? for Knife Knuts headed to Blade.

Ken C.

Ken C.

Jack of all trades, master of none.
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I will be flying to Atlanta in June for the Blade Show and I wanted to know how you all plan to get your knives to the show (I will only be bringing my EDC's,(a small Seb and a Mnandi). With the new TSA regulations stating that 100% of all bags must be inspected I am worried that my knives will be confiscated(stolen). I could send them Fedex to the hotel I'm staying at but that will add more of a cost to a trip that I'm scraping the barrel to go to.

Last year was no trouble at all. I locked them in a Pelican 1200 case and it was stored in my checked baggage which was also locked.

Any ideas and help would be appreciated.
 
Ken, mailing them to the hotel doesn't have to be that expensive, I traveled all around the world in my last job, and many times I mailed stuff(knives, tools, parts) to the hotel, Priority Mail is not that expensive, it's less than the cost of a dinner, it's trackable and insurable. Just contact the daytime hotel manager,(make sure you get his name) let them know a package is arriving for you and pick it up when you arrive, make sure on your return trip to leave enough time to send it back, most hotels will accomadate you in sending it home,either by helping to package it, and some will even have it shipped for you.

I've sent knives back from Europe, Asia, and all over the US, it sucks being with out them but at least you can have them when your there.
 
I'm going, but I'm not traveling with any knives. Hopefully I'll be able to pick up something at the show ;) ...and then send it home from there.

Ken when you getting into Hotlanta?
 
I was actually going to ask this question in the next couple weeks. I am wondering how other makers are getting the knives there, I plan to have a few ;), and dont want any walking away from my suitcase. Last year, they were in a lock camera case, inside a locked rolling duffel. -- Charles
 
Phil,

I will be arriving on the 13th at about 11:30 am. I then have to go pick up my rental car and then to a hotel which I haven't got yet. I probably will only be window shopping though unless I can pull in few more sheath orders before then. Money is tight but I already booked my flight so I have to go.
 
Check with the airline, see if they can be sent in checked baggage (they should). Maybe try to get a signed inventory of what's in your bags so you have legal recourse if anthing is stolen. I for one will be doing this, because if they are going to deny me the ability to secure the items in my bags, they're damn well going to be responsible for them, in writing. If any airlines don't want to do that for me, I'll use another carrier that will. Vote with your pocketbooks.
 
I'm driving to Blade, it's longer, but we can sightsee going there and back, and I don't have to be treated like a criminal by the gov't.
I don't know the answer to the terrorist problem, but I do know that turning the USA into East Germany isn't it.
 
The idea I've heard of but haven't tried yet is to carry a small handgun in your checked baggage. When you declare it the TSA will seal the suitcase after inspecting it. Just make sure of local laws where you're going. I.e. you don't want to carry a gun into Washington D.C.
 
If you want, you can mail me the knives (First Class insured) and pick the unopened box up from me on the 13th. I'll mail them back to you on Monday.

There are a few makers who do this every year and I just hold the boxes and deliver them (or they pick them up from Sava's table) on Thursday afternoon or Friday morning. If I can help anyone out, email me. (that goes for mailing stuff back to you too Phill :D)
 
Call the airline ticket counter at the airport you'll be departing from and inquire about their procedures for having baggage inspected in your presence. Every airline at every airport has a procedure. However, because of the practical arrangements involved, it varies from airport to airport. Here in Portland, the facilities for inspecting bags are physically across the hall from the ticket counters. So, you check in for your flight, the airline gives you a baggage check, and you then hand-carry your bag across the hall to the inspection center and they'll inspect it right there while you watch and mark it as inspected. When they're done, you can lock it as you'd like. Then they'll take it and send it off to your flight. In Portland, it's very minor and adds less than ten minutes to your check-in procedure. In other airports, the facilities may be farther away and the practical arrangements for getting you and your bag to them may be more involved so you'll need to arrive substantially earlier.

My big fear is going to be in Atlanta when thousands of folks each carrying on avarage prehaps a thousand dollars worth of high-end knives in our bags, all depart within hours of eachother.
 
I will be driving to Blade, probably from Ottawa, Canada. One of the reasons we bought a nice highway cruising car (Ford Crown Vic) in the spring of 2001 was we were tired of poor service from the airlines. Then 9/11 happened and the airlines have an excuse for even worse service. No thanks, I'll drive if I have the choice. No one will inspect my luggage except Canada customs and they will do it respectfully and with me watching. See you at Blade!
 
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