Can anyone advise on the safest way to send a chanter through the post in terms of insurance and carrier that isn’t too expensive? Thanks
If you are posting the chanter within Britain then Royal Mail is probably your safest bet. Use Special Delivery, which is trackable and will compensate you for up to £2500, and pack the chanter securely.
When I post a chanter on its’ own I remove the reed and pack that separately, roll the chanter body up in bubble wrap, and then roll a magazine around the body giving me a solid structure. I take photos of each stage of the process, so in the event of damage I have the evidence of good practice to hand.
This might seem a long winded way of doing things, but unless you can prove that your chanter was packed properly then your claim for damage will be rejected. You also need to contact whoever you are sending the chanter to and tell them to keep hold of ALL packaging if there is any damage, as this may need to be inspected.
I have posted a chanter in the US packed inside a piece of suitably sized PVC plumbing pipe. It adds weight but isn’t going to get crushed…
Ian