Shipping question about arrows from Belgium?

[Bill M]

I am not sure if the problem lay with Fedex, UPS, and DHL in Belgium, but when I called these three companies, they universally said, "We don't ship weapons internationally!"

Gav, perhaps they don't really know what a Chinese Pole Arm is? In the southern USA a skunk is called a "pole-cat."

But if you had labeled it a "spear," or "Chinese Weapon," you might have had a problem.

So I have an antique farming tool -- that looks remarkably like a panabas, and an antique fishing rod -- that looks remarkably like a bow, on the way to me.



Here INSIDE the USA it is quite different!

I just got an 1887 Winchester Lever Action 10 guage shotgun delivered by UPS USA. They did have to send the ammunition in a separate box. All legal and happy!

FYI most guns made before 1900 are considered "antiques" and you don't need special licensing to ship and receive.

[A. G. Maisey]

On the subject of names used in shipping weaponry.

Over a thirty year period, shipping out of Australia to various overseas destinations, I have found that it is not a real good idea to label knives as knives, daggers as daggers, or swords as swords.

It is more likely to result in a no problems transit to destination if that 18th century Indian dagger is named on the customs declaration as :- one pesh kabz, a south Asian cultural artifact made of metal and stone and dating from the 18th century.

An English bowie knife becomes :- a 19th century cutting tool of English origin

-----and so on.

The description must be absolutely correct, but should not use emotive words such as "knife", "sword", "dagger".


Regretably knives, swords and daggers also seem to suffer from pilferage in some countries, so using a term that does not tell a prospective thief exactly what is in the package is added protection, especially for countries that do not provide a postal insurance cover.

[Gavin Nugent]

Originally Posted by Bill Marsh

I am not sure if the problem lay with Fedex, UPS, and DHL in Belgium, but when I called these three companies, they universally said, "We don't ship weapons internationally!"

Gav, perhaps they don't really know what a Chinese Pole Arm is? In the southern USA a skunk is called a "pole-cat."

But if you had labeled it a "spear," or "Chinese Weapon," you might have had a problem.

So I have an antique farming tool -- that looks remarkably like a panabas, and an antique fishing rod -- that looks remarkably like a bow, on the way to me.



Here INSIDE the USA it is quite different!

I just got an 1887 Winchester Lever Action 10 guage shotgun delivered by UPS USA. They did have to send the ammunition in a separate box. All legal and happy!

FYI most guns made before 1900 are considered "antiques" and you don't need special licensing to ship and receive.

G'day Bill,

I hope it does sort itself out, it was noted on my customs and fedex paperwork as a Chinese sword. I find it unusual that you received this response, I have bought from some very large arms specialist auction houses in the USA and they all shipped Fedex???

Gav