Shipping policy

At swordmarkets, every sword is a work of art. Because our products are handcrafted with precision and care, we appreciate your patience and understanding regarding the time required to create and deliver your order.

Last Updated: January 23, 2026

🛠️ 1. Processing & Production Time

Unlike mass-produced items, our swords are forged by hand. The time between your order placement and shipment depends on the complexity of the craftsmanship and the size of your order:

Order Processing: We typically process verified orders within 1–3 business days.
Standard Handcrafted Katanas (Non-Custom):
- Normal Season: 7–21 days for forging and assembly.
- Peak Season (e.g., Christmas/Sales Events): Up to 45 days.
Orders with Multiple Items: If your order contains 2 or more swords, production time may extend (potentially up to 45 days). This depends on material availability, and production scheduling.
Complex Craftsmanship (Non-Custom): For swords utilizing advanced forging techniques such as Sanmai (三枚) or Honsanmai (本三枚), the production time is approximately 2 months due to the intricate layering and polishing processes required.
Fully Custom Orders: Production time ranges from 1 to 3 months, depending on the specific customization requirements.

🌍 2. Shipping Destinations

We ship worldwide! However, due to international regulations regarding bladed weapons, availability varies by region.

✅ We successfully ship large, sharpened Katanas to:

North America: United States, Canada.
Europe (Tax-Included via IOSS): Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden. Note: United Kingdom is NOT tax-included.
Other Regions (Tax Not Included): United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Australia, Singapore, United Kingdom, etc.

If your country is not listed, please contact us at swordmarkets@gmail.com before ordering to confirm feasibility.

💰 3. Shipping Rates

To ensure transparent and fair pricing, shipping costs are calculated automatically at checkout based on your delivery address and order details.

United States: Free shipping for orders of $88 and above. For orders below $88, actual shipping fees will be charged based on weight and destination.
Other Countries: Flat rate of $19 per order.
Shipping fees are not included in the product price.
The final shipping cost will be displayed clearly before you complete your payment.

🧾 4. Duties, Taxes & Customs Clearance

Compliance with Local Laws: By placing an order, you confirm that you are at least 18 years old and have verified that purchasing and importing a katana is legal in your local jurisdiction.

Customs Duties & Taxes:

European Union (EU): VAT is typically included for standard packages.
Non-EU Countries (USA, UK, Canada, Australia, etc.): Taxes and duties are NOT included. The customer is responsible for any import duties, taxes, or customs fees levied by the destination country.
Oversized Exception: For swords exceeding 1.18 meters in length, taxes are not included for ANY destination (including the EU) due to special logistics requirements.

Important Liability Notice: If customs duties arise, they must be paid by the recipient. If a package is returned or destroyed because the recipient refused to pay duties or failed to cooperate with customs clearance, swordmarkets will not be held liable, and no compensation or refund will be provided.

✈️ 5. Delivery Estimates & Tracking

Once your sword is crafted and shipped, the estimated transit times are:

Most Regions: 7–15 days.
Europe: 17–20 days.

⚠️ Understanding Your Tracking Status (Mainland Europe): For orders shipped to Mainland Europe, we utilize a specialized Tax-Included (Duty-Free) shipping line. Due to the sensitive nature of swords and the fact that we handle the customs clearance and pay the import taxes on your behalf, it is normal for tracking to appear “stagnant” or show no updates for 15–20 days after shipment.

Why the delay? Your package is first transported by our logistics partners to a transit warehouse in Italy for centralized customs clearance. The local courier (such as BRT, FedEx, DPD, UPS, etc.) will only receive and scan the package after it has arrived in Italy and successfully cleared customs.

What this means for you: This process ensures you do NOT have to pay extra duties or deal with complex customs procedures personally.

Final Delivery: Once the local tracking updates (indicating the package has left the Italy hub), delivery typically takes just 2–5 days.

📅 6. Holiday & Seasonal Delays

Please be aware that during major holidays and peak shopping seasons, both production and shipping times may be affected:

Impacted Periods: This includes the holiday shopping season (November–December) and the Lunar New Year (January/February).

Logistics Delays: During these times, global logistics networks and customs offices experience extreme volumes. This may result in unpredictable delays beyond our standard delivery estimates.

We strongly recommend placing orders well in advance during these periods to avoid disappointment.

📦 7. Delivery & Receipt

Accurate Address: Please provide a precise and complete address (no abbreviations). swordmarkets is not responsible for non-delivery due to incorrect address details provided by the customer.

Stay Available: Please ensure the phone number provided is active. You may need to answer calls from the courier to arrange delivery or pay duties.

Lost Packages: If your tracking shows “Delivered” but you have not received the package, please contact the local carrier immediately.