Method for shipping handle material???

Erin Burke

Erin Burke

Well-Known Member
I recently had a bunch of maple handle blocks stabilized at WSSI. I was planning to offer some of these blocks for trade or sale on Knifedogs. My question concerns shipping.

I was planning on using the small USPS flat-rate shipping boxes. It looks like I would be able to send up-to four handle blocks anywhere in the US in one of these boxes for about $5. This seems like a reasonable route to go, but are there better shipping options out there? Those of you who ship handle material... what service do y'all use?

Thanks in advance.

Erin
 
USPS priority is pretty cheap if the whole package is less than 13 oz. By pretty cheap I mean under $3 or so, depending on the exact weight.
 
I personally like USPS Priority mail much better than UPS. Generally its faster and cheaper, especially using flat rate boxes.

UPS takes MUCH longer, no matter how short the distance from point A to point B, and God forbid if you ever have any type of claim with UPS......you will NEVER get anywhere with it. I've had a number of claims with UPS over the years, and have NEVER....I repeat NEVER, had them pay, even though I paid for the insurance.

USPS: Although the normal wait is 4-6 weeks to process the claim, they have paid every single claim I have ever made.
 
Erin that flat rate box from USPS (about the size of a VHS tape) will hold about 4 blocks or 5 sets of scales. At $6 for shipping and tracking its about the best deal there is IMO....

Larry
 
USPS priority and flat rate priority (if weight of items makes regular priority more expensive) work quite well. We here in Hawaii apparently use more flat rate boxes than any other state (makes sense)! I buy insurance and the proof of delivery ("tracking") too. The heaviest package I ever got was filled with 67 pounds of 5160 1" bar from Karl Anderson. Only cost (at the time) $9.95 flat rate. I just sent out a flat rate priority package of handle material (on a trade) for $14.95. It would have cost just under $50 regular priority.

A few good rules for packaging are...
  • Make sure the contents are packed well (not sliding and banging around). The boxes that I've had arrive damaged were usually done so from the inside out.
  • Include an invoice or note inside with the sender's and recipient's addresses. Address the outside with indelible pen, not one that has ink that smears when wet!
  • Tape box up well. Throwing a couple of wrap-arounds of fiber tape on each axis of the box is a good idea.
  • If the box is really heavy with dense contents consider double boxing. Many steel shippers make a mini wooden "crate" that slips inside the flat rate box real snug.
 
The vast majority of our outbound shipments are priority mail, followed by parcel post with an occasional package via UPS...
 
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