Travel Friendly Knife

C

Comedie

Joined
Jan 23, 2011
Messages
31
I do a fair bit of international travel. Have been discreetly carrying a Leek with the D2 composite edged blade. Really like it, but delicate tip I have to baby a bit, and no telling when it disappears due to some overzealous laws. In some places they can even take something out of your checked in luggage afterall.
Seems 3" max and nonlocking folder is the safe regimen internationally.
Spyderco Kiwi came to mind, but the Kiwi 3 that sorta met the need has been discontinued it seems. Was a bit short bladed too, me thinks. Kiwi 4 replacement is a locking blade.
Spyderco UKPK is a thought. Have the Manix2 in S110V that I like somewhat. Like the edge, but not crazy about the leaf blade shape tho.
Spyderco PITS looks interesting, but rather pricey for something that might disappear in travels.

Pondering a Buck 301 Stockman. US made and sounds like, while that 420HC is not a very high rated steel in general, Buck manages to heat treat it nicely. 3 blades and cheap.
SOG Sliptron is another thought.
And as it seems even the more stringent country laws make some exceptions for knives used as tools, I wonder about a couple other possibles that come across as more toolish:
Perhaps Leatherman Skeletool, as seems light for a multitool with an OK sized blade in it.
Or something like a Myerchin or Cammilus rigging knife. Usually with marlin spikes for knotwork.

Any other thoughts out there?
 
Skeletool has a locking blade but I think the Leatherman Juice does not. I would think a SAK would be the safest bet for a knife, but I'm also thinking some places with really strict laws maybe just carry a pair of scissors.
 
SAK SPARTAN is pretty sheeple friendly.

I travel quite a bit internationally and have taken to carry a Leatherman RAPTOR because of varying idiotic knife laws.
 
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I don't travel often, but when I do I carry a little Fellhoelter Frikky
 
How about Lansky's world safe models or whatever they're called. Legal in most countries and different looking. Probably pretty junky but they're cheap and you won't flinch if you lose it somehow.
 
I think the Buck stockman is a good one for traveling with.
As you say it is inexpensive and the stockman pattern in
general does not seem to raise eyebrows among non knife
folks.
Some people don't like Buck's 420 HC but I find it fine for
every day use.
Another one That I like to keep in my luggage is an old
Camillus ML 7 I find them at flea markets for 5-20 dollars.
 
Stockman is a good idea. A small peasant knife would work, you could also probably get away with an opinel even though they are locking.
 
What about a sodbuster?

I would also suggest a SAK, opinel, or svord.
Opinels only lock when larger than a No.6, or remove the lock ring. If you want to add a little tension, take a ball pein hammer and tap the pin a few times.
 
I'm traveling for about a month, and I've got my FRN UKPK with me for the duration. Everywhere I'm going in fact has less restrictive knife laws than where I'm from, but I figure you can't go wrong with erring on the side of caution. I reckon I could've taken one of my nicer traditionals or my PITS and been fine, but I didn't want to take the chance of having one of those yanked from my luggage. As much as I love my UKPK and it has great sentimental value, it's more or less been replaced in my rotation and it won't be a huge loss. Of course, I don't have any of my sharpening gear and the GIN-1 isn't the most wear-resistant steel, but I'll figure something out.
 
My favorite knife for travel is a sodbuster. Nice size, but not too big for laws most anywhere. Good quality, but not a bank breaker. Good slicer, makes a nice steak knife. The handle is comfortable in use, and mine has yellow derlin handles which get a "dawww, how cute" response rather than an "OHMYGODHEHASAKNIFE!!!" response. Hard to beat for a knife that you can pick up around $30.
 
I lived in Germany for 2 years and still travel there somewhat frequently. Spyderco Pingo or a Böker 42 series were always my edc choice while out and about.
 
I would think a SAK farmer would be pretty acceptable. The Alox handles and SAK logo, IMO, kinda of say to the world " the guy using me is a mature person that considers me a tool to be used in a peaceful way."
 
I spent about 7 months of this year travelling (5 internationally) and my main combo was a Benchmade 940 and a Victorinox Climber. Swapped the BM 848 for the 940 recently, as the blade is sub 3" (Chicago). Fortunately, in that time no knives were lifted by baggage handlers or overzealous police, though a very efficient bouncer at a nightclub in Central Mexico did find the 940 in waistband and check it with coats while I was inside once. :rolleyes:

By far my most used was the Vic Climber. SAK is a superior travel companion, imo, and doesn't really bother anybody.
 
I would pick a traditional folder of the size and blade shape that fits you needs. Something from Great Eastern Cuttlery (mostly 1095 steel), Canal Street Cutlery (440c), Queen (D2) or from Case (stainless or carbon). Of course - SAK is always a good choice (even if a bit, well, ... boring ;) ), but traditional folders just look so non-threatening and get the job done.
 
Thanks for the ideas.
Funny, but hadn't even thought about the SAK. Looking at the catalog, the Pioneer looks possible, as longish blade and yet narrower body compared to all those ones where they try to squeeze lots of tools into.
And somehow I had missed that there were two different Spyderco UKPK variants. Not crazy about the leaf shaped one, but now see there is a drop point I hadn't noticed before also. That sounds very possible.
Stockman style still attracts me too, with what seems great price points

BTW, my #1 usage for a knife when I travel has been to have something sharp at dinner time. More often than not when I get a steak or such, I find that the restaurants keep knives barely qualified to deal with butter. Just did 11 nights in Istanbul and one restaurant actually surprised me by having a decently sharp knife on the table. Was such a rarity that I put up a review on the place and underscored the fact.
 
The Spyderco Pingo is definitely my favorite "legal anywhere" knife. Here it is with paper micarta scales done by spketch:

jOQtlHg.jpg
 
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