Thread: Does anyone have any experience with transporting ivory?

Hey,

Thanks to the classifieds from here, I recently acquired an antique (pre-WW2) straight razor with ivory scales.

However, I am going to be travelling overseas soon (SE Asia), and I was hoping to take it with me, partly because it's a great shaver, and partly because I don't want it to go out of sight for three weeks. I find it difficult to stop looking at (I'm sure you're all overly attached to your razors too), or if there's a burglary/ fire, I wouldn't want to lose it.

Due to the UK being the UK, there's a lot of restrictions on what you can or can't do/ bring/ say/ think.
When the seller sent it to me, it only travelled from within the EU, and he still had to pay quite a bit for the appropriate certificates.

So, is there any way that I would be able to carry my razor with me while I travel?
Any information would be appreciated, especially since I intend to leave the UK in a few years.

I would advise against taking a razor that you are very attached to(especially if it ,might get confiscated) with you when you travel by air, you never know what's going to happen to your luggage.

If I were you, I'd take either a beater razor, a DE/shavette or even a multi-blade abomination.

It's listed in SITES, you need a permit to export it outside of EU.
I'd recommend you to let it stay home.

Originally Posted by Baxxer

If I were you, I'd take either a beater razor, a DE/shavette or even a multi-blade abomination.

Originally Posted by Lemur

It's listed in SITES, you need a permit to export it outside of EU.
I'd recommend you to let it stay home.

I had a horrible feeling that that would happen. I refuse to use the sort of razor that women would use to shave their legs, so I think I'll just take a cheap shavette, or possibly a less beautiful razor, as you suggested.

When I leave the UK permanently, would I just have to get a SITES certificate?

Yes, to export it legally you would, but it's hard to get even for museums, I'd just pack it with all my other shaving things and let lady luck have a go.

Originally Posted by Lemur

Yes, to export it legally you would, but it's hard to get even for museums, I'd just pack it with all my other shaving things and let lady luck have a go.

Ehh.... I'd rather not get prosecuted if possible. Didn't you recommend to leave it earlier?

I'll keep it in the UK for now, then when I finally get the opportunity to move overseas, to the US, I'll get the documentation required.

The only situation I can think of, where it gets confiscated, is when they scan it and see the razors. Then when they open the case to inspect them, they find that they're ivory. So I'll see what happens with bone razors, since they look similar to the untrained eye.

Hopefully, none of the NSA ****s reading this will think I'm planning on smuggling ivory, because I can assure you that I'm not.

Haha, yes leave it for your trip but if your moving then pack it!

Even if it's legal ivory the custom can give you lots of trouble, they say it's their job!

It's CITES, I had it wrong, check here; Welcome to CITES
and then see who's in charge of permits in the UK, probably some agriculture department or such.

Is funny,Great Britain Devestated the elephant herds back in the day of Both Africa and India.
Two Yrs ago they sold two Million lbs of Ivory to China

In theory, all posts are right.
But now a question, are you sure, customs know, how the ivory handle of razor looks like? May be, it's a simple "bone" handle.
Of course, it can happen. But I'm not sure, that they will ask expert. IMO.
The last 4-5 years, I visit UK every year, to spend a good time and to buy razors, especially in ivory. Nobody asked me about razors.

Originally Posted by manah

In theory, all posts are right.
But now a question, are you sure, customs know, how the ivory handle of razor looks like? May be, it's a simple "bone" handle.
Of course, it can happen. But I'm not sure, that they will ask expert. IMO.
The last 4-5 years, I visit UK every year, to spend a good time and to buy razors, especially in ivory. Nobody asked me about razors.

Yea, I was thinking about testing the waters with some polished bone scales.
If they can't see bone, they can't see ivory.

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

Is funny,Great Britain Devestated the elephant herds back in the day of Both Africa and India.
Two Yrs ago they sold two Million lbs of Ivory to China

They also had the largest empire in history. No one would dare cross the imperialist thugs.

But now, open borders to all EU citizens, won't deport IIs for their human rights, supporting thousands of people who can't be arsed to work (I have no issue with paying taxes to support those who truly can't work), and are overly sensitive to anything that has a possibility of being interpreted as offensive by a gay trans-sexual ukrainian who got into the country illegally. The government bends over backwards (or more likely, forwards) to allow these things to happen. All for the sake of tolerance and political correctness.

But that's a rant for another time and thread.