Any Advice On Packing My Knife For Air Travel?

S

seventytwo

Joined
Mar 6, 2008
Messages
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I'm getting ready to head to Utah for some camping and want to bring my Large Sebenza along. I am a bit afraid of having it picked out of my checked baggage by ground crew and ending up being out my almost $400 dollar knife! I have had this happen to me once in the past with a hard drive, luckily it was new and empty. Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions on this topic?


Thanks

J
 
And this ain't being sneaky, since I've never heard anything about it being illegal or against airline policy to pack a pocketknife in your checked luggage.

Pull one of your pockets inside-out of a pair of packed shorts or pants, and clip the knife to the pocket material, then stuff it back down in the pocket of the pants. That way, it's clipped inside the pocket without showing itself outwardly, while at the same time will not fall out of the pocket if your checked luggage gets spot-checked.

If on the off chance you do get spot checked and it is discovered, tell them you didn't realize it was in the pocket, but at the same time realize that it should not be a problem.

The day that my small Sebenza cannot legally be packed in my checked luggage is the day I stop traveling via airlines.

Professor.
 
Take the sebbie apart, put the blade in your suitcase (wrap it in cardboard or something) and carry the scales with you on the plane.
 
I have heard of people using a lock and cable system either to chian the knife to the luggage, or have the luggage inpsected while you watch then sealed and locked.

Good luck though you whole bag could disappear.
 
I should mention that I check my sebbies with my luggage at least once a year, and I've never yet had a problem.

But there are thieves everywhere, so anything can happen. Your mileage may vary.

Life, it's a risky business.... :D
 
Pack your knife deep inside your clothing. Use a sturdy suitcase with a good lock. If security must search your luggage you will be called down to unlock it and then be present while they do their security screening.
 
I would disassemble the knife carry the handle with me because its just a handle right? and use a cable lock through the pivot hole on the blade to attach it to the frame of the suitcase.
 
The handle disassembly thing sounds like a great idea. At least you would be just out the cost of replacing the blade rather than the entire thing if your luggage got lost.

Another advantage to the ease of taking apart a CRK folding knife. :)

For an extra bit of paranoia, perhaps the blade could be place in a small lead lined envelope so as to eliminate the outline of a blade from being seen by TSA luggage screeners?
 
seventytwo said:
I'm getting ready to head to Utah for some camping and want to bring my Large Sebenza along. I am a bit afraid of having it picked out of my checked baggage by ground crew and ending up being out my almost $400 dollar knife! I have had this happen to me once in the past with a hard drive, luckily it was new and empty. Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions on this topic?


Thanks

J
Click to expand...

Safe Skies & Master Locks are two companies who make TSA approved luggage locks... Combination locks that only TSA inspectors are able to open with
a key should they need to visually inspect your checked luggage. This allows you to lock your luggage again to keep baggage handlers and others out. Also, since you are permitted to transport knives in your checked luggage. and if it DOES disappear in spite of these TSA approved locks, you now know that the fault lies with TSA, and you should file your complaint & request for investigation accordingly. When I fly, I place the knives in a small lockable pouch with one of these TSA locks on it inside my locked bag with a tag that contains my name, addy, & cell #, and a note that reads All knives contained within are legal to posses in the USA and have been thoroughly photographed & documented before packing.". The nametag (on the knife pouch inside the bag... I don't want to 'advertise' to any other travellers or baggage handlers that there are knives within!) is a bright red Kniferights.org tag I got at BLADE last year. So far, no problems. :) On my last trip, I packed a Hinderer XM-18, a Busse Active Duty, a Krein TK1, and a SAK of the thicker variety... All made it there and back home.

EDIT: Sorry, I was mistaken... the red tag was from American Knife & Tool Institute... They were passing them out for free at the convention.
 
Pack them with a firearm!!

Seriously, do it legally and they will take extra special care of them! Just make sure you can take a firearm where you are going legally.

Tom
 
I`ve flown three times with a large Classic in my luggage. I just hid it somewhere in a pant pocket or something down on the bottom of the suitcase-it worked out fine.

On my last trip I`ve pulled out the front pocket of my jeans, put the Sebenza in, and closed the whole pocket with a zip tie. I then put the pocket back in and packed the jeans on the bottom of the suitcase. If they want the knife, they either would have to cut the pocket/zip tie open, or steal the jeans. And I imagine that it would be a little harder to steal a pair of jeans than just a small folding knife. In any case it makes a it a little harder, and I think it may help some....... .
 
Jaxx said:
Safe Skies & Master Locks are two companies who make TSA approved luggage locks... Combination locks that only TSA inspectors are able to open with
a key should they need to visually inspect your checked luggage. This allows you to lock your luggage again to keep baggage handlers and others out. Also, since you are permitted to transport knives in your checked luggage. and if it DOES dissapear in spite of these TSA approved locks, you now know that the fault lies with TSA, and you should file your complaint & request for investigation accordingly. When I fly, I place the knives in a small lockable pouch with one of these TSA locks on it inside my locked bag with a tag that contains my name, addy, & cell #, and a note that reads All knives contained within are legal to posses in the USA and have been thoroughly photographed & documented before packing.". The nametag (on the knife pouch inside the bag... I don't want to 'advertise' to any other travellers or baggage handlers that there are knives within!) is a bright red Kniferights.org tag I got at BLADE last year. So far, no problems. :) On my last trip, I packed a Hinderer XM-18, a Busse Active Duty, a Krein TK1, and a SAK of the thicker variety... All made it there and back home.
Click to expand...

Right, because all TSA screeners will never ever steal anything out of luggage. :rolleyes:

I guess layers of protection helps, it's like preventing your car from being broken into, the more of a PITA you make it, the more likely the car thief will just move onto an easier target.
 
Just get TSA approved locks and you should be fine. Your knife is no more prone to be stolen then anything else they want.
 
Tom Krein said:
Pack them with a firearm!!

Seriously, do it legally and they will take extra special care of them! Just make sure you can take a firearm where you are going legally.

Tom
Click to expand...


He is right, you can lock your firearm from those TSA guys.

I have had good luck in sticking my knife in a rolled up pair of crew socks which I shove into a shoe.
 
Edw00d said:
Right, because all TSA screeners will never ever steal anything out of luggage. :rolleyes:

I guess layers of protection helps, it's like preventing your car from being broken into, the more of a PITA you make it, the more likely the car thief will just move onto an easier target.
Click to expand...

LOL, sure... That's completely still possible! However, before these TSA approved locks came out, anyone could have stolen 'anything'. Then when you go to complain, TSA would blame baggage handlers, etc. & vice-versa. Now only TSA is 'supposed' to have access if these locks are used, so there's no more runaround or passing the buck, so to speak, and these matters of theft are supposed to be handled seriously & by a federal agency... The last time I flew (2 months ago), I literally had to take the bag myself over to the screening area to the right of check-in, and they passed the bag through the x-ray machine in plain view of me before placing it on the conveyor belt. I lingered because if they decided to open it, I was going to ask to be present during the inspection. Nothing is guaranteed, but it's a heckuva lot better than completely unlocked luggage... :)
 
hiding it in a bundle of clothes does not hide it from xray.

and it seems to me that packing it in a lead pouch would invite further inspection when the xray reveals a grey blob on the screen.

you will always be taking a chance of theft when your valuables are in the care of another. so either accept the minimal risk, relatively speaking, or dont fly.

i like jaxx's idea of the locked container with the friendly note about photos and such.
 
coming to utah, say? that's easy. just mail it to me, and I'll keep it safe until you get here. I promise I won't even use it much!
 
You are not hiding it from authorities, just thieving lowlifes. Do not wrap in concealing tinfoil unless you really want your luggage searched. You can get cable nets, like grandma's string bag in steel that go over the baggage to be locked.

In Africa they don't bother with subtly. Recently they nailed an entire cargo of bullion at J'burg International (very inside). Bag just goes walk about. They gutted the lid of my boss' wheely bag, had they checked they would have found that the lock was broked by a previous attempt.
 
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