Omg Australian Fuc#### Customs Strike Again

[PNSSHOGUN]

You need to start collecting contacts in customs by the sounds of it, that's mental. Mind you customs/police are ludicrous here, earlier in the year there was a big auction of the Cowra War Museum, lots of swords and WW2 gear. Anyway, cops come down before the auction starts and sieze virtually all the sabres and swords with D guards (some nice looking Kyu Gunto among them) because they were "dangerous weapons".

 

I assume they thought crooks would pull the swords out and use the handles as knuckle dusters.

[Vermithrax16]

Sorry this is such a mess Hamfish, but fishing makes everything better!

[Shamsy]

I have never had a problem bringing swords in either.    

 

I actually have the same experience. I've never had a sword stopped for anything other than the GST (such a pain, I don't care about paying it, but I am impatient to receive my parcel! Why can't they have a better system). I even had one arrive last week with a little note tucked inside saying 'opened by customs'. But swords are unrestricted imports (minus double edged). I've had them described as everything under the sun, and the only ones that get opened are the ones where the seller has been very vague (old bayo, decorative metalwork, wall hanger).

 

I have more difficulty sending the OUT of the country. Sent one back to the U.S. and Aus Post asked if it was okay to send to states. I said that since you can mail-order firearms (black powder at least) I thought it would be okay. But even then there was no serious question of it being sent back. I've been asked if it's sharp and subsequently mentioned it is sheathed, which ends that line of questioning.

 

I actually have found Aus Post and Border Force to be both reasonably helpful and efficient. For the most part they know the laws and apply them correctly. Your experience is unfortunate and I hope isolated.

 

I hate FedEx - Overpriced and they WILL tear apart a parcel without care, question everything you tell them and conduct a FBI style interrogation, full of passive aggressive assertions from idiots that don't know the point of the sword from a handle. 

[lonely panet]

good news guys.

 

we bucked the odds and i have got the sword. a recap

 

AUSTRALIA post returned to Japan,

Japanese customs returned it to sender 2 or 3 times.

Fedex, Japan post, EMS all returned it

 

 

BBBBuuuuuut SAL finally got the job done.

 

the description got changed from,

sabre

dress sword, not sharp

commander sword with koshirae and a few others

 

but the one that worked was Japanese "DECOLATE" FITTINGS

 

SO IF YOU WANT BUY A DRESS SWORD FROM Japan, this might happen