# Communities > Modern-era Swords and Collecting Community > Modern Production Katanas >  Shipping a Katana in Australia

## Glenn Jones

I hope this is the right place for this thread. I own a Hanwei 25th Anniversary Shinto katana that a forumite in the USA recently wanted to buy from me. I live in Australia. I quickly found that the Shinto just exceeds the 42 inch maximum length that Australia Post has set. The gentleman who wanted to buy my katana mentioned he had recently sold one in the USA and used Fedex. I phoned the Brisbane office of Fedex and was told that a katana is considered a dangerous item and that Fedex will not deliver a katana. I find it strange that Fedex has one rule for Australia and another for the USA when a katana is a legally allowed item in both countries. I am curious how others in Australia have sent katanas overseas. Any advice would be appreciated.

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## Jeff Larsen

Sent mine through USPS.  It arrived within 2 weeks, no issues.

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## Mat Rous

They are ways of shipping it. I've never sent one but picked up plenty. PM Gordon Armstrong on here as he sends swords within Oz

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## Glenn Jones

The original gentleman who wanted to buy this katana suffered some financial setbacks and I have decided to keep the 25th Anniversary Shinto but I am still mystified by the Australian Fedex response when many dealers in the USA use Fedex for their deliveries.

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## Anthony Van

It is strange, all my katana are shipped to me in Canada via FedEx

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## BlaiseCarlisle

I've imported some swords, just by standard post, and had no problems. In my cases I was concerned they might be too short, and classified as knives, which are apparently illegal to import (why, I'm not entirely sure).

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## Glenn Jones

I am mystified also. My local Post Office have a container that postal items must fit it (hence the 105 cms size restriction). But companies in the USA advertise they will send katanas by FEDEX. Why does FEDEX in Australia have a different set of rules that don't allow shipping of swords. Is this just a local FEDEX law?

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## Glenn Jones

I am now even more mystified by our mail service in Australia and FEDEX. I just received a new HSTS katana from the USA. It was sent via (of all companies) FEDEX. Even more amazing, when it arrived in Australia, FEDEX did not deliver it themselves (I thought they advertised delivery to your door) but handed it to Australian Air Express (which is I believe a division of Australia Post) for delivery to my local Post Office. The amazing thing about this is that the package clearly was longer than the Australia Post limit of 105 cms, that's why the sender used FEDEX and not Australia Post (via USPS). This also nearly created a catastrophe for me. You see the delivery address was now incorrect for Australia Post delivery which in normal circumstances means the item has to be returned to the sender. Because I live in a rural area in Australia, Australia Post will not deliver mail to my home and don't recognise my home address (presumably distances are too far for delivery). I have to have a PO Box in the nearest town to receive my mail. But because the sender was sending the katana by a Courier company (couriers do deliver to my home address and are not allowed to use Australian Post Offices), I provided my actual home address to the sender (which Australia Post do not recognise). Australia Post have strict rules that state if the wrong address is placed on postal items they will be returned to the sender. This instruction is clearly posted on the wall of every Post Office.  Luckily, I live in a relatively small rural area and the local Post Office staff know me and were alert and recognised that the parcel was for me. I suppose "all's well that ends well" and I did receive my katana. Thank goodness for my local Post Office staff, and brass monkies to FEDEX and Australia Post who clearly have no idea of the problems of people living in rural areas in Australia.

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