shipping knives in uk

[John Elstob]

At some point in time I am going to go through my small collection of knives and hopefully be able to move them on. I recently sold one and shipping it was a pain, as Royal Mail refused to allow me to use their service to send it. When I looked into companies that allow you to use their services to send a knife classed them as a banned item. Was I just unlucky and got a jobsworth who decided to be awkward? Is there a way around the question of what is in the parcel? (I'm not suggesting lying) Is there a courier company that will allow you to use there services to send knives?

 

[Souledman]

Royal Mail does an age verified service on tracked 24 or 48. It is available online for collection or drop off at the sorting office. Bladed articles require to state their contents on the packaging and be sent via age verified service. It is a nuisance, but the law changed about a year ago IIRC. The Post Office stopped taking knives, and don’t offer that service, but Royal Mail still does.

 

[Nice65]

There‘s a recent thread on this somewhere. RM have changed their policies on bladed articles and as mentioned, the application to send has to be managed online.

The thread is here:

Knife Postage

Hi, new to the forum and hoping someone more versed in this area can help. I have just made a bushcraft knife as a gift for a friend who lives internationally. As I will need to post this to them, and I've never posted a knife internationally, I am having some trouble finding a postal service...

bushcraftuk.com

 

[wickerman]

when sending a parcel they should not ask what is in it only ask is there any prohibited items ie. batteries liquids

 

[Ystranc]

when sending a parcel they should not ask what is in it only ask is there any prohibited items ie. batteries liquids

Why shouldn’t they ask? It’s easier and faster for some people to answer a simple question rather than look at a large number of pictograms and lots of small print. It’s important to remember that Post Office Counters staff often face long queues of very grumpy customers who are convinced that laws and post office rules shouldn’t apply to them and may not declare dangerous items.
If you go on the Royal Mail website you can get age verified posting which can even be collected from your home next day (we have a daily collection because we send a lot) This service is also tracked which is far better than the ordinary signed for service which is available through Post Office Counters.

 

[John Elstob]

I do feel awkward when answering the question! Especially If it's a small PO and the queue is close to the counter I would rather not say it's a knife. Because some people feel strongly about knives for various reasons same as people have strong opinions on firearms. The reason that knife is being shipped could be something as simple as a warranty issue and you're returning it to a company which I have done in the past! However people will sit in judgment. I'm a private person I would rather keep my business on the QT.
That being said, I also understand that they're protecting their staff in case there is something in the package that may harm postal workers in transit.

 

[Mesquite]

I do feel awkward when answering the question! Especially If it's a small PO and the queue is close to the counter I would rather not say it's a knife. Because some people feel strongly about knives for various reasons same as people have strong opinions on firearms. The reason that knife is being shipped could be something as simple as a warranty issue and you're returning it to a company which I have done in the past! However people will sit in judgment. I'm a private person I would rather keep my business on the QT.
That being said, I also understand that they're protecting their staff in case there is something in the package that may harm postal workers in transit.

When I've been asked this and posting a knife I just say it's a carving tool. They've never asked me to be more specific and happily accepted the package.

 

[g4ghb]

been ages since I posted a sharp but as Steve says i always used to say a carving tool and never had any issues. Just come back from the post office now in fact and was asked if it was a prohibited item (which it wasn't) and had a good look at the poster while i was waiting, nice to see 'weapons' has a gun icon now rather than the knife it used to a few years ago after the regs changed

 

[John Elstob]

I must of been unlucky because I said exactly that Mesquite. I was asked to elaborate and then pressed further by asking if there was any sharp edges on anything

 

[Souledman]

I’m pretty sure the laws around postings bladed articles also applies to couriers, so the post office has to ask to make sure they are meeting their legal requirements and if they don’t offer an age verified service (which they don’t) they can’t accept bladed articles.

 

[Ystranc]

Since the Royal Mail age verification service for bladed items is only available online being asked what is in the parcel shouldn’t be too embarrassing.

 

[Nice65]

I must of been unlucky because I said exactly that Mesquite. I was asked to elaborate and then pressed further by asking if there was any sharp edges on anything

The rules covers bladed items as defined but not limited to the Offensive Weapons Act. I deleted the pic in my photo library, but it’s here.

Post in thread 'Knife Postage'
https://bushcraftuk.com/community/threads/knife-postage.163026/post-2034263

 

[Nice65]

Since the Royal Mail age verification service for bladed items is only available online being asked what is in the parcel shouldn’t be too embarrassing.

Anyone got a link to the age verification thing? I have a knife to post and can’t find anything about it.

 

[BigMonster]

I just wrap it properly in cardboard so it won't poke through packaging and if they ask what it is I say "tool". For me it's exactly the same as a chisel, screwdriver or a pair of scissors. Never had an issue.

 

[Mesquite]

Anyone got a link to the age verification thing? I have a knife to post and can’t find anything about it.

Here you go

 

[Nice65]

Here you go

Cheers. I ignored that as it was for businesses and I can’t find anything regarding private sales.

I’ll probably just use that service. As long as the age is verified upon receipt it should be ok.

 

[Nice65]

Here you go

It appears no bladed items can be sent via ParcelForce.

 

[Souledman]

Try this. https://www.royalmail.com/sending/uk/tracked-48

I think you can select age verification as an option as you click through.

If you go to the buy postage page, select small packet, it will show a few options. Then you need to get it to show more options, and tracked 24 and 48 with age verification are right down the bottom. If you want me to send screen shots I can.

 

[Nice65]

Try this. https://www.royalmail.com/sending/uk/tracked-48

I think you can select age verification as an option as you click through.

If you go to the buy postage page, select small packet, it will show a few options. Then you need to get it to show more options, and tracked 24 and 48 with age verification are right down the bottom. If you want me to send screen shots I can.

Indeed. But when you come to pay for your label, you have to tick a box that says you are not sending any prohibited items, and when you check the link offered at this point you’re taken back to the prohibited items page that lists the Offensive Weapons Act and bladed items. There is no way to send a bladed item, I’ve spent ages on the phone today to two different people who both admitted the system takes you round in a circle. Both also agreed it was crazy to show a green tick for U.K. posting, then not offer any way to send the bladed item because it is listed as prohibited.

Both also apologised and were baffled by it. One said to take it to the Post Office properly packaged, instead I phoned the PO and they refused it. The other suggested I don’t tick the box, but admitted I was then sending a prohibited item despite the proof of age request. Nothing in the system recognises the contents and offers a label accordingly.

 

[Souledman]

That’s not my reading of the prohibited items list. To me it says they are allowed for UK mail, unless they are actually illegal.
I would check the box and label it as a bladed article, in my experience though the post office stopped taking them when the new law came in, the sorting office was fine though.