Sending edged weapons to Italy

[erlikhan]

Hi. On ebay I have often seen edged weapon sales with the warning "Sorry, I don't ship to Russia,China,Italy". I know personally that Russian customs can become a real pain in the ass but I don't know anything when it is China and Italy. I haven't sold anything to China or Italy so I have never bothered myself wondering about the reasons that cause some sellers not to ship edged weapons to those countries -until today. Now a buyer from Italy has won something from my auction.
Is it risky,or illegal to ship an edged weapon to Italy (from a country out of EU)?
If yes, why and are there some measures to take to eliminate the risks?
I recall something like "...because shipments to Italy often get lost" as an explanation in one of those restriction warnings. Is it so? I will use UPS or DHL courier service. So any problems yet?

regards