Boarding a plane with a khukuri

D

David Poston

Joined
Jan 6, 2002
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22
I'm thinking about getting a khukuri and taking it with me on a trip to the Philippines. Anyone care to give me an overview of the airport regulations and so forth?

Thanks,
David
 
Put it in your checked luggage. From personal experience, (my family used to be farmers there) keep an eye on your stuff whenever possible. Some people wait at the airports to steal, and so do some of the more dishonest types that work at the airport. Watch out especially in Manila, if that's where you're going.
 
I'm going to assume, of course, that you can't take a khukuri in your carry-on luggage, esp. these days with 911 madness. I wouldn't even try to take a toothpick on board. However, do you need to declare it or something when putting it in your checked baggage? What happens if they search it and find it?

Don, how are the airport regulations within the Philippines? Do they have the 911 bug too? If I'm boarding a domestic flight, will they prohibit knives and such?

Thanks,
David
 
Regulations are very similar to those in US airports, such as declaring, checked baggage only, etc. As far as searching goes, I really don't know.
 
I thought I would mention I flew to Japan two times for work and had to go to Singapore for a project from there. I carried a Morseth chute knife, benchmade ATK, a small drop point hunter, and a "Brute" survival knife made now by camillus. These knives were in my luggage and I never declared them.

Flying back from Japan, I bought a wood Katana in Kyoto from a OLD sword making shop. I wrapped it in newspapers and "hand" carried it right through!!!!!!I sure would pity the hijacker if he got close to that beautiful piece of wood.
I could have bought some ancient Samurai swords but those would have required a special form [ 2-3 months time] from the Japanese government, only becase of the history.;)

I think you are ok just don't carry it around!haha
Good luck! SAM


Sword drills.....Repeat draws, cuts, and blocks. Repeat steps turn and block. Repeat steps, turns, blocks till sword frees from thought.........
 
Flying back from Japan, I bought a wood Katana in Kyoto from a OLD sword making shop. I wrapped it in newspapers and "hand" carried it right through!!!!!!I sure would pity the hijacker if he got close to that beautiful piece of wood.
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I'm glad they didn't hassle you but, the airlines are going to have to be smart about weapons. A bokken (especially the pressure treated, resing injected, hard as steel beast I have) can be a VERY deadly weapon in trained hands (not mine). Imagine trying to disarm a "japanese sword" sensei that had been training for 40+years?!? Not that such a person would ever hijack a plane, but you get my point. Someone with a combat cane could kill one or two people or more before they were stopped if they knew what they were doing. Not to mention that agents were able to smuggle guns onto planes 30% of the time and explosives and knives(70%) an even higher % IIRC.

ALl the more reason to train and arm pilots IMHO. Read Massad Ayoob's article in last months America Rifleman about airline hijack histories and how armed pilots stopped hijackers. I mean they are bolted in there anyway, so noone can get to them and take their guns away. In the terminal? That's what the cops and nat'l guard are there for. Massad's article also states what any jet pilot or engineer knows --a bullet hole in the side of a jet does NOT cause everyone to be sucked out of the plane, and usually doesn't cause serious damage to electrical systems etc, which are designed with a high amount of redundancy as normal backup procedure. The risks of having armed men take over your plane and shoot passegers, fly your plane into a building, or crash it into the ground, far outweigh the risks of having trained and armed pilots on board. You trust them with your life when you fly already. Ok, speech over, dismounting soapbox.

Thank you.
 
I hope you didn't think I was promoting carry on weapons? I just wanted to let everyone know, it is a small issue traveling with a KNIFE or khukuhri as long as it is in the "travel" luggage. Hell flew out west elk hunting for years, with my rifle and handguns in the travel compartment. Airlines and pilots are ok, it's the dummies they have for security.:eek:
 
I hope you didn't think I was promoting carry on weapons? I just wanted to let everyone know, it is a small issue traveling with a KNIFE or khukuhri as long as it is in the "travel" luggage. Hell flew out west elk hunting for years, with my rifle and handguns in the travel compartment. Airlines and pilots are ok, it's the dummies they have for security.
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No not at all! My rant was nothing to do with your post really, just people who scream everytime the issue of arming pilots comes up--if they were honest they'd tell you that the idea of arming ANYONE freaks them out!

I totally agree with allowing weapons into checked luggage. I used to fly often with my Colt Delta Elite 10MM in my suitcase. Funny story that happened to me years ago (which is why its a funny story and not what I'm telling my cell mate like I would be if it happened today). I was flying from Kansas city to Maine and had put my 10mm in the suitcase, but forgot to declare it. As I was putting my carry on onto the scanner belt, I realized what I had done. Not thinking before I opened my mouth, I turned to the lady running the scanner and said "OH GOD! I forgot I have a gun in my suitcase" well her eyes got REALLY big and she started to reach for the microphone when I told her I meant my CHECKED IN baggage! She calmed down, leaned over and said "Sir you about made me wet my pants!!":D They guy who had to go onto the plane and take my luggage off the luggage tram and bring it all the way back up to me wasn't amused--not that I blame him.
 
David:

I now carry an 18" Sirupati in my checked bags when I travel (which is every week). No problems within the US, but I haven't tried it internationally, yet.

S.
 
Do you have to declare it? I mean, it seems like a big hassle, and I wouldn't know how to do it anyway. Do regulations for checked bagage refer to guns, or knives as well?
 
David:

I don't know about having to declare the khuk in my checked baggage - it's been awhile since I've read the regs. I figure that if it came down to it, I'd do my best stupid routine while they confiscated the blade. Post-9/11, this might not be the wisest approach, though.

You are supposed to declare any firearms you are checking. I doubt that's changed since the last time I looked (a couple of years back). I do know some folks who used to travel with undeclared firearms (again, pre-9/11, don't know if they still do). For one of them, that meant he had no recourse when his pistol was stolen from his baggage.

I would be very careful about taking weapons overseas (Some folks will disagree, I'm sure.) Do some homework on the country you're traveling to. I think we've all heard the horror stories of folks getting thrown into Mexican prisons for possessing ammunition (not even a firearm). It might be worth picking up a blade in country, rather than trying to bring one in.

I might be spending quite a bit of time in Saskatoon (sp?) later this year (if my corporate masters have their way). In that case, I'll be sure to find out what the Canadian officials have to say about bringing in knives. Given my previous experience with Canuck immigration-types, I'm not too hopeful, though.

S.
 
You only have to declare firearms and ammo, not knives in your checked luggage, last I heard.

MauiRob, you are right on about the redundancy. I used to work for a company that made aircraft simulators (writing the software for various on-board systems - it was a kick), and the electrical and hydraulic systems are doubly redundant, and many of the computer systems also.

If only cars were so well made....
 
Call the nearest Philippine embassy or consulate and ask.

Be aware that some checked baggage is now being X-rayed at U.S. airports (maybe all checked baggage?). And, if the X-ray is not done in the presence of the passenger, the check-in agent might want you to send your checked-in baggage unlocked all the way "in case they see something suspicious and want to open it for a hand inspection when they X-ray it".
 
Irregular:

So far, I've been travelling with my checked bag locked. But, who knows? The one constant for travel since 9/11 is that there are no consistent rules. A couple of weeks back, my travel pillow was declared to be a carry-on. I was given the choice of checking it, or my laptop. I checked the pillow. That was a first, and hasn't happened since. This morning, the security guy at the gate hassled me about bringing coffee onto the plane. Again, another first.

S.
 
If my wear my reliefband (a watch-like electronic device to wear on your left wrist to prevent motion sickness through acupuntural-type stimulation), they might think I'm a suicide bomber.

Maybe I should just stash a Swiss army knife in my baggage for back-up/survival situation. It would be nice to bring a khukuri, though. What would happen if they found it and wouldn't let it on the plane? Would they take it and keep it, or would they mail it to my home address?

:confused: :confused:
 
Once taken I've never got anything back -- via mail, trying to find it and pick it up, nothing worked. Gone forever.
 
The security crap drives me nuts, it's just so silly... They used to put semi-contraband items (say, a small serrated knife) in a little box that was controlled by the flight crew, and gave it back when you arrived. Obviously that's out now. Another way I've heard of is to carry a self-addressed stamped envelope with enough postage to get a small knife or whatever you might get hassled over back to your home. Just seal it up and put it in the mail and go through security clean. Probably out now too, I don't know if they will let you back out of security if they find something. I'm pretty sure that a SAK would be forbidden.

Exery trip I sanitize my carry-ons and everything with an edge goes into baggage. I can hardly feel my wallet in my pocket after taking out the Spydercard knife, and my pockets don't jangle with the other Spyderco loose and the leatherman on my keychain. I was pondering taking apart a leatherman-clone to remove the blade(s), but I still think it would cause too many alarms.

I did carry my 16.5" Chiruwa AK to Oregon with me for my recent vacation, wrapped up in a coat in my checked bag. I do lock the bag too, no problems...

The civil-satirical (as opposed to civil-disobedient) side of me wants to put up a little bin in the outer terminal with a sign "Drop a nail clipper, take a nail clipper". Anybody arriving could take a nail clipper if they were relieved of their dangerous weapon for their trip, and people leaving can drop them off instead of getting confiscated.

Scot, down to a large writing instrument and a broken CD for defence these days...
 
Originally posted by David Poston
If my wear my reliefband (a watch-like electronic device to wear on your left wrist to prevent motion sickness through acupuntural-type stimulation), they might think I'm a suicide bomber.
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Ironic thing about those devices is they sell them via that "SkyMall" catalog you find in the seatback pockets on the airplane.

My 21" GS has flown cross country and back twice in locked, checked baggage. Never heard a word about it. That was on American Airlines both times.
 
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