Zaimei Sanjo Chikamura lost by USPS (likely stolen)

[HoustonNihonto]

Hello Nihonto community. This is Mauro Gimenez, a Nihonto collector from Houston, TX. I tend to fly under the radar so many of you have likely never heard of me. After several months hoping USPS would find the package that was sent by Nick Benson in Hawaii to Japan for shinsa, we are likely coming to the unfortunate conclusion that the sword (along with 3 others) have been stolen by a USPS employee who targeted the type of package.

 

The last reported scan was mid December in the LA area and the tracking goes silent after that. We were told the package was rejected by US Customs for export and was put back in the USPS system to send back to Hawaii but that never happened. Unfortunately, they did not include an AirTag on the box like most people do, so there is no way to follow the package en route or know its current whereabouts…

 

This is a zaimei Sanjo Chikamura with a June 2024 NBTHK Hozon certificate. It was sent to the Bensons in Hawaii for polishing and subsequent submission to shinsa but the package never made its way to Japan. 
 

Would not be surprised if it ended up at some pawn shop in the LA area, where it was likely stolen by a USPS employee.

 

There’s only 5 known signed blades by Sanjo Chikamura, folks, so although it’s Hozon level, this was still a high-value rarity that will be irreplaceable if permanently lost…

 

if anyone offers you this blade for sale or you happen to see it a a shop for sale or you hear a fellow Nihonto collector speak about it, please BE AWARE THIS IS A STOLEN ITEM and report it immediately to me and to the police.

 

Any help this community can provide in tracking it down and returning it to its rightful owner (me!), would be immensely appreciated.

 

i am including some photos of the blade for reference. Please no snarky commentary or expert opinions on the authenticity of the signature, quality of the blade and stuff. This blog is being initiated to track down a stolen item and not to open the forum for discussion about the technical merits of this specific blade.

 

Thanks everyone for your attention. I know you would all seek the help from this awesome community were you to find yourself in a similar unfortunate situation.

if anyone has any information, please don’t hesitate to reach me at +1 (713) 504-7629 or via email at maurohgimenez@gmail.com

 

Mauro

 

 

Edited April 3 by HoustonNihonto
Incorrect certificate date

[eternal_newbie]

Noted and observed. Sorry to hear that; I'll add it to my list of stolen blades to look out for.

 

I wonder if it would be worthwhile to have a pinned thread, or even a new forum area, for stolen/lost blades that folks can easily consult whenever they're buying a sword...

[Brian]

Wish you luck in getting it back. Stuff like this is a niche market and very identifiable, so hoping someone spots it.
Don't want more stickies right now, but maybe will look at adding a separate page just for stolen items, let me see what I can do.

[Zoglet]

So, this may sound stupid, but might it be possible to contact the embassy or another party, like the USPS itself to open up an investigation into the matter? The heist must've been rather recent. Wishing you the best of luck in any next courses of action.

 

Best Regards,

Zoglet

[Sebuh]

Hoping for the best, any Sanjo works may well be considered Unicorns, and a zaimei? super valuable stuff. Wishing for the best outcome.

[John C]

Mauro:

I agree with filing a case with the postal inspector and the local LAPD. The theft is both grand theft and a federal crime. LAPD investigators and postal inspectors should be able to interview employees, which at least will make the culprit nervous. Maybe the swords just "shows up."

 

John C.

[klee]

Mauro, 

 

I am so sorry to hear this and I will certainly pray for a good outcome keep an eye out for it. This is always something I fear when shipping or expecting swords.

 

And PS: Thank you again for the Moritaka blade it turned out to be a quite a unique sword for the school and I ll forever treasure it in my collection.

 

And I also remember that one taking quite a long time by USPS from TX to NY 

 

Wishing for the best

-Kevin

[Lewis B]

Sorry to hear this. But I'm not so sure this package was stolen. Have you filed a missing package report with the Postal Service and an insurance claim? What was their response?

I sent a bicycle wheel to my brother in San Diego last year from Germany. It reached CA within the expected time with regular updates, but then went to AZ for some weird reason, then back to CA, then nothing. The tracking remained dormant for 7 weeks. About 8 weeks in I filed a missing package report with DHL and they contacted USPS. The package was eventually located and made it on to my brother. Whats important is to be proactive. Contact the sorting office responsible for the last scan as well as the dept handling missing/overdue deliveries. Keep pestering them and file a police report. The box is probably sitting somewhere in a sorting office/warehouse same as my brothers bike wheel. Good luck. 

Edited April 4 by Lewis B

[Jim Manley]

Do not give up hope.  i was in exactly the same situation last year and made very much the same post as yours. My blade was not as prestigious as yours, a Kajihei forgery of Naotane but special to me for that reason. My blade fell off the radar in May and finally resurfaced at Japan Customs in October.  While some blades are indeed stolen, many more are simply mishandled.  I always use Air Tags now and find they work very well.  fingers crossed for you 

[Grey Doffin]

I have had good results when I call 800 ask usps. Make sure you have the tracking number when you make the call.

Grey

[Gakusee]

I am sorry to hear this Mauro…. Hoping it turns up undamaged and you successfully retrieve it. 

[Jussi Ekholm]

Hopefully it gets solved and the item gets back to you. It is such an extremely rare item it will be easy to spot if it pops up for public sale somewhere.

[HoustonNihonto]

Hi folks. Really appreciate all the best wishes and suggestions. Hopefully the sword turns up somewhere soon! If you have any information that leads to the recovery of the sword, I will gladly pay a $500 reward… :-)

 

After 4 months that the blade has been lost, I have decided to start communicating with USPS directly and no longer through the Bensons, especially since learning this will be entirely my loss. I will do more research before entrusting unique blades to others who won’t handle them with as basic care as including AirTags when shipping (without insurance…).
 

If you have contacts in USPS leadership positions that may be helpful, please let me know. They tried all the normal channels and have come up empty.

thanks again-

Mauro

 

[HoustonNihonto]

On 4/4/2026 at 4:25 PM, klee said:

Mauro, 

 

I am so sorry to hear this and I will certainly pray for a good outcome keep an eye out for it. This is always something I fear when shipping or expecting swords.

 

And PS: Thank you again for the Moritaka blade it turned out to be a quite a unique sword for the school and I ll forever treasure it in my collection.

 

And I also remember that one taking quite a long time by USPS from TX to NY 

 

Wishing for the best

-Kevin

Hi Kevin. Glad to hear you’re enjoying the Moritaka blade! I just heard one of my swords going thru NBTHK shinsa came back as TH Ko-Kongobyoe, so I’m really looking forward to learning more about it.

[klee]

@HoustonNihonto

 

Thats amazing ! Id love to see photos when you have it !

[Lewis B]

6 hours ago, HoustonNihonto said:

 

 

After 4 months that the blade has been lost, I have decided to start communicating with USPS directly and no longer through the Bensons, especially since learning this will be entirely my loss. I will do more research before entrusting unique blades to others who won’t handle them with as basic care as including AirTags when shipping (without insurance…).

 

This is very poor service. Shipping without insurance is unbelievable. Do the Bensons published T&C's categorically state they accept no liability in case of handling damage or shipping issues or that shipments aren't insured? I have seen this exclusion written by other intermediaries in Japan and this immediately excluded doing business with these individuals. Blades are moved around frequently (to togi-shi, saya-shi, Shinsa, sayagaki etc) and I expect some due care and attention and not I-wash-my-hands, if your valuable blade goes AWOL. 

 

On the upside no to very low value might deter potential opportunistic thieves. I still think USPS have it somewhere in their system.

 

I would start contacting USPS immediately. Some info here:

 

https://www.usps.com/help/missing-mail.htm

 

And some phone numbers

To investigate lost USPS mail, file a Missing Mail search request online at 

USPS Missing Mail after checking tracking. For assistance, contact USPS Customer Service at 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777) or submit a help request form. For potential mail theft, contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455. 

 

Key Contact & Investigation Steps:

• File a Missing Mail Search Request: This is the primary method to find missing items.
• Submit a Help Request Form: Submit a form online at USPS Email Us to have your local post office look for the item.
• USPS Customer Service: Call 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777) Monday–Friday 8 AM–8:30 PM ET, Saturday 8 AM–6 PM ET.
• Mail Theft/Fraud: Report to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) at 1-877-876-2455 or online at USPIS Report.
• Employee Misconduct: Contact the USPS Office of Inspector General (OIG) at 1-888-877-7644 or USPSOIG Hotline. 
•  
• Don't give up hope. It's going to be a bit of a frustrating journey but there is a lot at stake and worth the effort. Packages go missing regularly and turn up months later. The important thing is to be in direct contact with the last sorting office. 
   

Edited April 6 by Lewis B

[HoustonNihonto]

Thanks for sharing the USPS contacts. If the Bensons have published T&C’s, shame on me for not asking about them. But I will sure check going forward. 

[Lewis B]

8 hours ago, HoustonNihonto said:

Thanks for sharing the USPS contacts. If the Bensons have published T&C’s, shame on me for not asking about them. But I will sure check going forward. 

There is nothing on their website. And if you weren't told in writing before commissioning their services that is a huge red flag. 

[Mushin]

Mauro,

First, let me say how sorry I am this has happened to you. As someone who has been tracking this issue for several years—and who has personally been impacted by these thefts—I can tell you that it is extremely difficult to get meaningful help once something goes missing.

Despite what some people may suggest, local law enforcement and the FBI are not going to help in a situation like this. In practice, the only agency with jurisdiction is the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. However, unless a case involves theft from an actual mailbox or an assault on a carrier, these types of losses receive limited attention. The presence of insurance seems to shape their response, and if you don’t have it, they don;t care.

It’s also important to understand that this problem extends well beyond Nihonto collectors. Similar losses are affecting shipments of fine art, antiques, and other high-value items.

Based on patterns many of us have observed, issues often arise during handoffs—particularly between USPS, Customs, and third-party contractors responsible for air transport. When tracking shows a package “disappearing” for a period and then reappearing elsewhere, it’s often because that segment of transit is handled outside USPS systems and isn’t fully trackable.

There are also troubling reports of packages being diverted after labels are removed or compromised. In theory, such items should be routed to recovery centers for identification and return. In practice, if no information about their final destination can be found, the package is categorized as “unrecoverable” and eventually sold through government auction channels. This is supposed to happen only after 90 days, but we have seen packages with swords (including a Sue-Sa/Sa Yasuyoshi wakizashi stolen en route to me a few years ago) end up in the hands of someone who purchased it at a government auction less than 30 days after it went missing.

I’m afraid your best bet now is to make lots of noise with your representative in Congress and demand that they deal with USPIS. At the same time, you should carefully monitor government auction sites, as well as Reddit and other lesser-known sword forums, where people who have “legally” acquired these items sometimes seek advice on pricing their ill-gotten treasures.

I’m sorry that you—and others—have to go through this. But the truth is we can no longer ship these goods around the world without using AirTags or similar devices to track them throughout their journey.

I have long said that Japanese and American dealers need to raise these issues in Washington, but to my knowledge, nothing has come of it. It has gotten to the point where I no longer ship items to or buy from Japan because of the combination of shipping risks, tariffs, escalating transit costs, and unreliable customs brokers. It’s simply too much stress.

But if  we can’t stop this trend, the long-term impact on the hobby will not be good.

So by all means, let your local post office know you’re upset—but direct your real pressure toward your member of Congress. Going forward, if you want to continue operating in this space, your best options are proactive:

• Put at least one tracker in every package, and ask that shippers you rely on do the same, even if it costs extra
• Document everything carefully before shipping
• Build relationships with your representative’s district and DC offices, just in case

Sorry this isn’t better news. On the positive side, I was able to recover one of my items by using the insurance payout to buy it back from the person who had acquired it. Hopefully this lovely daito will appear before you have to do the same.

Good luck.

[John C]

1 hour ago, Mushin said:

local law enforcement

Bobby:

The reason to file with local law enforcement in the jurisdiction where the theft occurred is in case the sword is found during some apprehension or as recovered property from a burglary or whatever. The local police may not know it's stolen from the post office, therefore there needs to be a case report on file with them. This can be done over the phone.

 

John C.

[Mushin]

35 minutes ago, John C said:

Bobby:

The reason to file with local law enforcement in the jurisdiction where the theft occurred is in case the sword is found during some apprehension or as recovered property from a burglary or whatever. The local police may not know it's stolen from the post office, therefore there needs to be a case report on file with them. This can be done over the phone.

 

John C.

By all means try. But I was outright refused as I could not clearly demonstrate whether the swords were stolen from the USPS facility in Jamaica, Queens, which is Federal property, or at JFK, which is not, or en route into or out of the facilities. Given the jurisdictional issues, I was  told repeatedly that the report had to be made to USPIS which could then be shared with the NYPD. Never happened as I could never get a report out of the postal inspectors. And when one case was finally resolved, a report was presented to my member of Congress, but USPIS claimed that the sword was legally auctioned though it clearly happened less than 30 days after the package arrived at JFK and was reported missing, not the 90 days the law requires before it becomes USPS property. Like I said, this advice comes from hard won experience in chasing two lots swords stolen from me and a friend, and then taking on four other cases for some major players on both coasts and in the Midwest. Obviously your mileage may vary but local LEO tend not to take reports of theft from federal facilities for obvious reasons. You would think that this would concern the Post Office and America’s first police force. Unfortunately, that was not my experience.

[John C]

Point taken. I know when I recovered stolen merchandise, having a report on file with serial numbers, descriptions, etc. allowed me to return the stolen item to tne rightful owner. Items without identifiable owners were sold at auction after 90 days. But like you say, law enforcement agencies differ in their policies and priorities.

 

John C.

[jesup]

Many years ago I recovered a set of swords and fittings that were stolen after being put on the wrong airplane, and an airline manager and local deputy x-rayed it, saw it had swords and pulled all of the tags.  After 60? days anyone could claim it.   (I can repeat the details later.)

 

When I was sending some blades to Chris Bowen, usps tracking showed it out for delivery in the wrong town.  They had misrouted it, they had to ship it back to the right city, then try again.   I went to the person at the local post office who had taken it; they were pretty helpful 

[Sukaira]

@HoustonNihonto I have personally had items (expensive) shipped by the Bensons and they put air tags and full insurance on the packages. Maybe the difference was I asked for those things upfront. Lesson being, never leave anything to chance in the hands of others. No insurance is pretty wild though.

 

I would tend to agree with @Lewis B though. It is probably not stolen, sitting somewhere in a warehouse full of a long line of backed up Customs items is way more likely. The amount of packages that go through these facilities (and the consequences of actually stealing a package with tracking) make theft way less likely than your fears make it seem. Once you get rejected, you go into a kind of situation where other incoming items that meet CBP criteria are getting processed continually while yours goes to the back of the line, behind all the others that don't take priority. Like I said, you have to picture the actual volume of things going through the mail...it's millions of packages. Truly try to picture that. CBP and USPS are separate entities and they don't always sync in terms of priority. I sent some sword fittings to Japan that were rejected by customs and they sat for 6 months, then one day magically showed up. What you need to do is call and email and annoy every person you can at USPS, ask for departments, phone numbers etc. and ask for communications and confirmation numbers of all their work etc. If you annoy enough people and get through to the right people, they will actually make people go look for your things. Not saying theft doesn't happen, but it's probably very unlikely.

[Brian]

Agree with the above. You need to Google as many high-up contact emails as you can. CC everyone, from the CEO down. Point out that this items is historically significant and the loss is being spread widely across the Japanese art world on social media. Be angry and be persistent. Don't give up, and keep emailing. Become a PITA. 
Chances are suddenly it will turn up.

[Rivkin]

I am very sorry this happened. Unfortunately, my experience forces me to be pessimistic.

It is not a "classical" case where the theft occurs at customs - something we saw happening for years, something that exploits the fact that only USPS can investigate mail theft, but the investigation seldom has the motivation to spill into customs as well.

 

Rejected packages go back surface mail and this is always associated with elevated chance of getting lost or in the very least mishandled and beaten up. Some do arrive after two months, and maybe starting a package search on usps.com after three weeks of no tracking updates does help. That's what I always do.

However after two months I would basically think of it as "gone".

Regarding asking collectors to see if it turns out for sale...

 

I used to bid at government auctions, in person and through agent. Buying stuff that was confiscated, "unclaimed" etc..  Quite a while ago, there was a nasty moment when an Italian family placed newspaper ads promising a reward for the information about a blade I bought. 

My understanding of the process is that once USPS declares the item lost, it assumes ownership of the package in exchange of validating your potential insurance claim. Similar to the case when the government declares whatever it holds as evidence or other property to be abandoned or confiscated and sells it - you have a potential claim against the government, but not the legal claim for the item itself.

[Sukaira]

Maybe keep an eye out here: https://www.govdeals.com/en/unitedstatespostalservice/filters?pn=2&so=&sf=bestfit&ps=24 or other places like that?