Is there really a significant theft risk w/ checked luggage?

Fooj

Fooj

Joined
Apr 6, 2004
Messages
1,399
Fooj said:
I've got two strategies for flying w/ a knife:
  • My Sebenza's been all over the world with me. Since the blade is easily removable, I remove it, check the blade, and the handle is carry on. A blade taped up in masking tape is not a theft risk. The Sebenza is reassembled within minutes of retrieving my luggage.
  • When I've checked a less expensive knife, I've placed it in a bag with all of my other metal items. Amongst the jumble of nail clippers, sissors, shaver, circuit boards, or whatever, I'm guessing that the knife is harder to recognize.
Having revealed my concern, I wonder if I'm overly worried. I think Ken's case is a special one. One knife might be a slight theft temptation, but a whole case of them would be a major target. Other than Ken's famous case, has anyone had a knife lifted from their luggage?
Click to expand...

To avoid hijacking the other thread I'll start a new one. I, like many of us, have worried about having a nice knife stolen from checked luggage on commercial flights. I wonder, however, if all of the thought and energy that I've put into countermeasures is really neccessary? So, here's the question, repeated for this thread. With the exception of the famous Ken Onion case, has anyone positively had a knife stolen from their checked luggage? (please no iffy cases like, "Hmmm . . . I've misplaced my knife -- I wonder if I checked it, and it got stolen?")
 
I have flown with knives a bunch. I have never had one stolen. I always roll then into a pair of sox. And, I never checked more then two knives.
 
Knives and handguns always get shipped ahead, never checked with the exception of a throwaway like a Cold Steel Kudu to get me from the Airport to my final destination. I see no reason to place temptation in the path of someone who might have weak morals. Depending on where I am going and who is meeting me at the airport it would not be out of the question for the person picking me up to have a loaner till I can get mine from shipping.
 
Is there a SIGNIFICANT chance? No.

Is there enough chance to make it worthwhile to take precautions of not getting your valuable, possibly sentimental knives stolen? Yes.
 
Heck yes there is, have had at least a dozen knives stolen from my checked luggage in 2008.:thumbdn::grumpy: I've started shipping knives ahead to avoid the missing knives.
 
Thomas, I've always wondered how you got yourself and the knives you need to carry all over the country. Sorry to hear about all the theft.
 
Thomas W said:
Heck yes there is, have had at least a dozen knives stolen from my checked luggage in 2008.:thumbdn::grumpy: I've started shipping knives ahead to avoid the missing knives.
Click to expand...

Thomas, good to hear from you. All the best to you and your family in the coming year!

Sorry to hear about your thefts! How many separate instances did you suffer them, and what were the circumstances -- business trips w/ multiple knives in your luggage, personal trips, other?
 
I travel with knives several times a year and have never had one stolen.

I won't travel with customs. I do travel with relatively expensive production knives. It isn't the cost as much as it is the difficulty of replacing a custom.
 
I fly 15-20 times/yr. Always check something
BM 943
Spyderco S90V Military
Spyderco Native
Spyderco ZDP E4
Spyderco Pacific Salt

Never had a problem yet, i guess the most expensive thing is the military ~$175 so nothing crazy expensive. I would hate to lose any of them though
 
I've flown all over the world, and in the last 4 years, with about 50 flights, things have consistently been stolen only in one country: South Africa. Bags have been cut open when they couldn't break/pick the locks. I think they x-ray the bags because they knew exactly where to cut to get what they were looking for. The first time they got my leatherman, spyderco endura and my surefire. :mad: Other times they've stolen my shaving kit and some gifts that I brought back for my family. I've had a total of 8 incidents of luggage being broken into at South African airports, usually when flying via Johannesburg. Using the postal service instead is no good: even Amazon won't post anything to South Africa anymore as just about every package sent "disappears" if there's something nice in it.
 
A friend of mine, for the Christmas holidays, flew from Albuquerque to Dallas. At the last minute, he remembered his Kershaw folder... just before going through security. He mentioned it to the security people, and the guy took his information and said he'd try to get it in his luggage. My friend was telling me, he thought "Oh no. Oh well, there goes another knife". When he got there, the knife was in his bag!

I've flown several times with my knives in checked luggage, and the luggage has been searched. Fortunately, when I fly, it's for work, and there's always insignia or something in my bags that might turn away an untrusty CBP officer (IF there were such an animal((( :D )))
 
lohengrin said:
I've flown all over the world, and in the last 4 years, with about 50 flights, things have consistently been stolen only in one country: South Africa. Bags have been cut open when they couldn't break/pick the locks. I think they x-ray the bags because they knew exactly where to cut to get what they were looking for. The first time they got my leatherman, spyderco endura and my surefire. :mad: Other times they've stolen my shaving kit and some gifts that I brought back for my family. I've had a total of 8 incidents of luggage being broken into at South African airports, usually when flying via Johannesburg. Using the postal service instead is no good: even Amazon won't post anything to South Africa anymore as just about every package sent "disappears" if there's something nice in it.
Click to expand...

Anne Reeve was just telling me how the SA crime rate is horrendous. Yes, I can believe that the theft risk is many times higher at the Johannesburg airport than most other places in the world.
 
If you use the TSB compatible locks on your luggage they can inspect the bags and relock them, if you use non TSB compatible locks they will break the locks and then the luggage handlers or anyone can access your bags and steal anything.

BTW I never check anything expensive, usually no knives over $100 and if it's custom or upper end I'll ship it ahead.

Another good habit I got into was to always have a pre-paid, addressed, Priority Mail envelope in my carry on bag so if I forgot something on my keys or find something in my pocket, (which only happened once) I won't loose it, I just stick it in the envelope and drop it in a mail box.
 
Ken Onion flew to a knifeshow,

he checked a roll of i think 12 knifes....custom made, i rest my case.
gone. all of them.
some security guy must have liked them, not knowing the value and the damage he did.
 
Fooj said:
Anne Reeve was just telling me how the SA crime rate is horrendous. Yes, I can believe that the theft risk is many times higher at the Johannesburg airport than most other places in the world.
Click to expand...

Crime? Surely crime is outlawed in the shining beacon of justice and good that is today's SA?
 
I have been traveling by airlines approximately 36 weeks a year for the past few years. I typically have at least 4 of my RSK knives in my checked bags. When doing presentations,I usually also have a bag that also contains one each of my Aviator Survival Vest and Overwater Aviator Survival Vest which contain knives, Leatherman tools, plus lots of other goodies.

While I lost a number of knives early on after 9/11, for the past few years I have not experience any losses. Locks are a PITA, but you can get there early, request the TSA to do the inspection while you wait and then lock your bags afterwards. I do this when traveling with expensive computers and test gear in Pelican cases. The TSA locks are just about useless.

My usual strategy is simple. I secure all zippers with a brightly colored small cable tie (also often referred to as "zip tie"). If the tie is gone or replaced with a white tie (TSA) when the luggage arrives at the destination, I immediately inspect the luggage for missing items. So far, no problems. The little ties are easily cut with a large nail clipper or small scissors, both of which are legal carry on items. I carry spare ties for the return trip in my carry-on.

The only exception is if I have to have some special knife with me that could not be easily replaced (a prototype, for example). In those few cases I will FedEx it to the destination. That is more out of concern for lost bags than theft.

I also carry on board a folded flat Priority Mail box with postage, just in case I forget something. Only had to use that one so far. Worked fine.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top