Shipping knives via USPS - legality

choombak

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Since this came up, I thought I'll post my research for benefit of the community. I no lawyer and you can't argue with a stubborn post office clerk (best is to find another one). I have had San Francisco post refuse it, but Milpitas and Fremont accepted it when I explained the blade was very secure.

As the rules read it is NOT illegal to ship knives in the mail, provided you take adequate precautions in packaging it securely.

Publication 52, section 44 onwards of USPS talks about knives in mail. Nothing here indicates it is illegal to ship knives, as long as they are shipped securely (additional restrictions on switchblades). Here is a link: http://pe.usps.com/text/pub52/pub52c4_013.htm

However, I may be wrong, and if that is so, would like to know about it ASAP.

-Amarendra
 
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Arm and Leg

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I have an address in USA.
Since this came up, I thought I'll post my research for benefit of the community. I no lawyer and you can't argue with a stubborn post office clerk (best is to find another one). I have had San Francisco post refuse it, but Milpitas and Fremont accepted it when I explained the blade was very secure.

As the rules read it is NOT illegal to ship knives in the mail, provided you take adequate precautions in packaging it securely.

Publication 52, section 44 onwards of USPS talks about knives in mail. Nothing here indicates it is illegal to ship knives, as long as they are shipped securely (additional restrictions on switchblades). Here is a link: http://pe.usps.com/text/pub52/pub52c4_013.htm

However, I may be wrong, and if that is so, would like to know about it ASAP.

-Amarendra
You aren't wrong.
 
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Imon

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If you feel like you've secured the knife well I don't understand why you'd tell the postal clerk that there's a knife in the package.
I've never had a issue with my local USPS guys - they'll ask if there's anything liquid, perishable, hazardous, etc in your package and you say no. That's the end of that conversation.
 

tjswarbrick

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If you feel like you've secured the knife well I don't understand why you'd tell the postal clerk that there's a knife in the package.
I've never had a issue with my local USPS guys - they'll ask if there's anything liquid, perishable, hazardous, etc in your package and you say no. That's the end of that conversation.

^^This. I'm in the Bay Area, too. They're not on the "hazardous items" list. As long as the blade is well protected, it shouldn't matter.

I've only shipped one or two, but I've received, shall we say, several. Folders and fixed blades. Production and custom. With and without sheaths. Almost all come USPS. Never been a problem.
 

choombak

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SF Bay Area
^^This. I'm in the Bay Area, too. They're not on the "hazardous items" list. As long as the blade is well protected, it shouldn't matter.

I've only shipped one or two, but I've received, shall we say, several. Folders and fixed blades. Production and custom. With and without sheaths. Almost all come USPS. Never been a problem.

Agree - I had this only one experience at San Francisco PO (in the business district) - the clerk specifically asked if it was a knife, and refused when I said yes. I had no time to talk with his supervisor, so I just gave up. I posted this up to ensure folks are aware of the laws, and that there is no confusion.
 

franzdom

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I once shipped a hammer and they asked the same question and when I said, well if I hit someone in the head with it I guess it could be and they were not amused :poke:
 

Frijid

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Feb 26, 2013
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USA
This reminds me of a story i'd like to share. i know a guy who is VERY superstitious. once as he was working with a guy the guy opened his knife and cut something then sat down the knife without closing it. the guy left, then went back to Tennessee where he lived. the guy i'm speaking of found the knife and realized it belonged to the guy that left and meant to give it back to him BUT being superstitious as he is, he refused to close the knife. i said just close it, mail it back to the guy and be done with it. but for the life of him, he would not close it because the other guy opened (i guess the story was the person that opens a knife, is the one who has to close it) so he DROVE a car to Tennessee and gave it back to the guy.

:banghead:
 

LEDAdd1ct

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Let's add a little punch to your story—

where did he depart from?

* * *

My favorite USPS rejoinder goes like this:

USPS Clerk: "Does your package contain anything fragile, liquid, perishable, or potentially hazardous?"

Me: "Potentially fragile."

The USPS clerk either laughs or I explain that it is a {flashlight, bulb, LED, Extremely Rare Chunk of Ambrosia, Straight from Mt. Olympus} and were it dropped, punted, punched, kicked, or otherwise mishandled it could be destroyed.

USPS clerks have a lot of stamina to do what they do all day long, and any levity brought to the table is a good thing.
 
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Monocrom

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Not sure how it works elsewhere, but if it's suspected an illegal item is being sent through USPS into NYC, they WILL open the package and have every legal right to do so. Unfortunately, that includes one-hand opening knives with locks. Anyway, USPS in my neck of the woods was taken over by postal thieves about 3 years ago.

For the above two reasons, I don't bother shipping anything remotely valuable through USPS. Don't want anything opened and taken. Either legally or illegally. Screw that! UPS and the other 3rd party shipping companies are not government agencies such as USPS. No need to worry that your package will be opened and ransacked simply due to suspicion that it might contain something illegal.
 
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