UBB.threads Forums Edged Weapons The BCN Bayonet Forum Exporting bayonets

Hi Guys,
I have question, I have been shipping quite a few bayonets worldwide lately, and it seems that the USPS has regulations against it, also many of the countries that are the final destinations also prohibit these items. I just sent one to China where I am sure customs may have grabbed it.

My question is what do you guys do with dealing with customs? how do you declare them? is it really illegal or just prohibited? I don't want to get arrested if I stop bu Luxembourg because I sold an old Gras bayonet...

Thanks,
Jerry

Jerry,

I usually state something like "old knife", sometimes I add adjectives like "damaged", "defective" or "incomplete". I think a lot of what gets flagged by Customs has to do with the stated value rather than contents but I suppose it could depend on the country. I've read Australia has some sort of prohibitions to importing knives & bayonets. Never heard that USPS has restrictions on them though.

New Zealand has restrictions on imports of double edge blades as well as bayonets. We have to get a letter of consent from our Police Commissioner which then gets sent to our Customs before the dagger or bayonet is released. Unless you are a well known collector of edge weapons or have a very valid reason to import it is very difficult to get a permit.

I can only speak for The Netherlands, where bayonets are legal to own (once you are 18 years of age):

On two occasions I have had bayonets that I purchased on eBay sent from the US to The Netherlands. On both occasions the goods arrived without problems in about one week. One was a British No4 spike bayonet and one was a British P1895 bayonet.

On both occasions I asked the seller to declare the actual description from eBay ("bayonet" and "old military bayonet with sheath" respectively) and the actual eBay sales price on the customs form. Which he did.

Both were shipped using US Post parcel service.

Dutch customs opened the P1895 parcel to check it, as the seller used an old cardboard box for a videorecorder to package the bayonet , but there was no problem.

Personally I don�t advocate using creative descriptions or valuations, as doing so may cause troubles.

Slightly off topic: Take great care when shipping items which contain ivory to Europe. I know of an example of a German Imperial Navy dagger with ivory grip that was sent from the US to Germany, without the required paperwork/license. It got confiscated by German customs because of the ivory grip and it was nearly destroyed in accordance with regulations.

Usually it�s not a problem to ship egded weapons to Germany. You can even declare the shipment as "bayonet" or "dagger" in the customs form.

But it�s quite a problem if the item displays swastika or other forbidden symbols (SA or SS runes). According to German law it�s forbidden to import items displaying TR symbols. There are few exceptions, e.g. if one collects for his/her private collection. But it depends on the local custom authorities if they release the shipment to you or not.

Worst thing: if they release it to you, they charge the recipient 19% turnover tax for imports plus a few percent customs tax.

well, in denmark you would need to have an import permit for bajonets and swords.normal knives and bajonets isnt a problem within EU. but outside EU is a diff. story the buyer in denmark must go to the police and there fill out a form of what you want to import and from where, adress/name/ country of seller,and serialnumber of the bajonet etc. and then a week later you will get the paper in your mail box and then you must send the permit to the seller to include in the package with the bajonet in case it gets stuck at customs. at customs they can see the import permit right away when they open the package and therefore no delay and they will send it direcly to you so thats the easy way to do it.. i personally bought a bajo in the US and to keep longfingers away we named the content "old iron tool" and with a value of 25$... lol that bajo cost me more than 250$ and it went right through customs lucky me ill say..

I have had a problem once and only once in the many bayonets I have sent out of the United States- that was to Germany.

I sent two Sg98/05's to Germany and both came back with red & white Customs tape (Zoll something or another wrapped all around them- no explanation as I recall just returned with me footing the return post)
Neither were nazi era or even 1920 property marked,- both straight up Imperial and this was about 5-6 years ago..

Sent to France, UK, Hungary, Spain, Netherlands, and even Australia with zero problems- even a few nazi era Sg84/98 III's.

I usually put antique bayonet or knife, sometimes relic bayonet/knife. Never an issue with the USPS side, though some of the clerks are turkey's and anything is possible, a lot depends on who you�re dealing with at the USPS. (find a well managed USPS office and you�ll have no problems)

in denmark they dont care if its a bajonet with swastikas all over "it isnt against the law to show the swasika in public" but you can get much trouble if you dont have permission to import the thing in that case they couldt send it to destruction or return to sender..in which the first hopefully will never happen