Help!

[stuckinthemud]

Finally finished my trade bow and can't ship it (from the UK) as the only carrier I can find who takes parcels over 180cm long has a very strict no weapons policy - I even said the bow was display only, but all weapons, real/fake/reproduction - are banned.  Any one able to advise?  I REALLY don't want to withdraw from the trade when the bow is literally packed up and ready to send

[osage outlaw]

Is it a bow or is it a ceremonial walking stick? 

[paco664]

"highly decorated tomato pole"

"native american walking stick"

if you ship it without a string it is NOT a weapon... it's a piece of wood...

[TimothyR]

That's a fine looking walking stick you've got there stuck!  But I think it needs a cord wrap for the carriers wrist. I bet someone over here could make a nice cord for it! 

[JoJoDapyro]

Native american inspired art.

[Dakota Kid]

Everything is a weapon if you hold it right, which makes that a silly rule to begin with.

Seriously though, it is a wood carving and is a piece of art. Claim artist discrimination and threaten to contact the VLA(volunteer lawyers for the arts). That is of course if they don't respond to the polite approach first. Good luck.

You could always pike it down to 180 cm as a last resort.

[stuckinthemud]

Decorative woodcarving seems to be a good title but the assistant at the carrier's office recons they x-ray everything

[Dakota Kid]

Unless the fellow is an archer, it may be hard to tell what it is if it isn't accompanied by a string and arrows. More than likely it won't raise any flags unless there's metal, bone or other dense substance in the package. X-rayed wood is kind of a fuzzy ghost image on film and will look much less like a weapon than it does out of the box.

Will they return it if it doesn't pass inspection? If they do, there's no harm in trying.

[jeffp51]

Mikekeswick sent me a bow in the trade last year. He is also from England. You might ask him how he managed it.

[Del the cat]

"Sporting goods"
Del

[Fred Arnold]

I don't have an answer. I know the guy that shipped to you didn't have a problem except it cost him an arm and a leg. There are other bowyers somewhere close over there so you might want to do a search and make a few contacts for some facts that they surely have already dealt with.

[Dictionary]

Is it a bow or is it a ceremonial walking stick? 

LOL this thread is hilarious.

[bradsmith2010]

say it is art supplies, and wrap a piece of canvas around it,,even if the exray , it will just look like a stick that the canvas is wrapped around,,,, or say its a fishing pole,,

[stuckinthemud]

If my guy had no problem shipping then the issue can't be with Customs, so it is the Carrier trying to limit liability, I guess.  In that case a vague description should be fine, and if not, then, they'll just return it to me

[paco664]

"one piece of a Giraffes neck splint"...

"projectile disfunction wooden actuator"...