I've had pretty good results with USPS. Pack very carefully and as Ordawg says - always ship insured. I've sent knives as far as Poland and Indonesia.

On the receipt side, I always keep good relationships with the local USPS delivery guys. They will take the time to hide packs round the side of the house when I am not around. They are getting a little too comfortable as I came home early to find the regular guy parked under a tree on my property eating his lunch.

A lot comes down to how the people shipping you stuff pack things. I had an AK delivered in a box to my FFL with no packing at all. All the wood was dinged and there was damage to the metal as well. Busse always use good packing that is strong enough to hold the blades securely.