Dotanuki shingunto stolen from USPS Chicago Distribution Center, 28.5" nagasa, mumei

[Gerry]

It is with a heavy heart that I share the news that a shingunto enroute to me from Japan has been stolen from the USPS Chicago Distribution Center on April 20, 2026.

 

The package left US Customs on April 20 at 9.16am, and into the USPS Chicago Distribution Center. Progress with the delivery stopped after that, and the USPS isn't able to find my package after over a week.

 

What's ironic is that this sword was ordered before the Trump tariffs of April 2025, and was stuck in Japan due to EMS being down for the last year. So I've been waiting for it since then, and my first sword delivery since EMS resumption gets stolen at USPS.

 

So, I ask if you could all keep an eye out for a long 28.5" mumei shingunto with papers to Dotanuki. The sword description and photos are as follow:

 

Nagasa = 72.42cm or 28.51"

Base width: approx. 2.9 cm

Base thickness: approx. 0.6 cm

Tip width: approx. 1.9 cm

Tip thickness: approx. 0.4 cm
Blade weight: 703.4 g

Curvature: 1.21 cm

 

The hamon is a subtle wavy gunome, and the tang has 2 mekugi ana. Most importantly, the seppa and tsuba all have a kanji eleven "十一" numbering on them.

 

It also comes with a gold foil 2 piece habaki.

 

Please inform the police that this is stolen property if you encounter this sword on an online listing on being sold in a store or trade show.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 29 by Gerry

[Conway]

Don’t despair just yet Gerry. You have to understand you’re dealing with USPS. I had a sword that went almost 3 weeks without a scan after it arrived in Indy in December. I would not be concerned after only 9 days. Hope it turns up soon! 

[Gerry]

Hi Conway, thanks for the vote of confidence. I'll keep my fingers crossed, but it was actually the USPS search team themselves who told me they couldn't find my package, and to go ahead and file my insurance claim.

[Brian]

As per previous advice, kick up a HUGE storm. Email everyone from the CEO down. Emphasize that this is a unique, one of a kind item and is a cultural item, and that you are going to have to warn Japanese dealers against using USPS. Ask them who you put down as the person to contact since you will be opening a case with the police. Remind them that the Nihonto community is close, and that there have been a spate of these lately.
Really go all out. It is my personal experience that the more you shake up the guys at top, the more change the item is "suddenly found"
You have nothing to lose.

[Mark]

i don't remember seeing it come into the show, being in Chicago it would seem a possibility.

 

I agree that all is not lost, i had a Registered package that USPS lost for a month, it was riding around stuck in a truck.  i complained long and hard, it finally showed up

 

fingers crossed

[Gerry]

Hi Mark,

 

I've opened 2 USPS service requests, and also done 2 missing item searches, and filed a US Postal Inspection Service theft report.

 

Were there any other ways of contacting USPS about your missing package besides what I've already tried?

 

Thanks. 

[Mark]

i talked to my local Postmaster and he got me with postal inspectors, i think registered may have helped but they did investigate eventually it showed up, don't think anything they did helped, but i was told they were actively searching for it

[Gerry]

Great, and I'll try this route also. Thanks!

[sbf]

What a shame, hope it shows up. Just another example of the decay our country is experiencing. There is an ongoing case where the USPS has lost a legally registered Uzi submachine gun. It was sent from Ohio to Florida via Registered Mail, supposedly the most secure method the USPS offers, insured for $20,000. Tracking showed it made it to Detroit, where it disappeared. The response and efforts of the USPS and the Bureau Of Alcohol, Tobacco, And Firearms which regulates machine guns, has been almost nonexistent. In fact the USPS denied the insurance claim three times before relenting and paying up. Pathetic.

 

Steve

[John C]

3 hours ago, Gerry said:

I've opened 2 USPS service requests, and also done 2 missing item searches, and filed a US Postal Inspection Service theft report.

Gerry:

Just my two cents, however I agree with the comments about becoming a nuisance to them. Most of my career was spent arresting, interviewing, and prosecuting dishonest employees. And in my experience, assuming it was indeed stolen, if enough pressure is applied, the sword may just "show up" at some point because the crime becomes too risky. If it is just lost, the added pressure will prompt action because ultimately these folks don't want to lose their jobs. So keep up the phone calls, emails, and bugging them up the chain of command.

 

John C.

[jdawg221]

It probably isn't lost. I've had items sit in the Jamaica ny facility for 2 weeks before seeing movement. Good idea to harass them to get it moving, but imo it's rather rare for a nihonto to be outright stolen, you just tend to hear about it as when it does happen people kick up a storm. 

[John C]

Maybe it's kismet. Just today I had a sword go missing - sort of. Got a delivery notice from USPS that the sword was delivered to the porch. Nope wasn't there. I immediately got on the phone to the post office for my area and had them track it. Postman probably wasn't more than a block away. Within 5 minutes he shows up with the sword. "Sorry. I was thinking it was the other street." 

Moral of the story is taking the quickest action possible got the 1,000 dollar sword back. And while it's not always possible to be that quick, constant tracking and plenty of phone calls can in some cases yield results. 

 

John C.

[The Blacksmith]

I wish you luck Gerry, and I'll keep everything crossed that it turns up. All the avenues mentioned previously are well worth tyring, leave no stone unturned.

A few years back I had an extremely rare bayonet go missing on route from Ireland. Proof of postage, numbers you name it, no trace..... Suddenly, some seven weeks later it suddenly turns up safe 'n' sound! IIRC customs had been sitting on it all the time. This is the only time I have had any problems, fortunately, with the right outcome.

I hope for the same success with your sword.

[Sukaira]

For the future, try to use UPS when shipping to USA. In my experience it is highly reliable and much easier to get through to customer service of a company that is run for profit, sensitive to public sentiment and can be hit easier with lawsuits than a government entity that has no impetus to do anything. Recently, UPS has started pre-clearing packages for customs before they even leave Japan, much like DHL does. Had a sword come from Japan to my door in 2 days just a month ago.

[Gerry]

I appreciate everyone's encouragement and pointers on how to deal with my lost sword.

 

I've created a case with the USPS Inspector General's office, and also left a message for the USPS Chicago Consumer Center about my missing sword.

 

With regards to using UPS for shipping swords to Japan, I have used them before without issue, but it's actually dependent on whether the sword dealer/shipper is registered to use UPS. Unfortunately, not many sword dealers are, so EMS has become the more common choice of courier service from Japan.

[Gerry]

Hi Everyone,

 

I was pleasantly surprised 30 minutes ago by a ring on my doorbell from the USPS, with what looked to be a very long box.

 

Lo and behold, my shingunto surprisingly made it to my doorstep, despite the USPS tracking data showing no updates.

 

Inside, there was "US Fish and Wildlife" tape all over the contents, and for some reason, it seems like the fish and wildlife department had my sword for 2 weeks. Not sure why that was so, and I'm just glad that the sword made it to me in one piece.

[John C]

That's great news, Gerry. Hopefully your persistance is what paid off, though we may never know. 

 

John C.

[Toryu2020]

Same’ is a “fish product” some species may be prohibited. This happens sometimes if your sword enters thru Alaska…

[Rawa]

5 minutes ago, Toryu2020 said:

Same’ is a “fish product” some species may be prohibited. This happens sometimes if your sword enters thru Alaska…

CCL? Commerce Control list?

Imagine Abalone on that list - no saya.

Maybe it’s smarter to ship koshirae and blade in shirasaya separately?

In couple of years all willbe running by ai.

[Bugyotsuji]

Fantastic news, congratulations.

 

Lack of communication between departments places heavy stress on everyone!

[chi fan wong]

hi gerry,

does it mean that the us fish and wildlife agents took the sword out and inspected it? if so are there any handling marks and such?  curious to know what they did and if they were careful in the process.

[Brian]

Something I can add. I'm currently in the process of looking to see if I can start sending some of the items in an extensive knife collection, to the USA. Far higher prices.
I have someone who does international shipping, and she specializes in sending knives overseas. Joyce is the main person here who everyone uses, and has shipped hundreds of parcels. I have been chatting to her the past few days.
The process is fairly straight forward. But she cautioned me on one thing. Apparently fairly randomly (and she says in the majority...but not all cases...if they go through the Atlanta hub) the item will be selected for a CITES inspection. This is where they will check if there are any parts at all made from any endangered wildlife parts. Not just ivory, but certain woods, skins etc etc.
Even in cases where these parts aren't present, she says in those cases, the item is delayed every time by between 14 and 21 days before being released. Even if they have the correct docs, once it is pulled aside for SITES inspection, you can add 21 days or so before it's released.
Sounds to me like you fell foul of one of these inspections, before they decided none of the parts were a problem.

But congrats, that is great news, really happy for you.

[The Blacksmith]

Gerry, I am really happy for you that your parcel has arrived at last. That is excellent news to hear. Do enjoy your new acquisition

[Mark]

glad it arrived safe.

 

i had a terrible time with F&G some time ago, they confiscated a Yasukuni sword because there was same' on the handle 

 

i try not to send any same' out of the country, during my dealing with F&G i found out how to properly send same' out of the country and it was too much aggravation 

[Hokke]

30 minutes ago, Mark said:

glad it arrived safe.

 

i had a terrible time with F&G some time ago, they confiscated a Yasukuni sword because there was same' on the handle 

 

i try not to send any same' out of the country, during my dealing with F&G i found out how to properly send same' out of the country and it was too much aggravation 

Do you or anyone else happen to know the specific reason for same’ or certain fish products to be flagged for shipment? Is it some kind of potential for infestation or disease? Or was the regulation put forth by a militant vegan? 

[Scogg]

This is new to me... I wonder what would have happened if it were a General Grade Type 19 Kyu Guntō; that have hawksbill tortoiseshell handle material

[Brian]

1 hour ago, Hokke said:

Do you or anyone else happen to know the specific reason for same’ or certain fish products to be flagged for shipment? Is it some kind of potential for infestation or disease? Or was the regulation put forth by a militant vegan? 

They want to know exactly what species of ray it is from, where it was harvested and how long ago. And once you tell them, they then want you to prove it. There are hundreds of species of ray, and some of them are endangered, so it's up to you to prove it isn't one of those. Which is impossible. They will keep shifting the goalposts until you give up. Bureaucracy at its finest

[Hokke]

1 hour ago, Brian said:

They want to know exactly what species of ray it is from, where it was harvested and how long ago. And once you tell them, they then want you to prove it. There are hundreds of species of ray, and some of them are endangered, so it's up to you to prove it isn't one of those. Which is impossible. They will keep shifting the goalposts until you give up. Bureaucracy at its finest

At the end of the day, I guess it’s at the discretion of the agent who pulls the item and just how much of a knob he or she wants to be. I’ve heard there have been cases where a sword in shirasaya has been pulled for the small ivory accent on the mekugi-ana. 
 

All the more reason to appreciate and support your local sword shows.

Edited May 7 by Hokke

[Rawa]

4 hours ago, Hokke said:

Do you or anyone else happen to know the specific reason for same’ or certain fish products to be flagged for shipment? Is it some kind of potential for infestation or disease? Or was the regulation put forth by a militant vegan? 

Sending shipments of endangered species or their parts is strictly regulated internationally by CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) and often prohibited by national laws (such as the Endangered Species Act in the U.S.) unless specific, authorized permits are obtained for conservation, scientific, or breeding purposes.

 

I went wrongly with CCL which is about items with possible military use :]

 

We are going deep into automated world.

New species can be added any time.

Some animals are similar to each other.

Ai will be doing „first look” at sorting.

 

I found something like that:

 

Recent Protections (2025): As of December 2025, new CITES listings increased protections for over 70 shark and ray species, including adding many to "zero quota" categories, which essentially bans the commercial export of their products, including skin.

Scope of Regulation: While shark fins are the primary focus of many regulations, CITES also covers other products in international trade, including skin, jaws, teeth, liver oil, and meat.

Just send sword separately in shirasaya? :/

or with expert report?

 

Government is full of lazy fcks. 
These retards looking for a way to justify their jobs - same with tariffs, majority give a damn that importer pays them.

more official info:

https://www.facebook.com/share/1Gb2ZmK2Bb/?mibextid=wwXIfr

 

@Brian maybe move this thread to legislation issues? Matter was resolved with sword, only legal disorder left as it is new implementation.

Edited May 7 by Rawa

[Robert S]

Hmm... that may make creating new koshirae interesting, given that we may not be able to import ray skin now.  I have experience with CITES on the wood front.  For instance, export and import of cocobolo is not permitted, unless it is plantation grown.  But I don't suppose anyone is farming rays :-).  I wonder how rapidly this will impact the ability to import most nihonto with koshirae, or if there is an exception for articles more than a certain number of years old.  I know that for ivory there are no exceptions of any sort.  I have ivory articles that have been in the family for more than 100 years, and they are now completely unsellable.