- Joined
- May 1, 2002
- Messages
- 260
I live the Washington DC area and work as a contractor for the federal government. My every day carry is pretty minimalist a CRK Mnandi with a 2.75 blade (nearly always perceived by non-knife folks as a benign pocket knife) and a Spyderco Necklace knife attached to my key ring. The Necklace knife is truly tiny with less than 1.5 blade.
My job takes me to various federal buildings and many are now using metal detectors for screening. When going to one of these buildings, I leave my Mnandi in my car or the building where I work. I have never had any security folks balk at the necklace knife on my key ring when entering federal buildings.
I recently had a need to visit my county courthouse in VA. I left the Mnandi in my car. However, a sharp-eyed security guard focused immediately on the Spyderco Necklace knife as I put my key ring in a plastic bin before going through the metal detector (also on my key ring are 5 keys, a yellow photon II and an ARC AAA). The security guard was very pleasant but insisted that no knifes, regardless of how small, were allowed in the courthouse building. However, the guard stated that I could leave it at the entrance and pick it up when departing the building. I said fine, removed the Necklace knife from my key ring, got a tag from the security guard that matched a similar tag which was then attached to the necklace knife with a rubber band. I subsequently retrieved my necklace knife when I finished my business and left the courthouse less than 20 minutes later. Had the guard not been pleasant and not offered me a coat tag to temporarily keep my Necklace knife at the entrance, I would probably have taken the tiny knife back to my car (about a 10 minute round trip delay parking here in the Washing DC area is a pretty ugly situation).
So, my story with the metal detector equipped courthouse ends well just a bit surprised by my tiny necklace knife being confiscated at the entrance. Ive always kept both the Mnandi and Necklace knife at home when traveling by commercial air (took similar type but inexpensive knives in my checked baggage). I guess my surprise was having the guards at the courthouse balk at the Necklace knife when, excluding the airlines, Ive taken this tiny knife past many metal detectors in many different buildings.
What are your experiences with metal detector checks and knives?
My job takes me to various federal buildings and many are now using metal detectors for screening. When going to one of these buildings, I leave my Mnandi in my car or the building where I work. I have never had any security folks balk at the necklace knife on my key ring when entering federal buildings.
I recently had a need to visit my county courthouse in VA. I left the Mnandi in my car. However, a sharp-eyed security guard focused immediately on the Spyderco Necklace knife as I put my key ring in a plastic bin before going through the metal detector (also on my key ring are 5 keys, a yellow photon II and an ARC AAA). The security guard was very pleasant but insisted that no knifes, regardless of how small, were allowed in the courthouse building. However, the guard stated that I could leave it at the entrance and pick it up when departing the building. I said fine, removed the Necklace knife from my key ring, got a tag from the security guard that matched a similar tag which was then attached to the necklace knife with a rubber band. I subsequently retrieved my necklace knife when I finished my business and left the courthouse less than 20 minutes later. Had the guard not been pleasant and not offered me a coat tag to temporarily keep my Necklace knife at the entrance, I would probably have taken the tiny knife back to my car (about a 10 minute round trip delay parking here in the Washing DC area is a pretty ugly situation).
So, my story with the metal detector equipped courthouse ends well just a bit surprised by my tiny necklace knife being confiscated at the entrance. Ive always kept both the Mnandi and Necklace knife at home when traveling by commercial air (took similar type but inexpensive knives in my checked baggage). I guess my surprise was having the guards at the courthouse balk at the Necklace knife when, excluding the airlines, Ive taken this tiny knife past many metal detectors in many different buildings.
What are your experiences with metal detector checks and knives?