Whats Your Experience With Transport Damage?

[vajo]

I recieved my 5th sword from members here with a transport damage.

How did you handle damage?

 

In 3 cases the seller did not package the sword correctly (tsunagi in shirasaya and the sword mounted in koshirae, in other the blade splittet the saya by sending the sword in the saya without a tsuka, in other the sword was badly wrapped with airfoil and so on.)

 

I didnt want to go in a fight with other members but i ask myself if this only happned to me. If i ask friends thier sendings recieve is always perfect.

 

In one case the kissaki of the blade looks out of the package. This was dangerous and stupid and i didnt know if the litte scratches on the kissaki are a result of that.

 

I must say that my other buyings are perfect. All that from Japan coming without any problems.

 

What is your experience?

[Brian]

Someone write a decent article on how to package a sword..maybe even with some pics, on how to properly package a sword and I'll add it to the FAQ.

[Stefan]

In my  years off collecting and study  I do have  only one  bad experience. It was an Daisho with fresh polished blades in Koshirae. As the  parcel arrieved the tip of both blades stuck out  of the  sayajiri and the saya and the polish were  ruined. Fine, the  lacquer of daimyo quality has  had been  freshly restored. I do not  know what the parcel service has done with the parcel. Thrown it out of the window ? It  took over half an year to get the money for repair from the parcel service....

All the  other blades I did send and receive arrived without damage.

[Grey Doffin]

Hi Brian & guys,

Unless someone else wants to take this on, I'll write an article about packing and shipping.  Let me know if I have the job.

Grey

[Darcy]

One protip I learned from Cary Condell:

 

The smart thing that he was doing, and I don't know who came up with it, was to wrap the blade in saran wrap. Just one layer carefully cut. It stops any movement of the blade in the shirasaya from causing damage to the polish, and is extra insurance against touchy touchy the shiny thing type reactions from anyone doing an inspection. Will block any liquid damage as well.

 

Blades going up in planes are subject to some temperature changes and that can cause them to unseat in the shirasaya. So this is good for that.

[Tokaido]

Hello Chris,

fortunately I never had a bad shipping experience with any nihonto so far  knock on wood...

 

When I received a european style sword (modern reproduction), I was shocked about the damage to the parcel done by the sword itself in transit (ok, "transit" means the post-guys had a tossing-the-parcel-contest, most likely).

The sword probably danced around in the parcel and punched several holes into the heavy duty cardboard and finally almost ripped the parcel apart.

Fortunately the edge and tip of the sword had additional padding, so no one was hurt, to my great relief.

 

For shipping anything as delicate as a nihonto, you better prepare the parcel to take and absorb/withstand the force of a Sojus-Landing-Impact....

 

Greetings

Andreas

 

[Stephen]

Id say go for it Grey, more have posted now, ill read after posting this,

Chris S. before agreeing on new purchase ask seller his packaging methods. 

I have recived a blade tip sticking out as well   ...years ago...thought them days have passed, guess not.

[Stephen]

I had sold swords at shows for Cary back in the day. All came and went back wrapped in plastic wrap so no movement could be had by sword in whichever mounts. each end of the box packed with more than newspaper, Assume all packages will be tossed like footballs (son used to work with USPS) and have been told its norm. shipped where it has to be signed for and stays in locked room keeps the throwing down to nil. 

[b.hennick]

Props to Ted Tenold who did the best packaging job that i have ever seen. I have been at this for a long time. When I received his package I was embarrassed by what I sent him. Thanks again Ted! 

[Stephen]

Do tell Barry, what made it over the top? inquiring minds want to know.

[b.hennick]

The full box had foam. The foam was at least a couple of inches thick in all directions once the package was finished. Cutouts were made to match blade and koshirae. The blade was wrapped in saran wrap, in shirasaya in a padded bag. The koshirae was also in a bag. The cardboard forming the box was thick and solid. The box was taped to protect edges and openings.I couldn't ask for better. 
 

[Brian]

Grey, by all means, I would welcome the article. Thanks...look forward to adding it to the FAQ, something we can point people to when we buy a sword, and then say "Please go to this link xxx before packing, thanks"

[Ken-Hawaii]

Packaging may be great, but it's hard to outsmart stupidity. I got a beautiful blade that some postal inspector had pulled out of the koshirae, & then jammed back in...upside down!! All in the U.S., & of course the Postal Inspector wasn't interested in following up. Yeah, the blade should have been in shirasaya, but that's not how it came.

 

Ken

 

[Shamsy]

I'll add here that the issue I have found on three or four swords now, from high level gendaito to cheap showa, is breaking mekugi. It must take some terrific forces (we are not talking chopstick bamboo but properly hardened pegs). In future I'll ask for the blade to be packed tightly alongside the saya with a bubble layer in between. Picking splintered pegs out of the mekugi-ana and tsuka is a nightmare.

[Stefan]

Oh, stupidity. Here in Berlin we did  have  funny times. Before the "Wende" ( political turn ) ( 1989 ) weapons  were not allowed. Antiques, yes..

Some of  our custom officers took old Nihonto as weapons and voila, they broke the blade tip to make it blunt.....

No , I am not  joking.

[vajo]

Thanks so far for your experience. I think i have a series of bad luck. It is sad that it hits old art and destroy the part of worth of same very nice pieces.

 

A how to pack a sword tutorial would be fine to avoid some failures in our community.

 

I think the target must be preservation of culture goods. And not to destroy them by sending it around the world.

[Mark]

i sold a late navy with lacquered wood saya to a buyer in France. I packed it carefully. When it arrived the saya was broken so the buyer returned it. when i got it back and  looked the saya was  in 2 pieces broken 6" from the end, the blade was not bent. The only way this could have happened was customs in France opened it, someone said i wonder if this is sharp and tried a cutting test on the saya and cut right through, then sort of put it together and sent it to the buyer. bummer.

[drbvac]

When I shipped  blades I never leave the blade in the koshirae or saya. I apply a lot of oil, wrap the blade with saran wrap, use the mekugi ana to attach it to a board ( center it is all) and then wrap it with brown paper and zip tie it to the board or duct tape. Then wrap it in foam as well as the koshirae and put it in the box - nothing ever hurt = box beaten up but no damage = the blade can not move in the box so unless they run over it with the truck it will arrive as it left. Then they have to remove, clean off the excess oil and all is good.

[b.hennick]

I have also used, artwork cases, fishing rod cases and cardboard cylinders from rugs. I have also like Brian #18 wrapped blades in saran wrap and fastened them to a board. None were problems but Ted's way was the best by far.

[Curran]

wrap the blade in saran wrap. Just one layer carefully cut. It stops any movement of the blade in the shirasaya from causing damage to the polish, and is extra insurance against touchy touchy the shiny thing type reactions from anyone doing an inspection.

 

Amen brother. -Saran Wrap-.

Simply driving from NJ to eastern PA over rough Interstate, the vibrations did a number on the kissaki of a blade in shirasaya. Since then..... learned heavenly appreciation for saran wrap and a few other shipping do & don't.

 

As Barry said, Ted Tenold has taken it to a higher art form. Got a sword back from him once and slowed my unpacking of it to learn and appreciate the packing.

 

________________________________________

Chris:   from 20 years of sending things here and there, I would say Germany is my LEAST favorite place to ship. For decades, they have been the most brutal on packages and had several go missing, unable to track, or stuck in customs.

This is shared purely as empirical experience. Mailing to Germany has been much worse than other places I would think might be a problem like Russia, China, or the Middle East. In my experience, Germany has been the #1 problem country.

[Kronos]

I'd like to second Barry's cardboard cylinders from rugs/carpets. They're extremely solid so won't suffer any damage, Also bare blades should always be attached to a wooden plank otherwise you're just asking for trouble.

[Teimei]

Never had any problems with transport damage. But i am in the middle of a very harsh discussion with my local customs office right now. They believe my little shimosaka yari is a national treasure! Never underestimate the incompetence of your local authorities...

 

 

regards,

[c2tcardin]

I had a modern Shinsakuto arrive from Japan a few years ago where the seam of the shirasaya let go, I guess either the Sokui wasn't applied properly or the pressure changes during the flight caused it to pop open. Thankfully the blade stayed seated and the split was right along the seam and only extended about a 3rd of the way down from the koiguchi, so no damage was done to the blade. 

[Brian]

Received the article from Grey, very nicely done. Will be adding it to the FAQ over the next few days, just want to tweak a few small things.

Thanks Grey,

 

Brian