We all know that cardboard boxes take a beating ; I recently received a sword from overseas and the cardboard box had been literally torn in half ; the only thing holding the two sections of the box together was the customs declaration . Thank God the sword was flexible and in a soft leather scabbard !
I'm planning on shipping every piece that will fit in PVC waste tubing . This material is incredibly strong and rigid ; I believe the inside diameters range up to six inches . Also available are end caps to fit each size of tubing . This tubing is usually sold in 6-10 foot length (the caps are sold separately) .
I will cut it into appropriate lengths figuring for a couple of inches overlap of the length of the particular piece (or more) for each end .
The sword , spear , or whatever will be packed tightly inside the tube and the proper end caps will be TAPED on (no glue) . Using this method I expect my pieces to stand up to most any kind of rough handling that can be dished out ; they can also be returned in the same tube to you .
The weight is not that much more than cardboard and the piece of mind is well worth the extra expense ....plus they're reusable !
