uk katana

[oristt]

Hello all,

 

I have just bought a 18th century katana from a seller in Australia how do i stand with getting it here in the UK, regarding shipping and what should be put on the parcel?

please help!

 

Kind regards

Kyle

[pcfarrar]

Hi Kyle,

 

You must get him to mark it as "antique sword over 100 years old". Be prepared for customs sending you a letter wanting proof of age etc.

Fedex or UPS shipping would save you a lot of hassle, but at a large increase in shipping cost.

 

Peter

[Kevin]

I have just bought a 18th century katana from a seller in Australia how do i stand with getting it here in the UK, regarding shipping and what should be put on the parcel?

please help!

 

If it's a commercial seller, 3 commercial invoices (with the right value on them) with the harmonised tariff code on it (elsewhere on this site) and something backing up why it is classified as an antique - e.g. scan of papers from the NBTHK, a print of the original website, plus URL, where it was sold stating that it is an antique or, failing that, a letter from the seller stating that it was an antique. In the case of the last I don't mean a scrawled bit of paper saying "this is an antique, yours truly G Crint" - I mean a thought out letter, preferably with photos, and signed. OK, it will still probably get stopped by HM Customs, but you're likely to get far less hassle and it should be released quicker.

 

If a private seller - well, the above is a good guide. You won't go far wrong.

 

Shipping from Australia - dunno. However bear in mind that if he misdeclares it at his end to try and get it shipped, you may have more hassle this end getting it in. OTOH, I did once have a nihonto delivered without a hitch that was described as 'toy' and a piddling value put on the declaration, but I would strongly not recommend this.

 

If you or the seller do get stuck, PM me and I can suggest a shipping firm for the seller to talk to but it won't be cheap from Australia.

 

Kevin

[Kevin]

Hi Kyle,

 

You must get him to mark it as "antique sword over 100 years old". Be prepared for customs sending you a letter wanting proof of age etc.

Fedex or UPS shipping would save you a lot of hassle, but at a large increase in shipping cost.

 

Peter

 

UPS won't touch swords. Fedex will apparently touch swords, but only if it is part of a shipping arrangement with an official shipping company who has enough weight (and generates enough income for them) for them not to want to upset them.

 

Some Post Offices won't accept swords leastways if they are described as swords. Put 'nihonto' on and they haven't got a clue what that means, and promptly accept them. You haven't misdescribed them - you've just provided a more accurate description. :D You can now fill out the appropriate paperwork for customs using that description. *However*, you may not get full insurance coverage. Whatever you do though, make sure that it is trackable.

 

Kevin

[paulb]

Experieince seems to vary with every sword that is imported. For what it is worth the easiest shipments I have recieved have been through Fedex, generally more expensive but yards ahead of parcelforce regarding claearance.

 

The description I usually use and so far without a problem is " Antique Japanese Art Sword over 100 years old" on the customs form. I also usually get the buyer to enclose a letter confirming that he blade is a legal import as it is over 100 years old made using traditional methods by a recognised Japanese artisan.

 

Whether or not it gets through easily will depend more on the mood of the cusoms officer than anything you say in the documentation.

Good luck!

[oristt]

Hello guys,

 

Thanks for getting back to me, i have followed your experience and advice thank you.

 

As you may have guessed this is my first time of buying outside the UK, i hope i have done the right thing

I am finding all this really confusing i think i have asked the seller to do what has been advised, so hope fully it all goes well as i don't want to lose this fine piece of art,history,beauty,tradition.

 

so next up i can be prepared for customs to send me a letter wanting proof of age, which i am nervous of HELP!

 

Just one thing it does not have papers from the NBTHK as i can not afford blades of the price range, is there any way i can show the age etc with out this?

 

If you like i will keep you all up to date with it all

 

If any one has any tips or things i need to know please DO post, it will be very help full

[pcfarrar]

It woud have been a lot easier buying a sword in the UK.

 

You will receive the sword, it will just take a fair amount of time and paperwork. It may be advisible for you to join the GB token society or Northern Token Society so you can prove yourself a genuine collector.

 

PS. When the sword arrives in the UK you'll want to get tsuka rebound as it has a horrible amateur bind. If you want to contact me I can put you in touch with reputable tsukamaki guy.

[Kevin]

so next up i can be prepared for customs to send me a letter wanting proof of age, which i am nervous of HELP!

 

The web page on which it was advertised, or a letter from the seller, has so far sufficed for my imports, and I do import more than most. :-) I'd suggest that the letter from the seller included pictures so that Customs can see that *this* document certifying it as an antique relates to the item in question. It's pretty much what I do when exporting swords, and I haven't had one held up yet. Hell, I've even got swords into Italy legally without any bother. :-) The last US-bound sword was delivered in NY the next day, there was that little delay in US Customs.

 

It's a good idea if the seller includes their letter with the goods, plus three invoices, and uses the harmonised tariffs (there's a thread on this board detailing those). Absolutely minimal hassle then. Otherwise you're going to have to wait for Customs to send their standard letter to you and for you to send your response back, plus a period in which they deliberate before releasing the item.

 

Getting the paperwork right before it hits Customs is better than trying to pull it all together afterwards. If Customs have all the relevant bits and pieces upfront, the rest is simple paperpushing.

 

BTW, the law doesn't require you to be a collector to import a sword. It only legislates on the swords thamselves, and requires that the sword is antique; or made in Japan prior to 1953; or made in Japan by traditional methods after 1953; or is for use in sports, education or re-enactment. Note - it doesn't say that you have to be actively engaged in sports, education or re-enactment, only that the sword is suitable for such purposes. On the above definitions you could legally ship in expensive Japanese-style swords made by American master smiths, or the cheaper ones made by Paul Chen.

 

Kevin

[oristt]

Hello all,

 

Just to keep you up to date,

 

I have been tracking the sword online with the tracking number provided by the seller. and according to the tracking info on there wed page the parcel arrived in the "UNITED KINGDOM - COVENTRY PR and is Received and awaiting clearance for delivery" well this was on Feb 15, 2009 which was last Sunday a week ago and i have not received a letter form customs, anyone have any idea of how long they usually take to send there stranded letter out? as i am getting a bit worried about it now.

 

sorry i don't mean to blow off steam hear, but i just have not heard any thing from customs and i would have thought they would be on it as it being a sword, and some import TAX for them.

 

Thanks for listening, and info or experience you would like to share please do

[pcfarrar]

You don't get a letter straight away, it usually takes a couple of weeks.

[oristt]

Thanks for your fast reply Peter, so there is no need to be concerned as of yet.

I just hope that all will be OK.

 

Can i just say that there is a grate community here on the Nihonto Message Board and i would like to thank everyone for all of there help and sharing of there knowledge.

[IanB]

Kyle, You will receive a computerised letter in the next few days saying they have a 'banned weapon'. Don't panic, it is routine. Your job is then to raise an 'issue' as required by the Amendment Order 2008. Just sent them a letter stating that you are a genuine collector of antique Japanese swords together with copies of all the documents relating to the purchase, including the original advertisement (I know they may have been incorporated with the package but they seem to ignore these). If you have photos of the sword in the original advertisement, so much the better, send these as well. You will then have 'raised an issue' as the law quaintly puts it. Your letter should should spell this out, saying words to the effect - 'This sword falls under the ‘defence’ provided by the Criminal Justice Act 1988(Offensive Weapons)(Amendment) Order 2008, by virtue of the fact that it an antique made around XXXX. I enclose a description of the sword supplied by the vendor, XXXXXXXXX. I also include details of the payment for calculating duty'. This should be sufficient to raise an issue. It is then the resonsibility of HM Customs to prove it is not an antique. The next thing to watch is that they only charge you 5% VAT. I have had an occasion where they accepted it as antique and then slapped 17.5% on it. Another polite letter pointing this out will do the trick, but it takes months to get your money back

Ian Bottomley

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

[Hell, I've even got swords into Italy legally without any bother. :-)

 

You've got a prepared customer for sure...

[Henry Stewart]

The last wakazashi I bought came from "JAMES" on this site; He is in Australia why not ask him. If I remember it came via Fedex and came straight through; all the customs asked was charges and VAT which I paid over the phone.

 

Henry

[IanB]

Henry Don't forget the 50cm rule. A wakizashi, provided they have stopped measuring the whole sword and not just the blade as the law states, does not come under the restriction.

Ian Bottomley

[Henry Stewart]

Ian

My apologise,you are of course quite right. Wakazashis less than 50cm do not come under the rules.

What I was thinking of was the logistics,as to how James packed,addressed and identified his parcel on the carne,and which carrier he chose and why.

It would seem this regulation is gathering interpretations as it rolls along; not unlike the proverbial stone and its moss.

 

Henry

[oristt]

Hello all,

Hows your day going as i have good news to share with you all, (I am so existed :D :D :D ) I have still not heard any thing about the delivery of my sword and as you all know i was getting worried about it

So i thought i would check the tracking online and guess what "Delivery of item was attempted - UNITED KINGDOM at 11:05 on 21 Feb 2009" well i don't recall this, and there was no letter in the door to say delivery was attempted

So any how i phoned the parcel force number in yellow pages hoping that this is the right place to find out what is going on as i recall someone saying that the international hub in Coventry was parcel force. and GOOD news my parcel has been released

and i have a NICE letter on the way to say i have handling and customs fees of £38.XXp once i have paid this it will be on its way within 24 hours, well that is what they say time will tell :D :D :D

 

Thank you all for your help an time

I will keep you all up do date on this braking news :lol:

[oristt]

Hello all,

 

I now have my sword :D :D :D

received a letter from parcel force to say i have to pay import and handling fees of £38.38 and it will be released for delivery.

I paid the fees at 1:30 pm in my lunch break and by 9:30 next day it was at my door i am the happiest ever :D :D :D

 

Can i say a big thanks to everyone that helped me!

[Kevin]

[Hell, I've even got swords into Italy legally without any bother. :-)

 

You've got a prepared customer for sure...

 

He knew the law his end, I merely complied with it. :-) And, as standard, I provide 3 copies of a commercial invoice, plus 'documentation of antiquity', whcih includes photos and if need be papers by the NTHK or NBTHK. Plus using a fine arts shipper who know what they are doing, have no problem with swords or antiques, and offer 100% insurance. Cost about £80 to get a sword to either the anywhere in the US or in the Czech Republic in 1-2 days. Pricier than UPS - but UPS don't offer 100% insurance in case of loss or damage, and won't knowingly carry swords or antiques. They're also not quite that fast.

 

regards

 

Kevin

[pcfarrar]

Hi Kevin,

 

Out of interest what shipper do you use?

 

Thanks,

 

Peter

[Kevin]

Hi Kevin,

 

Out of interest what shipper do you use?

 

Thanks

 

Nightflight.

 

kevin

[neilford1973]

My first post on NMB and something of a sanity saver for me...

 

My first ever purchase from Aoi Art, a reasonably priced Nihonto for a midlander, was shipped on the 18th Jan arriving into the Coventry International Hub on the 21st Jan. It has shown as a tracking event 'Awaiting clearance - information needed from addressee' since this date.

 

I patiently waited for 7 days before contacting Parcelforce who we're appalling in their lack of interest to help. I then contacted HMRC who gave me an email and phone number for UPS who are supposedly clearing this through customs on their behalf.

 

Since then I have sent 2 x emails and spent 3 days redialling the same number, which quite blatantly is never going to be answered.

 

There has been no contact from anyone in nearly 2 weeks. Is it normal to have to wait 2 weeks+ without contact?

 

Looking at it now I didn't do half as much quality research as I should have and the last 2 weeks have been a steep learning curve...

 

I know this thread is very old but after reading the posts on here and the great information within the Importing/exporting and customs queries and advice thread I am fully prepared for when I am contacted, however I have no idea when that may be...

 

Any advice/comments would be grately appreciated.

[pcfarrar]

You'll get a letter eventually, they are always slow. In future it would be best to ask Aoi Art to ship fedex, although it will cost more.

[Adrian]

Hell, I've even got swords into Italy legally without any bother. :-)

 

 

He knew the law his end, I merely complied with it. :-) And, as standard, I provide 3 copies of a commercial invoice, plus 'documentation of antiquity', whcih includes photos and if need be papers by the NTHK or NBTHK. Plus using a fine arts shipper who know what they are doing, have no problem with swords or antiques, and offer 100% insurance. Cost about £80 to get a sword to either the anywhere in the US or in the Czech Republic in 1-2 days. Pricier than UPS - but UPS don't offer 100% insurance in case of loss or damage, and won't knowingly carry swords or antiques. They're also not quite that fast.

 

regards

 

Kevin

 

Kevin,

 

Would the packages shipped from UK to other countries within the EU (you mentioned Italy and the Czech Republic) have to clear the customs? I thought that under the EU laws these should be treated as domestic shipments (as in no custom taxes and no VAT).

[paulb]

Hi Adrian,

I am not trying to answer for Kevin but from my experience you are right. I have never had any problem shipping swords within the EU. There were no duty or VAT issues between member states nor did I have any legal questions from customs. Once within the EU movement is relatively trouble free (or it was 2 years ago!)

regards

Paul

[Kai-Gunto]

Shipping within EU are no problems.

I use Fedex from Japan to Denmark.

Danish postal service ships swords back to sender when they hit customs. So I only use danish post for shipping inside Denmark.

 

Fedex is more expencive but they are fast and have a great service. I get the items before I shall pay the fees