If you are moving out from your current place to another, you might want to take everything with you, including kitchen supplies and therefore, your knives. You might have also booked shipping with a courier, to help you relocate, and now you are unsure if it is allowed. Have you not booked your transportation yet?
Can I ship knives with a courier company?
Most countries do not have any restrictions when it comes to sending cutlery to another country. If you want to send a knife internationally, and this knife belongs to a cutlery set, or it is a kitchen knife, the most important thing is to prepare the package carefully. You must pack the knives individually and make sure it has a lot of packaging materials around so that that the courier or any other person involved in the transport process will not get hurt.
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Which types of knives can I ship with courier companies?
- Courier companies accept most cutlery sets and kitchen knives as they categorise them as tools, necessary for trade.
- Different kinds of knives and white weapons are heavily restricted or even prohibited in many countries, which makes some knives not adequate for shipping.
- Blades such as switchblades, butterfly knives, automatic knives and concealed knives (made to look like something else, like lipstick blades), may be heavily restricted or even forbidden and logically you cannot send
- Bigger blades, such as machetes or swords, are also a particular category that you should research beforehand. Customs officers might confiscate such items when shipping internationally.
Please check the regulations of both the sending and the receiving country to be sure you are not behaving illegally!
Generally speaking, if you want to send a knife internationally, be it a hunting knife, pocket knife or Swiss army knife you have to read the local regulations of the country first. Always adequately packaged and secured, most of these can be seen as “tools” for hunters, explorers, and survival enthusiast, but it is still wise to check the rules and how they apply locally. You can read our article on forbidden items for more information. Also note that some countries even ban the carrying of certain white weapons, although this would not affect your shipment it may affect the person you are sending the package to. Moreover, some courier companies may refuse to ship your package if your knife falls into their forbidden category.
Knives can also damage other packages during transportation. Accordingly, most courier companies will ask you to be especially careful and use extra packaging materials such as Styrofoam or packing peanuts if the shipment contains knives. Also, it is essential to note that, in the case of cutlery or kitchen knives, many countries may ask you to declare the content of the package and you will probably have to pay extra insurance. Some countries may decide that kitchen knives and cutlery are unique objects, and it may be wise to play safe and be upfront about the content of your package. Regardless of this, you must pack the knives to be adequate.
How to properly pack knives to send them internationally
- The best way to transport knives is to put them in their cases or sleeves if they have them. If not, fabricate a case with sturdy cardboard and protect the blade.
- Make the case fit so that the blade does not move but loose enough so that it does not get cut.
- Then secure the handmade case with plenty of adhesive tape.
- Cover the case with packing material and put the knife in a box, filling all the spaces.
- Secure and close the box and make sure the knives are not loose inside to stop them from moving.
If you have any doubts about what materials to use or how to prepare your knives for shipping, you can learn how to pack your shipment here. We also recommend reading this guide about shipping prohibited items.
As we have mentioned before, being upfront with the content of your package and carefully preparing the box is very important, but do not guarantee that the courier company will accept the shipment. Please check the regulation of the receiving country and the courier companies exhaustively before you decide to send a knife to another country.
And for any other questions, do not hesitate to contact us.