Travel Friendly Knife

I don't plane travel much anymore, but when I did, it was always a SAK. Back then, it was a Spartan. Nowadays it would probably be my Executive, or maybe a Classic with a Spartan or Pioneer. And when a SAK has cellidor handles, I would specifically get red colored ones for travel, as a red-handled SAK is instantly recognizable (I would assume) to most people. Also, probably common enough that they're (hopefully) less likely to be swiped from the check-in bag than something more expensive/fancier.

When I drive, depending where I'm going (in the US), I'll carry whatever one-hand opener I want, so long as its blade length is legal, usually around 3" to 3.5", along with my SAK(s) and Swisstool Spirit. I haven't been out of state for MANY years, so if I went to another state, that could affect how/what I carry. But a standard-sized or smaller SAK is almost always a safe bet.

Jim
 
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Taken a SAK to Mexico multiple times and a cruise. A good knife and if lost/stolen/confiscated I won't feel bad. The screw driver repair the door to our room on the cruise ship.
 
When's go out of country I usually throw an opinel 8 and a cheap multi tool in my check luggage.
 
Poking around some more, just tripped over something that looks very likely: Cold Steel Lucky. Two blades of fair size, in decent steel, compact, very light weight, and OK street prices.
 
Victorinox Pioneer would be my first choice. Compact, but with a very strong and useable blade. The toolset is also pretty handy for various tasks.

Case Mini Trapper is another of my favorites. Two very useful and non threatening blades. All the Case knives I have ever owned had very strong back springs and good edge geometry making them good slicers.

Both of those are easily recognizable and non threatening knives. I cant imagine anyone would give either a second look.
 
Pulled the trigger on a couple... the Buck 301 and the Swiss Army Pioneer. Maybe get the Cold Steel Lucky later if I see a firesale. The Buck and SAK are so cheap that it isn't even worth trying to decide between them.
 
While Lansky is known more for their sharpening products than knives, they have a fairly heavy duty slip joint model LKN333 that has been referred to as "World Legal". I don't own one, but have been tempted a few times. I've seen a couple positive reviews on it, especially for it's street price of under $20.

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Comedie said:
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.
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I love Opinels but for this, I would recommend a Case Sodbuster Jr.

It's small enough to stay inside most laws and is a slip joint. It has a lot more belly to the blade and is better for food use, IMO.

Pair this with a debladed Micra (dremmel cit off wheel removes pen blade resulting in Tsa friendly option) and you're all set.
 
Lansky is trying to look 'tactical', which is a look I'd rather avoid in these circumstances.
And yes, that Sodbuster is a thought too. Have several things coming, so will have to contemplate.
That Cold Steel Lucky is still nagging me. I stopped buying Cold Steel a long long time ago, but that particular knife makes it seem like they are trying to update and get competitive. Last things I bought from Cold Steel were some of their serrated plastic blades. But that Lucky has me thinking they might have something more interesting going on now.
 
That Cold Steel Lucky looks nice, but I wish the serrated blade had a better serration pattern. I REALLY dislike Cold Steel serrations. I'd like it better if, instead, it had a sheepsfoot secondary blade.

Jim
 
Actually, I look at that serrated pattern and think "steak knife", which is one of my big uses when I travel. If that knife was scaled up a tad to blades just under 3", I would have already jumped at it. Heck, I still might.
I'll play with the cheaper toys already coming first tho.
 
I'm holidaying from the UK in the South Of France over Xmas and New Year.
As usual when taking luggage in the hold, I have bought a spyderco resilience as the default food knife. It stays in the lodgings. And a white celidor SAK huntsman which comes with me everywhere. I have a collection, including two alox but its this one that I invariably pick up.

I have been wanded by security three times at three differing Xmas villages, a seasonal outdoor market. In Nice, Grasse and I suppose a state of its own, Monaco.
At each checkpoint I have produced my knife, I have been indicated to place it in my bag and then waved through, no problems.

I always take a SAK abroad. This reaction to it is one of the reasons.

If I am travelling hand luggage only then I usually buy a knife that is a famous local product and post it home just before I leave. Multiple countries, its a cheap kitchen knife left at the end of the visit.

I was particularly pleased about the SAK this time as the apartment I am renting has a poorly furnished kitchen. And I needed scissors to snip up the chives to go in the sour cream or the salmon and sea urchins wouldn't taste as good on Xmas day.

A few years ago the same knife helped me assist my best mate pack up his family's belonging when they were leaving Istanbul to return home to NZ. The small screwdriver on the can opener was the only thing we had, and it fitted perfectly, to undo the bolts on his eldest's scooter so it could be folded into a suitcase.

The Huntsman model was bought because I wanted to add the glasses screwdriver so needed a corkscrew and the previous model I carried, can't remember the model name, it's at home in draw, has the Philips instead.....Camper? Anyway, why did I want the spectacles screwdriver? Because I went to Egypt and in the middle of the ruddy Sahara the screw holding my glasses arm on popped out, ping! And flew off! Want to know how I screwed it back in? I used one arm of the tweezers.

It's the perfect knife for world use in my view.

Makes a good fist load in extremity too.
 
Whoa! I had no idea that Cold Steel had anything classy like that lucky. CF slabs over s35vn. I know it's still a tiny pen knife, but that's one I'm wanting to try out.
 
For air travel with a checked bag, where checked bags can be intruded upon, I slip a Vic Classic into the luggage. Never had a problem in dozens of trips.

For times when I want to carry-on the bag, I mail a Vic Classic ahead to the hotel and bring with me a self-addressed and stamped padded envelope and mail it back home at the end of the trip. Never a problem.

Once in a while, I'll just buy a Vic Classic locally and leave it in the room on the desk.

When you're not actually carrying it, never take anything you aren't fully prepared to lose. Leave the fancy-schmancy knives at home.
 
SAK Recruit
Buck 301/371 Stockman (or Rough Rider, Colt, Schrade, Case ...)
Buck 389 Canoe (or Colt, Rough Rider, Case)
 
Cheap n disposable, pretty common place to buy
Non locking, no fuss, fragile somewhat
Exactly the kinda thing to not loose any sleep over in any event.
[video=youtube;eml9iRpfjoY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eml9iRpfjoY[/video]
 
I'm American but have lived in Europe since 1993. I've traveled all over Europe, backpacked around Turkey, and spent time in Mexico, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and Mexico. I've found: There's nothing you can't handle with a SAK; as long as you look semi-normal you don't need to fret about local knife laws (unless you're drunk and/or starting trouble, worst-case scenario is a cop takes your knife); don't take anything you'd hate to lose; if you're heading to a museum or soccer game, leave the knife in the hotel; and lastly, as much as possible, use your knife to eat locally -- get some goodies at the local market and have a picnic. You'll enjoy yourself and probably meet some locals. My wife and I met many friendly Turks while feasting on fresh sour-dough bread, olives, goat cheese and veggies and fruit. All sliced up with my old Victorinox Adventurer ...

 
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If I'm doing checked luggage, I use a Boye Dendritic Cobalt folder. The blade goes in the suitcase, the handle gets carried on.
 
tiguy7 said:
If I'm doing checked luggage, I use a Boye Dendritic Cobalt folder. The blade goes in the suitcase, the handle gets carried on.
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Clever way to keep people with sticky fingers from taking it :thumbup:
I'll probably just stick with taking the cheap stuff myself, the airlines have already lost my luggage in the past.

@OP Take a look through rough riders offerings. They are good looking, well made, and crazy cheap.
 
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