Have you ever had a knife confiscated?

Back when it was still OK to carry a modest pocket knife on a plane, security at Narita Airport took my knife between connecting flights. Seems that they didn't trust originating airports and checked between flights in the secure area.

Anyway, I explained that it should be OK, and that the knife in question was made in Seki, Japan. They put it in a box and I collected it when I got to my destination. They were very nice.

I accidentally carried a knife (successfully) through security at a Federal Courthouse. Oops.

Years ago in Thailand, the cops/military would stop overnight buses and check them out. Men had to get off. They found about a 10 inch hill tribe knife in my bag and made a big deal of it. The stewardess on the bus was ticked as it caused a delay. Weapons were to be checked with her when boarding the bus, I guess. Anyway, I got it back later and they didn't say anything about my wife's underwear in our shared bag. She pretended like she didn't know me.
 
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Once at Heathrow Airport and once at KeyWest (cruise ship). In both cases the knives were returned, but that was pre 9/11.
 
Closest I’ve ever come to confiscation was walking on to the military base where I work. (Parking off post is easier.) There is a big sign at the entrance with a knife & gun cartoon saying “NO WEAPONS” (Military base. No weapons. Cute.)

One day they were making everyone empty their pockets for the wand. Out came my wallet, my phone, and my Schempp Bowie. Dammit.

Sentry gave me the wand and said, “Have a nice day, sir.” My Bowie and other belongings calmly went back into pocket, and on I went.

I’m not sure if the sentry was clueless, if they were only screening for firearms, or if the rank on my ID got me a pass. Ultimately I was glad I didn’t have to visit the Skipper to retrieve my cutlery. FWIW, I still carry something every day, but my CRK’s don’t join me in the office any more.

jeepin said:
He walked over to the other cops and was talking to them about it then comes back and hands it to me and then says we can leave.
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That was a cool cop.
 
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4mer_FMF said:
Closest I’ve ever come to confiscation was walking on to the military base where I work. (Parking off post is easier.) There is a big sign at the entrance with a knife & gun cartoon saying “NO WEAPONS” (Military base. No weapons. Cute.)

One day they were making everyone empty their pockets for the wand. Out came my wallet, my phone, and my Schempp Bowie. Dammit.

Sentury gave me the wand and said, “Have a nice day, sir.” My Bowie and other belongings calmly went back into pocket, and on I went.

I’m not sure if the sentury was clueless, if they were only screening for firearms, or if the rank on my ID got me a pass. Ultimately I was glad I didn’t have to visit the Skipper to retrieve my cutlery. FWIW, I still carry something every day, but my CRK’s don’t join me in the office any more.



That was a cool cop.
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Yes. I thanked him and we left.
 
RNO airport. Forgot I had my SOG keyknife on my keychain. TSA was actually cool about it..said happens quite often. Nonetheless, they kept it. I was out $7 :)
 
CN Tower has scanners now and no bringing a knife.
So I just don't go there. :D

Went to an Amon Amarth concert in Toronto.
Both me and my brother had knives with us.
All the security said was to not hit anyone with my walking stick...the stick is what they were looking at.

So to answer the original question, no.
Never had one confiscated.
 
Canadian customs was no problem. I told him I had two knives for camping packed in the back. He didn't ask to see them. This was coming into Niagara Falls. It is a Spyderco Native.

Duper said:
There shouldn’t be a problem if it is a slip joint. They might frown on some beefy tactical knife. Our border security agents have taken it upon themselves to police this stuff even though the knives themselves are legal in Canada and I can buy a ZT flipper in a local store. Another example of where it is getting more difficult all the time.

,,,Mike in Canada
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Had a Pacific Cutlery butterfly knife with a Jody Sampson ground blade confiscated as a kid in High School. I was at a beach party and a fight broke out while I was taking a girl to a nearby hotel to use the restroom. Drove back and the police stopped me and proceeded to search me & the car. Turned out while it was legal for me to own the butterfly knife, it wasn't legal to carry it. I was given the option of going to jail, or "donating" it to the Gilroy, Calif. weapons training facility. I asked if I was allowed to keep the knife if I went to jail, the cop said No so I donated it.

So if on an off chance anyone here has ever been to the Gilroy, Calif. weapons training facility I'd appreciate it if you confirm it is actually there.
 
The fourth amendment states that you cannot be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of the law. The security at the gate is not allowed to take anything from you. They are allowed to deny you entrance to their property for whatever reason they want, so you could voluntarily surrender your knife and go in, but confiscating it is actually stealing. Even at the airport or courthouse, where a knife is illegal, they can deny you entrance, but they are not allowed by constitutional law to confiscate it.
That being said, I had a Buck 112 taken from me by a Texas cop and I didn't ask for due process of the law, because I would have gotten it...and then some.
 
Lapedog said:
No the superior he went and talked to before returning the knife who told him “you can’t just take other people’s property” was a cool cop.
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Actually you could be right. I couldn’t hear what they were saying so I’m not sure who decided that.
 
Nope but did just get told that it is a violation of dress code to have a visable knife not clip into your pocket. Damn belt sheath
 
Had a custom 110 confiscated by the local popo's in early '79'. Isfahan, Iran. Not sure why they took it. I don't argue with automatic toting illiterates even if we speak the same language. Which we didn't. I filed a claim with my employer at the time, Bell Helicopter. They paid up.(:--KV
 
Nope. I haven't been on a plane or concert in 20+ years and if I ever cross into Windsor, Canada I make sure no knife (or handgun) is on me.

I just don't go to places where I will be searched and my only contact with Police is a speeding ticket (or other car related ticket) every 8-9 years or so.
 
There were 2 times I was sorta worried about the balisong I had on me.

One time was at the courthouse for jury duty. It was in my backpack, and I honestly thought I'd gotten everything out of my pockets and backpack. I had also forgotten that on a previous occasion they held on to allenhead wrenches I had in my backpack, but kept them in a locker with a matching ticket, and gave them back to me when I left, and they did the same with the knife.

The other time I got pulled over late at night for riding my bike on the sidewalk (which I did because just before I got hit in the ass with a grapefruit from behind). I had my 42MC on me. I knew the laws for AZ, and even told him the exact number in his big, thick book of laws. He returned the knife to me after telling me to be safe.

Arizona is different than a lot of the country - say, California, Chicago, NYC, etc. When it's not uncommon to see people with guns strapped on their hips, nobody cares what kind of knife you might have unless you're waving it around. Venues/bars/events are usually different, but that's understandable. I've had to return to a car a couple times, once I hid a knife in gravel, and once at a Spring Training game I simply walked to a different gate with the knife in the pocket, but not clipped. Nobody has ever tried to confiscate it though.

Back in the 90's I went through a couple airports with a couple pocket knives - small stockman/SAK types. But that was before 9/11. In high school I carried something every day, often clipped, and only got questioned once. Principal talked to me, said not to play around with it or I could get in trouble, but didn't keep it, temporarily confiscate it, or punish me in any way. I used to even use a small ceramic rod (taken from one of those awful X shaped pocket sharpeners) to sharpen knives in class. This was in Colorado, and I graduated in 1998. The Columbine massacre was in 1999, and I'm sure the atmosphere was different in schools after that.
 
Never had a knife confiscated, but the US Air Force wannabe TSA security moron at Ramstein Air Base made me stow my Victorinox Compact in my bag...

...even though I was carrying a pistol.

Hand to God, I put my pistol through the X-ray machine and retrieved it on the other side, but I had to “check” my SAK.
 
Beansandcarrots said:
Just lost another two from the dicks at the CBSA. Got the letter today. They don’t even let you appeal it anymore.
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How to get knives into Canada 100%

Get a knifey friend in the states. When you but a knife have it shipped to him.

Once he gets it tell him to remove the blade from the knife.

Next tell him to ship the knife in one package and the blade secured between two blocks of wood to prevent punctures in a second package.

Works every time.
 
Beansandcarrots said:
Just lost another two from the dicks at the CBSA. Got the letter today. They don’t even let you appeal it anymore.
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Damn, I sent a Benchmade 940 back to Benchmade for repair last week. I hope it makes it home to Canada without CBSA running interference.

,,,Mike in Canada
 
Lapedog said:
How to get knives into Canada 100%

Get a knifey friend in the states. When you but a knife have it shipped to him.

Once he gets it tell him to remove the blade from the knife.

Next tell him to ship the knife in one package and the blade secured between two blocks of wood to prevent punctures in a second package.

Works every time.
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Thanks for the tip, man. I'll remember that. I've straight-up transitioned to fixed blades since the ban. Pfffft.

Duper said:
Damn, I sent a Benchmade 940 back to Benchmade for repair last week. I hope it makes it home to Canada without CBSA running interference.

,,,Mike in Canada
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I hope it does. The volume seems insanely high. Those knives were ordered like 5 months ago. If it does get seized, hopefully the ban gets reversed before they toss 'er in the oven. Hearing is at the end of this month or something like that.
 
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