Dangerous goods" ?

Per the post you quoted. Has this happened to you? Circumstances? Source link?
Let’s not restart this thread without first hand experience of seizure or at least links to first hand experience of seizure.

 

[Nomad666]

So how do they know its a sharp that of course you have rolled up 20x in tinfoil?

 

[mikehill]

AFAIK only packages traveling by air gets X-rayed anyway

 

[Falstaff]

AFAIK only packages traveling by air gets X-rayed anyway

Nope, trucks and vehicles are selectively checked also. Has been for years, I used to be in logistics. I would be very suprised if there is not some form of checking, terrorism being what it is these days.

 

[Tantalus]

Well there is this... hmmm

 

[Forest fella]

Just tried to fill in the online Age verification postage info and they ask you for the recipients email and Mobile number, What if they decline to divulge this?.
Just asking

 

[Chris]

Just tried to fill in the online Age verification postage info and they ask you for the recipients email and Mobile number, What if they decline to divulge this?.
Just asking

Would probably just tell them that you need it in order to be able to send it, and explain why.

 

[hughtrimble]

Just tried to fill in the online Age verification postage info and they ask you for the recipients email and Mobile number, What if they decline to divulge this?.
Just asking

Standard question for tracked services, it wasn't mandatory the last time I used that service either. All it does is provide tracking details to the recipient.

If the buyer declines, put your own.

 

[Forest fella]

Ok thanks will do.

 

[Chris]

I’ve just bought Age Verified delivery for a knife I am posting to someone on the forum.

I have checked the small print under ‘Banned items’ and specifically under bladed articles it shows this:



Note:

“Prohibited Bladed Items cannot be sent. However, other Knives or Blades as defined by s141A Criminal Justice Act 1988 or 'Bladed Products' as defined by s41 of the Offensive Weapons Act 2019 can be sent, provided certain conditions are met. These include but are not limited to any knife or knife blade, including cutlery knives, bread knives, knives that can be used for hobbies and trades (for instance, utility knives and snap-off cutters, gardening, camping, lock knives, bushcraft and farming tools with a blade or any other trade tool that could commonly be described as a knife), butcher knives (including meat cleavers), felling axes and razor blades.


• These items may only be sent using the Royal Mail Tracked Age
Verification service; this service is only available through Royal Mail Click & Drop
• Items must be packaged appropriately so items present no risk to employees, other postal items or recipients.
• Wrap heavy cardboard around sharp edges and points, strong enough to ensure that the contents do not pierce the outer packaging.
• Wrap each item with cushioning material and place in a suitable outer container such as a padded envelope.
• The sender's name and return address must be clearly visible on the outer packaging.
• The outer packaging must be clearly marked to indicate a bladed item is enclosed and that it must not be handed to someone aged under 18.”


It specifically states that bushcraft knives ARE allowed using age verified, as long as they are packed appropriately.

This is great news in my opinion. This wasn’t mentioned before and is now.

 

[Herman30]

It specifically states that bushcraft knives ARE allowed using age verified, as long as they are packed appropriately.

Ok but then arises the question what they consider being a bushcraft knife.
Is it just this british utterly boring model:

Or could this be, too? I think this is buscraft knife.

 

[Pattree]

Thank you Chris. That makes it perfectly clear. As long as the blade is legal to own in the UK it can be sent as in your post.

Were I to use my 315mm blade bowie knife as a bushcraft knife, a carving knife, a camping accessory or a carpentry tool - it makes no difference. I could still post it via the approved method.

It seems to me that nothing has changed as to what you can post. It is the method of post which has been restricted.

Perfectly sensible and acceptable as far as I’m concerned.