Disclaimer

KTN designs and sells katanas as decorative and collector's objects, to be displayed and appreciated for their craft, their history and their design. They are not sold as weapons, for self defence, or for any use against a person or an animal.

Never use a katana, or threaten to use it, against anyone, and never use it to damage property. Doing so may be a serious criminal offence, and the owner alone is responsible for it.

[TO CONFIRM: whether any model is suitable for cutting practice]. Unless a product page states otherwise, do not use a katana for cutting practice (tameshigiri), sparring, or any contact with a hard material: this can cause the blade to bend, chip or break, and cause serious injury.

You must be at least 18 years old to order, or older where your law requires it (for example 19 in Alabama, 20 in South Korea, 21 in Egypt). By ordering you confirm that you meet this condition. You may not buy a katana for a minor or allow a minor to use one.

Before you can add a katana to your cart, the configurator asks you to tick a box. By ticking it, you certify that you are 18 or over, or older where the law of your country sets a higher minimum age, that buying and owning a katana is legal where you live, and that you accept our Terms of Sale and our Disclaimer. A katana cannot be added to the cart without it.

We may also ask for proof of age and identity before shipping where we have a doubt. In Germany, the law requires the seller to verify age for mail order (section 34 of the Weapons Act): the parcel is handed only to you, the named adult, and the carrier may ask for ID. If a check fails or is refused, we cancel the order.

The rules on katanas differ widely between countries, and sometimes between regions and cities in the same country. They can cover the import of the item, its purchase, ownership, storage, transport and carrying in public. Some countries require a permit before the parcel arrives; others prohibit katanas entirely.

Before ordering, you must check that you are allowed to import and own a katana at your delivery address, and you must comply with every rule that applies to you after delivery. If you are unsure, ask your police, your customs authority or a lawyer before ordering. By placing an order you confirm that you have done so.

To help you, we publish the result of our review of 41 countries. This information is provided for guidance only. It is not legal advice, it may be incomplete, and laws change. It does not replace your own check with the authorities of your country.

We do not deliver katanas to Egypt, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Portugal, Qatar, Singapore, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, nor to any other country not shown as delivered on our Shipping page. In several of these countries a katana is a prohibited weapon or needs a licence that private buyers cannot realistically obtain. In others we have not yet opened delivery.

Please do not try to get around these restrictions, for example by using a forwarding address or a third party. We cancel any order that we believe is intended for a country we do not deliver to.

In almost every country we reviewed, carrying a sword in a public place without a lawful reason is an offence, sometimes punished by prison. Self defence is never accepted as a reason. Owning a katana at home and carrying it in public are two very different things in law.

• Keep your katana at home.
• When you must move it, for example when moving house, going to a class or to an exhibition, carry it covered, in a closed case or bag, not ready for use and out of reach, and go straight to your destination.
• Never take it to a school, a public event, a demonstration, a place of worship, public transport or any place where weapons are banned.
• Do not fly with it in the cabin. Airlines that accept swords in checked baggage require the blade to be covered and packed; check with your airline first.

A katana is sharp along its edge and at its point, and it can cause deep cuts. Please follow these rules:

• Handle it only when you are calm and focused, never under the influence of alcohol, drugs or medication that affects your attention.
• Make sure no person or animal is within reach before drawing the blade.
• Draw and sheathe slowly, edge upward, holding the saya (scabbard) firmly with your fingers away from the opening and the edge.
• Never touch the edge or the point, never test sharpness with your fingers, and never try to catch a falling blade.
• Check before each handling that the fittings, especially the mekugi (handle pegs), the tsuka (handle) and the tsuba (guard), are tight. Do not handle a katana whose handle moves.
• Do not swing it indoors or near people, objects or animals.
• Do not let anyone who has not read these rules handle it.

• Store the katana in its saya, horizontally, edge upward, on a stand or in a case, in a room or cabinet that can be locked and is out of reach of children.
• Never display it where it can fall, be knocked or be taken down by a child.
• Carbon steel can rust. After handling, wipe the blade with a soft clean cloth to remove fingerprints and moisture, then apply a thin layer of suitable oil.
• Avoid humidity, heat sources and direct sunlight, which can damage the blade, the saya and the wrap.
• Do not try to sharpen, polish, disassemble or modify the blade or the fittings yourself. This can damage the katana, cause injury and void any warranty.

For safety reasons we do not deliver to schools, colleges, nurseries, childcare centres, hospitals and clinics, places of worship, public or government buildings, or any other address we reasonably consider unsuitable. If an order shows such an address, we will contact you to arrange delivery to another address, or cancel the order.

Every order is shipped from China. It is declared for export in China and goes through customs in your country. Customs may inspect, hold or seize a katana. We are not responsible for a seizure caused by a missing permit, by false information, or by the law of your country, and in that case no refund is due beyond what the law requires. See Article 14 of our Terms of Sale and our Shipping Policy.

To the extent permitted by law, KTN is not liable for any injury, damage or loss arising from the misuse, improper handling, modification or unlawful use of a product, from failure to follow this Disclaimer, or from a breach of the law by the buyer or by any other person who has the product in their possession. The buyer and the user bear the risks of handling a sharp blade.

Nothing on this page limits our liability where the law does not allow it to be limited, in particular for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for a defective product under product liability law, or for fraud, and nothing on this page affects your statutory rights as a consumer. Our full liability terms are in Article 15 of our Terms of Sale.

We may refuse or cancel any order, with a full refund, if we have reasonable grounds to believe that the buyer is not of age, is not allowed to own a katana, intends to use it unlawfully, or intends to send it to a country we do not deliver to. Where the law requires it, we cooperate with the competent authorities.

If you have any doubt about the rules in your country, or about the safe use of your katana, contact us before ordering at [TO CONFIRM: customer service email (Shopify currently shows contact@vinylacy.com)] or through our contact form. We will share what we know, but only your local authorities can give you a binding answer.