Travel Laws - Spain...help please

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woodway50

Joined
Jan 30, 2009
Messages
28
Hey guys,

I'm traveling to Spain in a week and I was hoping you could fill me in on some travel laws/Spanish knife laws. Am I allowed to carry a folder in my checked luggage? I've never traveled abroad so I don't want to get arrested for doing the wrong thing. :) Thanks!
 
woodway50 said:
Hey guys,

I'm traveling to Spain in a week and I was hoping you could fill me in on some travel laws/Spanish knife laws. Am I allowed to carry a folder in my checked luggage? I've never traveled abroad so I don't want to get arrested for doing the wrong thing. :) Thanks!
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as far as TSA is concerned, you can carry (virtually) ANY edged weapon you want in your checked luggage. now, the issue (if any) would arise when it was discovered upon your arrival in Spain. however, there is NOTHING on the outside of checked luggage that indicates it contains edged weapons (unlike firearms), so it would very likely never be discovered.

as for Spanish law, ya got me :confused: but yer straight with TSA putting a folder in your checked baggage.

first foreign flight i ever took, i put a Kershaw folder and some pepper spray in my luggage, i figured i'd find out when i got there LOL. when i was reached for my suitcase, on the little round about thingy, 2 guys in uniforms said "Sir, is that your bag?" i nodded and they stepped in front of me and scooped it up. i was shittin an eggroll. then they loaded it onto a cart, and pushed it for me :cool:
 
glistam said:
It might be a good idea to consult the US Citizen services section of the American Embassy to Spain: http://www.embusa.es/cons/services.html
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State Department embassy employees? Their standard bureaucratic canned response is to carry absolutely no knives at all, not even an SAK. This way, if you get arrested and jailed for carrying a knife in a foreign country, you are completely on your own. The State Department weenies will do little or nothing to assist you. That said, Spain has a wonderful history of sword and knife manufacture. Definitely check out Toledo, where swords have been manufactured for many years. Many high-quality knives are available too, including folders. Remember that possessing and carrying are two different things. If you purchase any edged weapons, mail the most dangerous ones home to avoid problems in your travels. Enjoy your trip!
 
You're probably right.

I too am making a trip to Europe a year or two from now so very much wanted to know. I found this pdf from a German magazine that may be helpful. But it's in German. Here's a crack at English translation (Brackets for parts I'm not sure about):

Also in Spain there are prohibitions on certain knife types. So are knives with an automatic opening mechanism. Butterfly knives and banned.

Particular emphasis is placed on so-called "Fantasy knives," i.e. knives with a particularly aggressive appearance. Hallmarks of this type of knife are for example [holes in the blade], [saw-back blades] and [sharpened spines]. These types of knives are prohibited.

Also prohibited are Karambits, and knives with a retaining hole on the handle, Stoßdolche ([Push dagger]?) and knives disguised as other objects. For example sword canes, knives hidden in pens
and the like.

Daggers are prohibited if the blade is shorter than 7 cm (2.76"). [NOTE: Short is illegal, but not long? whaaa?]

Folding knives (even with locking mechanism) are legal, provided that the blade length is less than 10 cm (3.94"). Possession of one-handed knives is allowed. The carrying and possession of fixed-blade knives are basically allowed. You need only ensure that during transportation,
that they are not directly accessible.

As in many other countries , the rule is that you should have a legal use for your knife, which does give you a certain amount of lattitude with police and other authorities.
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i just came back from Spain, you can carry a knife in your check laugage no problem , just becarefull about carring it in Spain.
 
Hey Guys,

I just got back and I ended up checking in with a local knife shop on the laws. It seems you can carry a basic folder with a short blade...I forget the exact measure in CM, but she said I could carry the folder I bought and it was 3 in. You can't have any assisted opening knives, but they can lock. It's best if you carry them in a case or sheath and keep them concealed.

I bought two nice Muela knives while over there...I'll try and have pictures up shortly. I'm proud of the addition to my incredibly small collection. :)
 
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