Pocketknife for Travel

J

jag-engr

Joined
Dec 21, 2006
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341
With airlines making it very difficult to carry knives and the governments of many countries initiating unclear policies on knife legality, what knife do you carry when you travel, and how do you get it there?

The main qualities that I would look for are:

1. Relatively small size - definitely less that 3.0", preferably less that 2.5".

2. Slipjoint - relative for countries such as the UK.

3. Cheap - this knife may get lost, stolen, or confiscated.

The Spyderco Byrds fit the bill, except for the lock. In most places they would be OK. I guess there are alway Douk Douk knives and SAKs. Any other ideas?

Also, how do you get the knife there?

I know that it can be put in checked luggage, but what if you aren't checking any luggage? My wife likes to carry everything as carry-on. Has anyone out there had any experience in mailing a package to the hote where they will be staying?

Another thought was to just buy an inexpensive knife (Douk Douk or Opinel) and just leave it there when you leave.

Any thoughts from forum members with more travel experience?
 
My suggestion would be to check out all the smaller Swiss Army Knives.
There has to be one (or more) in the line-up that would fit your needs...

I just recently came back from a 2 week vacation in Italy with my wife.
Stashed a small Classic in the suitcase and popped it on my keychain once I got there. Yes, it had to be checked into the baggage, but since the bags were large anyway, they weren't going to be carry-ons.
The knife prices in Italy were absolutely ridiculous! VERY expensive even for basic little knives and even for poorly made knock-offs.
I still recommend an SAK or two and stash 'em in your check-on luggage.

Regards,
Mike
 
Although it's 3.25" closed, I would recommend a Victorinox small Tinker. The main blade is slightly less than 2.5" I've got one on me most of the time.

Another 3.25" model that might be even more useful to you is the Tourist. It's the same as the small Tinker but the phillips head screwdriver is replaced with a corkscrew.
 
red SAK's ans opinels are the way to go. but a small Byrd will do fine to. just check the local law for 'locking' and 'one-hand-opening' knifes to be sure
 
Victorinox Soldier, or Douk-douk... cheap, cuts ok, legal, tough, simple, sheeple friendly...

David
 
I always fly with a small sak.

I put it in the pocket of a pair of jeans, padded with a bandanna or two, and roll the jeans up, and check the bag. I have'nt lost it yet. :thumbup:
 
All these require checking baggage. There is no apparent way to legally get around that. May I suggest something heretical on this forum: for anything less than an extended stay, do without. Many people in the world go knifeless and somehow manage to have lives. A few weeks should be bearable.

If you are planning to be somewhere for months on end, sending a SAK ahead to where you are staying probably works well most of the time, and if the knife does happen to get "lost," you're not out much money.
 
I have to admit I second znapschatz's heretical (for this site anyway) point: you can probably actually leave the knife at home, especially if you are basically only doing urban travelling anyway. I say this as someone who has pretty much always brought a knife on airline and other trips (usually an SAK, used to be a Rucksack until I very recently sold it). I'd say 99% of the time I never even took the thing out of my pack (As an unfunny sidenote, I can mention how I used to carry--in my pocket and into the airplane cabin--a Gerber LST. Until 9/11).
 
I've been overseas twice and flown inside the US several times and I've just checked my usual EDC knife and then pocket carried it like usual wherever i was. Just don't do anything stupid (i.e. illegal) and no one will harass you. I personally don't recommend carrying a knife for "self defense" unless you are of some military/security type status due the fact that even in "self defense" use of a knife could be seen as offense. There's definitely no way to carry on a knife in the US. Overseas however you might as well be able to walk on the plane with a handgun in some places. I walked right on a plane in one country with my knife in my pocket (forgot it was there) and the guard didn't even say anything to me as the metal detector went off (it also went off for every person that walked through it). In the US if you even try to get on a plane with a knife you face the VERY significant chance of being arrested and charged with attempted terrorist blah blah blah. So I wouldn't chance anything like that, even tho in my experience i could definitely see it being possible to do.
 
i checked a SAK (Vic Compact), a Delica4 and a Leatherman Kick the last time i flew

i might upgrade to the Surge next time

if i wasn't able to check anything i'd probably just bring my Prybaby and buy something like a SAK and/or Wal-Mart Native when i got there :)
 
yermom said:
... Prybaby and buy something like a SAK and/or Wal-Mart Native...
Click to expand...

You just read my mind!:eek: :D
- small (edc size) prybar
- SAK
- cheap quality folder, like a Spyderco Native or Byrd Meadwlark

I know what I am carrying on my next holiday to Turkey!
 
When travelling, I always take a SAK, and put it in check-through luggage.

I've never had any problem with a SAK in any country.
 
I'm on my way to the UK tomorrow and have been struggling with the "I'll feel naked without my knife" syndrome.

Since too many bags get detained or lost we decided to travel light and carry on. Oh well ... I'll manage somehow! I hope .....
 
I would suggest a Spyderco UKPK or even a Spyderco DKPK. (Denmark Pen Knife.) Or even a SAK.
 
I'll definitely take a little slip joint with me if we check luggage, but my better half doesn't want to chance having it lost or delayed. And we all know who the boss really is ...:D
 
znapschatz said:
All these require checking baggage. There is no apparent way to legally get around that. May I suggest something heretical on this forum: for anything less than an extended stay, do without. Many people in the world go knifeless and somehow manage to have lives. A few weeks should be bearable.
Click to expand...

If it's something like a one week vacation, I can understand going without.
But a few weeks?

That's when you buy an inexpensive SAK when you arrive at your destination.
At the end of your trip, if you only brought along Carry On, either mail the SAK to yourself or give it away as a gift to a friend or aquaintence there.
 
It sounds like you are looking for something to take when you don't check luggage. This is MUCH trickier, as every airport security is different and the rules can be quite arbitrary. You don't get more sheeple friendly than a SAK and security checkpoints should find and confiscate all but the very smallest. Leaving plastic/ceramic stuff aside (may get through metal detectors on your person but my god, is it worth the risk? What if someone notices the neck knife printing through your shirt? Suddenly you are on the wrong end of the war on terror!) there are some handy small devices. Look at the Swisstool/Swisskey. Not much larger and the same profile as a regular key, it has a couple screwdrivers and a small but handy blade, good for opening packages and whatnot.

But yeah, there are times to leave the knives at home. If you're not checking luggage then just go without or buy/send something there.
 
I'm not nearly as well traveled as many of you are, but when I used to be sent to Wichita (a horrible city in Kansas, for those who aren't familiar with US geography) about once a year for one- to two-week courses by my employer, I would select the best kitchen knife from the drawer in the small kitchen that was part of my suite and carry that whenever I left the room. I rolled a piece of newspaper around it to make an inconspicuous "sheath" (secured with a bit of tape) and I carried that in my briefcase with my training materials. Nobody ever noticed the 6-inch boning knife I had there.
 
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