Metal Detectors

J

justin

Joined
Sep 17, 1999
Messages
217
I have a very bad question but I am really curious. I have often been concerned in being without a knife.(in fact I feel downright naked) I am concerned about plane trips or any sort of metal dectors equipped places bars or clubs. I heard somehting about micarta knives? What about the plastic knives I have seen in Cold Steel's catalouge? Is there anything better or more reliable I could slip past a metal detector?

"Speak softly........."
 
There are many knife type devices on the market, ie ceramic, G10, micarta, plastic, etc. Most of these are not really knives as they don't cut well. One exception would be the Mirage X knives by Mad Dog. However, these are relatively brittle and some versions reportedly had a steel insert in the handle. While titanium might get by a magnetometer, it can be picked up by a metal detector. I am not sure about cobalt, stellite, talonite, etc. The problem is that Security will become very upset if they find one. At an airport, the least you could expect would be to be detained until you miss your flight and of course, confiscation. If you tell anyone, even a very close friend, rest assured it will come out one day when you don't want it to. A better alternative might be to get a SAK or one of the smaller leathermans. While you shouldn't have to do this, it will be easier. You can check almost any knife in your baggage.

Danny
 
Mad Dog doesn't sell his covert models to civillians, though, does he ?.
I got my Operator in a trade from a "qualified" buyer.
Makes me wonder....just because you are an LEO or similar, it is ok to flout the law ?
Surely, if a "qualified person" is entitled to take a weapon on an aircraft or into a court, they would be better served by a "hard" weapon ????
Just thinking with my keyboard. Questions are rhetorical.

The Cold Steel plastic knives are pretty poor tools. The CAT is, virtually, useless as a cutter and the delta dart is a fair "once only" last ditch stabber. (yep, I have both)

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BrianWE

I had no shoes and wept...until I met a man who had no feet. Cheapest pair of shoes I ever bought.
 
MIKE TURBER***MIKE TURBER***

Someone has stolen your password!! Someone using your logon said 'Mad Dog...make(s) some great ones (knives).' I suggest that you immediately change your password, and check the rest of the forums for obviously fraudulent posts!!
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Seriously, Justin, this subject has been covered many times in the past. I suggest you do a search. Look at the top right of the thread, click on 'search,' and follow the simple instructions. To answer your question, however, the ceramic knives made by Mad Dog do have a metal insert in the handle unless purchased by a LEO. The metal insert is about the size and mass of the aluminum foil wrapper on a stick of gum. It is therefore VERY unlikely to be detected by a metal detector. Mad Dog also makes the Frequent Flyer, a 100% carbon fiber knife, which is undetectable by a metal detector. I recently got one of these for a family member, and was quite impressed with it.

The detection of a conductor by a metal detector depends on several things. Among them are the mass of the conductor and the ability of the conductor to generate eddy currents. Al,Cu,Co (this would include Talonite (r) and Stellite (r)) and Fe all generate large eddy currents, thus will be easily detected. Ti is poor at generating eddy currents, and Mission claims that their knives will basically not generate them at all, so are safe for use around magnetically and capacitance discharged ordnance.

Listen to dfhoward. He knows wherof he speaks. If you are caught with one of these knives in a secure location, you are in serious trouble.

A leatherman tool is a good idea. I have found that a small Sebenza is the right size to avoid any concerns by security, although YMMV.

Hope this helps, Walt
 
Good post, Walt.
One thing, though.....MD does (or did) make ceramic knives without the metal insert.
The Operator is an example....but not sold to "ordinary" people.

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BrianWE

I had no shoes and wept...until I met a man who had no feet. Cheapest pair of shoes I ever bought.
 
Thanks very much for your help Walt.
My concern is not so much sneaking into a secured are with my blade it is more a matter of not being defenseless on the way there and from when I am picking someone up. Good idea on the Leatherman I have been carrying one for months and it's like american express I don't leave home without it.EVER. I just wish they would believe I carry the leather man and the bigger folder both for utility(yeah right) I looked at the frequent flyers. OOOOOOH Sexy. I think I know how to get those. As it happens I had been looking for a knife called the Taiho and didn't know where to look or even what brand so this solved two of my problems in addition to putting me in contact with a beatiful collection of knives
thanks very much. I will own a fully serrated Taiho very soon. Thanks again.

"speak softly.........."
 
I carried my Gerber multi tool on four flights. At each check point I took the multi tool out and threw it in with the change tray. Nobody asked or looked at it. After the multi tool and change was returned I promply put it back into the pouch.

Will
 
In my part of the world, courthouses are absolutely paranoid about knives of any size, and there's now a new CA law against commercially manufactured non-metalic pointy things that are intended as weapons.

Any time I've flown on an airplane (US domestic flights), I've taken a sub 3" one-hand folder, and security hasn't blinked at it. No need for a non-metalic pointy thing there.

As for bars and clubs, if it's a place where alcohol is served where the management thinks they need a metal detector, and you get into a fight there and stab or slash somebody, presumably you know it was self defense, but authority figures will be asking why you were there in the first place with a sharp object you sneaked past security.


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- JKM
www.chaicutlery.com
AKTI Member # SA00001
 
Hi there,

I agree, that carrying covert-knives can be quite troublesome if You get cought. The "Leatherman with the change"-approach is usually the best. Especially now that some airports have scanners not only affected by electromagnetic profiles (i.e. the much discussed-about new genital-showing scanners). If You however want the best in covert - my recommendation is Warren Thomas knives. WT uses Carcon laminated to titanium with a cutting-edge of tungsten carbide. They're not really users, but QUITE deadly as self-defense-tools.

Best wishes, Staba-san

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Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent. - Wittgenstein


 
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