More about Airports & Knives

G

greggmw

Joined
Mar 2, 2000
Messages
62
I'm back from Costa Rica with airport knife data based on what happened.

I took a plain edged, non coated, Benchmade 705 (small axis) with 2.95 inch blade in my pocket through the Atlanta, GA and Liberia, Costa Rica airports.

Going into the Atlanta airport, there were no buckets for change, etc... available at the south terminal, so I just kept it in my pocket. I made it through the detector with no problem.

Coming back to the US, I placed the knife and a camera in the change bucket in the Liberia airport (very small airport). A security guard picked up the knife, opened it and placed the blade across her open hand. She had small hands, so the blade was longer than the width of her hand. She looked to her co-worker and asked 'no pass?' and he just shrugged and said 'pass'. It turns out, you can buy a steel bladed letter opener in the secure area which has a blade longer than the BM 705!

Back in Atlanta, after going through Customs, you have to take your luggage to the correct conveyor to send it to the north or south terminal. Once again you have to go through a check-point. There were change baskets here, but I was in a hurry and went through the detector with the knife still in my pocket. This time the buzzer went off. The guard asked what was in my pocket. I told him it was probably my pocket knife, put it in the bucket, walked back through and he said 'OK'.

That was it. Any more new experiences out there?

wayne
 
I have actually gotten away with a half serrated full size AFCK on more than one occasion on flights inside US. Put it in the basket and no one even looked. just handed me the basket on the other side.

YMMV. I know others haven't been as lucky.


Mike
 
Spyderco Centofante Jr., 2 7/8" plainedge, has recently been through San Francisco, Oakland, Dulles and Baltimore-Washington (BWI), with no problems. It always goes through the x-ray machine in a vertical position, to ensure minimum x-ray shadow. CF Dragonfly in the change basket never gets a second glance.

By the way, everything -- even the change basket -- goes through the x-ray at BWI.

------------------
Dave

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of More Knives
 
My SOP on this one is this: take the knife of my choice (in-flight travel is something smaller ie. Spydie Delica...serrated) and while in line to go through the check point, insert in my wallet. Lay the wallet in the change holer (carefully) and then pick up the change holder. TYPICALLY the rent-a-cop is too concerned about my pager (which I am purposely taking off to show him that it works) to worry about the knife that is (oops, did it slip in my wallet?) in the change holder.
Only ONCE have I had a security guard ask me about my knife. SHE took it away and escorted me to the Airlines Captain (yeah--the guy flying the plane) and told him that I could get this back when we landed. (I felt like I was in 3rd grade again.) After the paranoid rent-a-cop left, he looked down the gang-way, looked at me, asked me if I wanted it back, and gave it to me. Pretty funny I thought.

Just my $0.02.

DPS

------------------
David P. Sproles
Eagle Scout Class of 1988
dps2970@hotmail.com
 
And I'll keep saying: Anything you carry on, you put in the basket. Don't "drop" it anywhere, hide it etc. Otherwise if you do travel fairly frequently you "have it coming"
smile.gif
.

Kris
 
I generally drop anything that might be questionable into my luggage, and carry nothing larger than a Delica through security. I drop all 3 of my carries in the tray, the Delica, my moneyclip knife, and my keychain knife. I have had the Delica not pass, but on that occassion, I was picking someone up in the terminal, so I got it back on leaving.

------------------
No man with a good car needs to be justified.
 
Be AWARE! Security personel are all minimal wage. Most could not hold down a job at a fast food chain. ANY SERRATED BLADE will be confiscated at the Nashville Airport. Regardless of the size. It just adds another hassle to travel.
Remember that one of the first rules of a Tyrany is to control travel and personal freedom. Remember you have to show Government ID to board a plane even for domestic flights.Also do not try to pay for an airline ticket at the airport with cash.
This labels you as a drug runner.

Just some cheery thoughts for the day.

Cheers,

ts

------------------
Guns are for show. Knifes are for Pros.
 
Just got back from a trip to California. On the way out of Columbus OH airport, I put my BM 705 (< 3", non serrated) with cash in the clip in the tray with my handheld computer. The security person asked me to turn on the computer, didn't even ask about the "Money clip".

On the way back, left from Burbank Airport. This time I carried the same on my person, same thing in the tray - exact same response.

The interesting part was my fully serrated Endura was in my carry-on bag (checked it going the other way). No questions from the x-ray crew.

With all the stuff I've read about airports and knives here, it looks like chance and whim rule.

------------------
"When I get a little money I buy [knives]; and if any is left I buy food and clothes." Erasmus (slightly edited)
 
Want to hear something funny?

On a recent trip back from New York (La Guardia airport), I didn't have time to check my bag (but it was small enough to carry on) Well, inside I had a plain edge Emerson Commander, La griffe, Spyderco SERRATED matriarch, Cold Steel SERRATED Ready edge, and 2 SERRATED Henckels steakknives that I got as gifts. The guard watching the monitor just passed me right on through. The other guard said nothing about the Spyderco Wegner jr. (plainedge) and didn't even make me turn on my Surefire 6P. I should also mention that I had all the knifes together in a small padded nylon range bag!

Anyone ever have a similar experience? Do you think I would have had trouble at Kennedy?

I guess I was really lucky that day.
smile.gif

 
Here's my $.02 I'm a pilot, fly for a living and go through many airports every month. I also take a knife with me everywhere I go. I only carry folders, blade length 3 1/2" or less, not too menacing looking, when I'm out flying. Lay it on the coin tray in open view, tell them you have a legal size pocket knife with you. The only comments I've ever received are, "hey, that's a nice knife". Wait 'till they get a load of my new Busfield in a couple months! I also carry a preaddressed priority mail envelope in my flight bag, just in case I need to mail it back to myself, but that's never happened. Leaving now, gotta fly.
 
guys - if you wanna talk - this is a GR8 place. but if your'e looking for info - there are TONS of it in the different archives. just search them.

here is a short list of what's available:
http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum32/HTML/002417.html
http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000301.html
http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum54/HTML/000929.html

some important reading:
http://www.millivision.com/gscanner.html
http://www.ncjrs.org/school/ch3a_2.html
http://www.detection.com/Security/

hope you got enough to read now....
 
OWL you got lucky (or the guard was asleep which comes out to the same thing) My work sometimes takes me to airports and I've had problems with a Spyderco Wayne Goddard 50-50 serrations and a small Klotzli walker design. And I'm supposed to be there!

------------------
~ JerryO ~

Cogito Cogito Ergo Cogito Sum


 
I can see it now ... Farmer whips out his 3 1/2" folder, holds it to his own throat and yells, "DON'T NOBODY MOVE OR THE PILOT GETS IT!" Shades of Blazing Saddles....

-Cougar :{)
 
I have traveled to about 10 major cities in the last year, and only had one bad experience. O'Hare airport did not like my Spyderco Endura. They made me check it with my luggage. Other than that, I have not had any trouble. Bottom line, I now get paranoid, so I regretfully put any knife in my checked luggage. I wish to avoid as much attention as possible. Besides, it gives me something to look forward to when I get off the plane and see the mile long line for the rental cars at 1:00 am in the morning.
 
It's been awhile, but I had no problems with my BM Emerson CQC-7 in Portland, Atlanta, or Houston.

Anyone carry a Military through yet?

 
It seems the real factor is the person monitoring the pass through point. Their opinions of what's okay are varied to say the least.

I have found that whenever, wherever I fly with my David Boye Dendredic Cobalt folder in my pocket, the machine never alarms. So that is my "flying knife" of choice.

It is still sound advice to carry a "mail it home envelope" on your person or carry on just in case.

------------------
John F Jensen
"Your Quality Distributor"
619-475-3633
 
You're right. The biggest factor IS the security/safety person that views your knife. For example, my friend who works as a security official for the NYC Port Authority basically says "no" to any sort of knife regardless of how big the blade or how it looks. It could be a tiny 1" thing and if he just happens to be walking around and a security guard asks his opinion, he'll say no.

Non-threatening and short length blade work best, but it's sometimes a roll of the dice.
 
I was in the airport, and I was carrying a Benchmade Stryker, plain edge, satin finish. I placed it in the change bucket and walked through. The security guard picked it up, fumbled with it a little bit, then pulled the thumb stud and opened the blade 1/3rd of the way through. Then he closed it back up and returned it to me. And this was the full size one, not the miniature version.



------------------
Chang and the Rebels of the East!
Southern Taiwan Will Rise Again!
cst.jpg
 
was in Tuscon airport and forgot to check my Cuda serrated blade in my luggage.Put it on the tray and the security guy says "Blade too long and serrations".Told him I wanted to talk to his superior and this guy came over [the boss] and asks whats the prob.Told him I was just Javalina hunting and forgot to check my knife.Looks at the knife,chews the Security guy out ,says "nice knife",hands it back to me and tells me to get on the plane.Go figure

------------------

have a"knife"day
 
fmann,

You should choose your friends more wisely.

David Rock

------------------
AKTI Member # A000846
Stop when you get to bone.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top