More about Airports & Knives

Airport security! I dread going through them! The inconsistancy of being stopped is ridiculous. I carry at most a Calypso Jr (plainedge) and put the others in my carry-on lumbar pack or backpack. Going to Hawaii, I had no problem with my 50/50 Endura in my bag. Coming back, I had my Military in the bag too. Must have been all the hiking gear to confuse them.

When I went to L.A. a couple of months ago, I put my Military in the checked suitcase (I checked it even though it was a carry-on size). Coming home from LAX, I had planned to carry my suitcase on, but got stopped for the Military in the suitcase! The security guard asked me to open the bag, which I did and then asked for the knife. I held out a SAK that was given to me as a gift on the trip, but the X-ray spotter had seen the Military. When I gave to the guard, I almost laughed aloud when she said, "Daaaaaaaaamn!" as she opened the blade. I told her that I had buried it in the suitcase so that it wasn't easily accessible, to no avail. As it turned out, I checked the bag (with the knife safely back inside), but would have preferred to have the knife near me. I guess I should be glad that they didn't confiscate it.

I suppose that I should always check the Military but don't want to lose it to the luggage handlers. I like my 2nd gen Military so much, I may buy 3rd gen just for travelling. ...or carry hiking gear where ever I go.
 
Me and my AFCK (usually combo edge) have flown all over this great country. I openly place the AFCK, my Leatherman PST, my keys, whatever other metal I have on me, in the change tray, hand it to the guard, and walk through.

Only twice have i been politely asked to go back and check my knife (hints: 1) The ticket counter agents have small boxes to put such things in when they have to be checked. 2) if you have to go back to the ticket counter and your schedule is tight, walk right up the head of the line. Just explain to the agent what happened and they'll let you cut in.)

My secret? I call it innocence by association.

If you dress like a gentleman, act like a gentleman, speak like a gentleman, and carry a gentleman's briefcase, then any knife you may be carrying becomes a gentleman's pocket knife by association.

Airport security screeners see hundereds of people per hour. They have just a few seconds to decide what they think of you. They judge the book by its cover because that all that they have time to read. So, put on a nice cover. I rarely fly without a tie on, for example, and wear a sport coat if weather permits. (hint: you can take the tie off and open your collar once you're on the plane).

About a year ago, I was flying on an e-ticket with no checked baggage, so I went right to the gate and checked in with the gate agent. The flight was clearly very full. Shortly thereafter, the agent called out a short list of names including mine and said, "Please come to the podium."

I thought, "Oh no, there's some sort of problem."

The agent explained that the coach cabin was oversold and he needed to move a few people up to first class. Did any of us mind?

Why did he choose me? I'm not a frequent flier with that airline. I think he choose me because I looked and spoke and acted like "first class material". He trusted me not offend the other first class passengers like the guy sitting in the boarding area with the "They can take my guns when they pry 'em out of my dead hands" tee shirt and the baggy cargo camouflage pants carrying the big matching duffel bag. You know that agent knew that the coach cabin was oversold and that he needed to move a few people the moment he arrived at that gate. As he checked people in, he was deliberately looking for the people he wanted to move up. From our brief interaction, he decided that I was one of them.

People make decisions about you based on how you look and how you act. People make decisions about your knife based on how you look and how you act.

Innocence by association works for me.




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Chuck
Balisongs -- because it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing!
http://www.balisongcollector.com

[This message has been edited by Gollnick (edited 07-11-2000).]
 
I (large middle-aged nerdy guy) flew back from the Blade Show in Atlanta with a bunch of folders in my carry-on, and no desire to put anything that valuable in the hands of the baggage system.

I stuffed all metal I could remove from my person, without making my pants fall down, into the pocket of the carry-on. The guy with the wand still spent five minutes trying to find what was beeping, after accounting for my belt buckle and suspender fasteners. It must be the iron in my blood.

Then the lady at the x-ray machine said "Sir, is this your bag?" She asked why I didn't check it, and I told her, and she spent the next ten minutes going through more than a dozen knives to determine that they were all folders with blades under four inches. She didn't open them up to check for serrations. A hassle, but it's good to know that at least some airport security people do go by the rules and dont' make up their own.


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- JKM
www.chaicutlery.com
AKTI Member # SA00001
 
Keep in mind that I don't have very much experience with airports and knives YET, but I do have considerable experience with the security at the local county courthouse and Federal building. Keep in mind that neither is paid minimum wage (especially at the Federal building), in fact both were paid quite well and knew their jobs VERY well!! My experience (and yours may differ) is that you are better off to tell the security personnell up front that you have a knife. Put it in the tray and don't say anything. If they ask about it, be honest! Nothing looks more suspicious than someone who walks through the magnetometer and "oops, forgot" they had 3 or 4, four-inch folders on them. It's nice to know if you can sneak something through the magnetometer without setting it off, but if you do set it off, the security personnell (If they are good at their jobs) will raise their interest (and suspicion) if you try to sneak it in.

Farmer I really like the idea of the envelope just in case you have to mail it home! Thanks for the suggestion
 
The William Henry Spearpoint Carbon has never caused the metal detectors to go off. This is perhaps one of the best airport knives as it is practically all titanium and carbon fiber. The SS blade is thin and small.

Also, the Brian Tighe Mini Pinnacle has gone through several metal detectors without incident. Once I put it in the tray and the agent opened the blade, closed it, and put the knife back in the tray.

On the other hand. Don't go to England with any knife that locks open!!

I was nearly arrested for my mini AFCK that I had put in the tray on my way into the tunnel to Paris. They took my knife and gave me one hell of a scare.

And I don't scare easily!

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Cameron Reddy
Author of "A More Perfect Union," as yet, an unpublished novel, portions of which can be read at cameronreddy.com
 
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