Shipping swords

[Guest tim_hump3s]

Hello

 

This is quite a weird query and I'm not sure if anyone can help.

 

I have 3 movie replica swords (1 x A Knight's Tale and 2 x Lord of the Rings). They are ornamental and hang on the wall. Customs could see them as weapons but then anything is a weapon if you swing it hard enough but I suppose that is not the point

 

Has anyone shipped swords into Australia? Do they let them in? Should I try and contact Oz customs and if so does anyone have their details?

 

If not, I will have to sell them (

 

Thanks

Tim

[Guest Gollywobbler]

Hi Tim

 

If Customs in Oz are as Brainy as they are in Weymouth in the UK, then I would get hold of someone like Sotheby's and get Special Sustificates for the Swords. Which can be done - it was on the Antiques Roadshow the other week. The Sustificate says they are Collectors Items, I gather, not weapons.

 

The people of Alderney could tell you about Customs in Weymouth! They were busy excavating an historic wreck off the coast of Alderney, Historically the thing is important so the artefacts they fish up are all being sent to York University to the Conservation Team there,

 

The cannon - ah, the cannon! It is quite big - I was there when they brought it into the Harbour in Braye. The vessel sank in 1653 or thereabouts so the thing hardly looked like a cannon - it looked more like a barnacle farm. They put it on one of the fishing boats and got Julian (the owner of the boat, who can be quite stroppy) to take it to Weymouth to transfer it to the train for the trip to York.

 

Apparently the Customs Officer in Weymouth was Officer Material. He told Julian, "That is a Firearm. Where is the Firearms Certificate for it? You can't land it without a Firearms Certificate for it..."

 

I heard that Julian had to be forcibly restrained from chucking the guy into the Harbour...

 

Cheers

 

Gill

[Guest Ruby Okim]

Hi Tim,

 

I was thinking about this myself the other day. We have a small shuto (small Japanese ceremonial knife, just a replica and blunt) as well as two bokken (wooden Japanese practice swords - hope to do some IaJutsu when I come to Oz) and was wondering what the procedure is. According to the Customs Information and Support Centre website you will need to verify with the Police Firearms Registry in your state to check whether or not you can bring your items in and if thery need a permit. Probably best to take a few pics of the swords and attach the pics to the email.

 

Hope this helps!

[Guest tim_hump3s]

Hello

 

I have spoken to the Police Firearms Registry and although they said swords aren't illegal in Australia (at the moment) customs are seizing swords and that I can apply for a v709 form for a permit which will allow me to import the swords so I would suggest anyone else who wants to import swords to do the same

 

I asked the shipping companies about the swords and they all said that it wouldn't be a problem but obviously they didn't check very hard!!!

 

I will try and post an update on how I get on

 

Thanks

Tim

[Bobcat]

Hello

 

This is quite a weird query and I'm not sure if anyone can help.

 

I have 3 movie replica swords (1 x A Knight's Tale and 2 x Lord of the Rings). They are ornamental and hang on the wall. Customs could see them as weapons but then anything is a weapon if you swing it hard enough but I suppose that is not the point

 

Has anyone shipped swords into Australia? Do they let them in? Should I try and contact Oz customs and if so does anyone have their details?

 

If not, I will have to sell them (

 

Thanks

Tim

 

 

In our shipping container I packed a 40" Katana and a 27" Wakazashi; both imitation ceremonial replica swords with a display stand. Mrs Bobcat bought them for me as a gift 25 years ago when we lived in Brisbane. We took them with us when we lived in Papua New Guinea so to all intents and purposes their country of origin was Australia.

 

I purchased the real Macoy 27" Wakazashi in the Philippines about 20 years ago; it's worth a few bob but I did have a problem getting that into PNG................. had to go and get a letter from the police that I was a Martial Arts practitioner and a collector of weaponry. Prior to that at the airport in Kieta I tried to bluff my way through Customs............ told them the sword was blunt.............. and almost sliced my finger off as it was razor sharp :wub:. ..................... I got it in alright though with the letter from the police station after they had visited our house and seen all the other implements I had on display.

 

In the Solomon Islands we lived on Naha Ridge and our lads were only youngsters there and used to keep bringing bullets into the house................ apparently Naha Ridge was the scene of a huge battle on Guadalcanal in the 2nd World War! Whilst digging I found an old 50mm Browning Machine Gun.................... and i packed that into our sea container when we relocated to Perth. When that loonie killed all those people in Tasmania a while ago.................... John Howard introduced a gun buy back scheme. I had the machine gun crushed at Wanneroo Police Station.

 

Off subject a bit................. whilst working in the Solomon Islands running new trunk mains our excavator dug up the remains of a soldier............ it was hard to tell if he was Japanese or American from the battle fatigues as they were rotting................ we found a set of dog tags and a rifle with fixed bayonet nearby................. from that we were able to ascertain that it was the remains of an American soldier who had been killed in action. Full credit to the Yanks as they sent an officer over from Hawaii to retrieve the remains and take them back home for a proper burial. That was rather touching.

 

In our garden at Naha Ridge my young boys went on to find a bayonet near the sand pit they played in...................... and also an unexploded mortar bomb!!!! :nah: The Government did the right thing as they promptly fenced off an area on our garden that was safe for our lads to play in .................... otherwise.................. as much as we loved being there I was going to pull the pin as our lads safety and well being comes before the top tax-free dollars we were earning up there.

 

Good luck with your imports.

[Lazy Cow]

Off subject a bit................. whilst working in the Solomon Islands running new trunk mains our excavator dug up the remains of a soldier............ it was hard to tell if he was Japanese or American from the battle fatigues as they were rotting................ we found a set of dog tags and a rifle with fixed bayonet nearby................. from that we were able to ascertain that it was the remains of an American soldier who had been killed in action. Full credit to the Yanks as they sent an officer over from Hawaii to retrieve the remains and take them back home for a proper burial. That was rather touching.

 

Wow! That really is something Bob. It really is awesome. Sorry, can only manage incoherance on that one. Can you imagine how that guy's family must've felt on his return?

 

As to the swords, my son has a fairly large collection - 12 plus a machete etc. We were a little concerned about customs clearance too, so my OH contacted the Australian customs via email, and kept copies of the ok he received back. The swords were packed without any problem, and when we had to complete the customs forms prior to the release of our goods, we just attached the emails. Job done!

 

LC

[Guest tim_hump3s]

Hi LC

 

I don't suppose you still have the email address for customs do you?

 

Thanks

Tim