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Philip · 11th July 2017, 08:29 PM

An exceptionally shocking example of postal abuse! It's a wonder the blade didn't break considering the sharp and deep bend... Wootz tends to be brittle by nature (due to its high carbon content).

After years of generally high satisfaction with the US Snail, I began to notice a decline in service quality in the last four or five -- including a high percentage of parcels arriving with severe impact damage (bent, gashed, or with corners bashed in), sometimes affecting the contents but thankfully not as disastrous as the example on this thread. Since a lot of what I receive is restoration work from customers, this is unacceptable from a business standpoint so I switched to FedEx. For shipments within the US, the prices for Ground and Home delivery are very competitive with USPS, and transit times vary between 2-4 business days depending on distance. Reliable tracking and much more careful handling.

The courier services DO charge significantly more on overseas shipments, but on an exceptionally fine piece which is all but irreplaceable, how much is too much to pay for shipping -- assurance that it will arrive intact and in a timely manner, with peace of mind?

Some of my colleagues in Europe like UPS (they will accept antique firearms whereas FedEx and TNT do not), but I've noticed that their handling is a lot rougher (one parcel arrived open and pilfered), and their in-house customs unit charges a handling fee even though on antiques over a century old, there is no duty charge entering the US -- a ripoff in my estimation.

11th July 2017, 08:29 PM	#18
Philip Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: California Posts: 1,036	making a choice on shipping An exceptionally shocking example of postal abuse! It's a wonder the blade didn't break considering the sharp and deep bend... Wootz tends to be brittle by nature (due to its high carbon content). After years of generally high satisfaction with the US Snail, I began to notice a decline in service quality in the last four or five -- including a high percentage of parcels arriving with severe impact damage (bent, gashed, or with corners bashed in), sometimes affecting the contents but thankfully not as disastrous as the example on this thread. Since a lot of what I receive is restoration work from customers, this is unacceptable from a business standpoint so I switched to FedEx. For shipments within the US, the prices for Ground and Home delivery are very competitive with USPS, and transit times vary between 2-4 business days depending on distance. Reliable tracking and much more careful handling. The courier services DO charge significantly more on overseas shipments, but on an exceptionally fine piece which is all but irreplaceable, how much is too much to pay for shipping -- assurance that it will arrive intact and in a timely manner, with peace of mind? Some of my colleagues in Europe like UPS (they will accept antique firearms whereas FedEx and TNT do not), but I've noticed that their handling is a lot rougher (one parcel arrived open and pilfered), and their in-house customs unit charges a handling fee even though on antiques over a century old, there is no duty charge entering the US -- a ripoff in my estimation.