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

Tony

White bear (Admin)
Admin
Apr 16, 2003
24,326
1
2,039
54
Wales
www.bushcraftuk.com
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.
IMG-3608.jpg
 
Last edited:

Chris

Life Member
Sep 20, 2022
950
1,105
Somerset, Yorkshire, Lincolnshire
Including:

any knife blade,
any kitchen knife (regardless of size or design),
bread knives,
knives that can be used for hobbies and trades (regardless of whether they are marketed as knives, for instance, utility knives and snap-off cutters),
gardening and farming tools that have a blade,
any trade tool that could commonly be described as a knife,
butcher’s knives (including meat cleavers),
cutlery knives,
scissors with sharp edges,
sporting equipment with a blade,
replica and antique knives (including those used for re-enactment purposes),
handmade and bespoke knives,
open razors (where the blade is exposed),
any axe,
any sword,
survival knives,
machetes.
 

stonepark

Forager
Jun 28, 2013
129
66
Carse of Gowrie
You can still send knives via the royal mail but only through their "premium" age verification service which adds £2 to the cost of normal postage for a total of £6.17 or £6.87!
 

kard133

Full Member
Mar 20, 2010
786
198
Bath
You can still send knives via the royal mail but only through their "premium" age verification service which adds £2 to the cost of normal postage for a total of £6.17 or £6.87!
For now, but the page seems to say that bladed items will be prohibited by Royal Mail, the company rather than the service offered. Hopefully what you have said is the will be the case.
 

Nice65

Brilliant!
Apr 16, 2009
6,851
3,270
W.Sussex
I suspect this is a misguided attempt to distract from the horrific treatment of post masters and mistresses up and down the country between 1999-2015 by saying they are taking a very firm stand on knife crime and also doing everything they can to protect their (remaining) employees from harm. A political gambit, made more ridiculous by one of the key facts omitted from the ITV series, that the then CEO of the Post Office, Adam Crozier, wasn’t mentioned at all. For the simple reason he then became CEO of ITV in 2010, jumping ship as the scandal gained momentum.

I know we’re apolitical, but this decision has nothing to do with anyone’s personal safety, the lack of care has been made clear already.

Annoying, the knife thing, but it’s been a while coming and we all knew it would. We’ll just have to work round it, legally. No more ‘camping equipment’ or garden tool’ etc.
 
So the independent makers do what?
New scissors for schools? Nope
Bonkers, bonkers, bonkers.

However, it does look as though you can use age verification.
Quote from their website below:
  • 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.
    • These items may only be sent using the Royal Mail Tracked Age Verification service (this service is only available through Royal Mail Click & Drop
    • Package 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.
    • Marked to clearly indicate a bladed item is enclosed
 
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