Airports and checked baggage?

Will P.

Will P.

Joined
Mar 26, 2004
Messages
1,467
My first custom knife should be on it's way home soon. Just wondering if a beautiful 5 in. blade might be confisticated out of checked baggage by airport security, especially in Germany?
 
Will,
confiscated is the wrong word. Stolen is the word you are looking for. Security policy allows knives in checked baggage.

I recently flew to Germany and Israel on business. I wanted to take a couple of custom knives with me to show to the photographer David Darom, who is an old friend. I was very nervous about the knives being stolen, but they got there and back just fine.

My recommendation is not to put them in an outside pocket of your suitcase, but rather in a pouch right in the middle of the main suitcase compartment.

And good luck.
 
I always put them in my shaving kit. I figure there's some metal there anyway, and the knife won't stand out as much as if it were surrounded only by clothes. I've never had any trouble (probably 5-6 flights since 9/11), but the biggest thing I've carried is a 4" folder.
 
Ship anything valuable. I travel only with low-end knives checked in bags. Anything checked in bags these days can be stolen by the security people, especially the TSA in the US as they all have access to your bags and you can't lock anything anymore with any expectation that it will stay locked.

This is not to say that all TSA people are dishonest, only that there are tens or hundreds of thousands of items that disappear nowadays from bags :(
 
As long as it's no 5" auto, nothing from your cheched luggage will get confiscated in Germany. I'd be more worried about GB, I've heard that they even steal stuff from checked luggage, even when you're just staying temporary on the airport.
 
I concur with shipping if it's valuable...

I've not had anything "appropriated" from my luggage, but a friend has had this happen to him...

I've packed Leathermans, and smaller folders in my checked luggage and had no problems...
 
Shipping isn't a practical option. The knife is a fixed blade, no sheath, about 1.5 inches overall, with a sharpened false edge. I'll just be sure to instruct the carriers to put it in the main section of their baggage and make it hard to get to.
 
The last few times I've air travelled, I stick my knives in the bottom of my sleeping bag, roll it up tight to pack, and secure it with the elastics. The only way to get the knives out is to literally unroll the bag, hod it upside down, and shake up and down until the knives fall out. I can't really see the airport security people going to that much trouble for a checked bag.
 
LOL... that's a good idea Dan. Have you seen pictures of my new knife yet? You're going to be the one to package it up and send it out to get sheathed. ;)

There's a thread in the gallery with more pics, but it looks like this:
custom.jpg

The image is hosted on my new website.
 
Ive packed 4 inch folders in my checked luggage on flights between the US and UK 4 times since 9/11 and havent had any problems. I wrapped them in a small plastic sandwich bag along with a spare flashlight and stuffed them in with my clothes in the main compartment of my checked suitcase.

I always tie my suitcase up with 10mm blue nylon rope with a big complicated looking knot to make it that bit less attractive... I doubt they let the security personnel carry knives to cut it, especially in the uk!!
 
I don't know about Germany but I learned the hard way that the TSA in the US will remove knives from checked baggage. I lost 2 folders when I mobilized to come out to the sandbox. I did not realize when I picked up my bags in Virginia to transfer to a military flight.

These blades were packed in a shaving kit type bag about midway down in a standard GI issue duffel bag.

Needless to say I am not a fan of the TSA
 
I've got upcoming travel plans from Chicago to Baltimore in March. I have been obsessing which knives to bring. What am I willing to lose? Plain flat out sucks that I have to think that way! :mad:
 
Just to let everyone know if you are going through the Atlanta airport you are supposed to report anything that is in your checked bagage that can be considered a weapon. Georgia thought that this would be a good state law for some reason. I do not know of anyone who has bothered telling security that they had knives in there luggage but you know people carry stuff through everyday not to even mention stuff to and from the Blade Show so... take this juat as a warning I guess.
 
Sunday I head to FLA. with the family. I bought a pe Endura for the trip.It will be locked via a gun type cable lock.Cable ran though the Spyderhole and then the frame of the suitcase.Hopes this protects me from those "protecting" me. :barf:
 
I have never heard of the TSA taking knives out of checked baggage... Did they leave a note telling you they took the knife or was it just stolen?

This is news to me -- I have travelled with knives in checked baggage with no problems.
 
Hi All-

Take a digital photograph of your valuables along with your airline tickets and a copy of the daily newspaper with the current date. This helps to show what you have and when. I also write a friendly note to the TSA inspectors to inform them that everything in my baggage has been inventoried and photographed before departure.

When carrying knives in checked baggage, I use zip-ties to create a "collage" of items that would be difficult to steal. For example, I'll run a zip-tie through a lanyard hole or spydiehole and attach it to the exterior of a toiletry kit. While locks are no longer permitted, I do zip-tie my luggage shut. TSA can cut them if they need to take a closer look.

It's sad that "slightly paranoid" measures like this need to be taken, but that is the new playing field. The techniques I employ are just designed to help people remain honest!

~ Blue Jays ~
 
hey, anyone know what the laws are like in china? im going there in june for a week and a half, and i dont want to go that long without my knife. any forseeable problems?
 
The only knives that I have had stolen was when I put them in the side pocket of my luggage, and it still pains me. An RJ Martin, a first production run Benchmade/Elishewitz (sp?) auto. This was pre 9/11. Since then, putting the knives in the middle of the case, I have not hads any trouble, but I am still always very nervous.

I have flown internationally with things like a Robbie Dalton Border Patrol, which is not a small auto, and had no trouble with the authorities.
 
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