Air travel?

[AR15fan]

As i understand it the FAA says any non serrated folder under 4" can be carried on the plain. Is this correct?

I have been carrying a 3" CS plain edge tanto without problems for a couple of years now. But my Serrated Delica gave them fits.

I have frieds with borderline knifes that measure near 4" that have beened delayed becuase the rent a cops wanted a supervisors opinion before allowing these larger baldes through.

Anyway i just bought a Spyderco Wegner Clipit that has a 3.625" plain blade. I SHOULD be able to carry this on the plane, right?

 

[qwertyname]

Actually, as it was explained to me, the airlines themselves allow the security personnel to make the decision about what can and cannot be brought onto the plane in boarderline calls.

In fact, when flying Alaska Airlines from Seattle, to Santa Barbara via Burbank, the security in Santa Barbara allowed me to carry an SOG Sogwinder with 3 7/8" blade to Burbank. However, the security in Burbank would not allow me to carry the knife on the plane to Seattle. Considering my bags were checked all the way through, this was quite an incovenience.

The justification I was given is that the knife was, "too dangerous looking" despite the less than 4" blade size. I argued about it until it became clear they weren't letting me on the plane with it, and then had it checked.

Incidentally, in Europe the laws are even more confusing. My father was carrying a Kershaw wild wild turkey, 3 1/4" blade approx. and had no problem flying through Amsterdam. However, flying from Oslo, they made him pack it.

As a total aside, I have found that if I simply put the knife in my carry on luggage, like in my toothbrush kit, I have few problems. However, when carrying in my pocket, I have been stopped often with a small Taiwanese made folder with a 2 1/4" blade. This is because it happens to be a scaled down copy of the CQC7 and is "dangerous looking". In fact, I bought that particular folder exactly to deal with this problem, as I have alot of international travel as part of my job. It cost 12 bucks with decent quality, and if for some reason some security took it it wouldn't be a great loss.

 

[cardimon]

I carry pocket knives every day. A Victorinox Craftsman in my pocket and a Leatherman PST on my belt. My wife and I flew to Chicago on vacation this summer, and I was worried about carrying the knives on board the flight.

I asked the author of a website on traveling how he handles it, since he carries a Leatherman Wave. I read on another site how a admitted gadget freak passes through airport security.

The advice amounts to, stick your pocket knife, as well as all metallic objects on your person, in your carryon bag (or jacket, hat, fannypack, etc.) and put it through the X-ray machine. When your bag emerges, simply take your knife out and put it back in your pocket. Just don't make a big show about it.

Further advice: carry a Swiss Army knife. It looks "friendly" and everyone recognizes it immediately. Not to mention they're very useful. Fixed blades are a big no-no. Serrated blades and locking blades are lesser no-no's.

I followed this advice and it works just fine, but I left my PST in my carryon. Items clipped to one's belt tend to attract too much attention, especially from airport security.

Craig

 

[JohnW]

Originally posted by cardimon:
The advice amounts to, stick your pocket knife, as well as all metallic objects on your person, in your carryon bag (or jacket, hat, fannypack, etc.) and put it through the X-ray machine. When your bag emerges, simply take your knife out and put it back in your pocket. Just don't make a big show about it.

I concur. I just brought my small Sebenza to Canada this week. Never did anyone ask me to open my carry-on bag. Nor can I remember anyone ever doing this, and I fly several times a year, all over the world. They DO ask if they can look at it, and they pass their chemical sniffers over it (or let their dogs sniff it), but no one ever wants to open it.