What is your travel knife or knives?

Wearing a size 15 shoe I always have to check a bag, and I hide my knives in my shoes then put socks in the shoes so no one will see them. My most recent trip I brought my lionsteel SR1 and Spyderco dragonfly.
 
If I'm flying, it's usually a Kershaw RJI or Leatherman Crater in my checked luggage, usually tucked into a sock, vitamin bottle, etc. My wife flies much more frequently than I do, and has had jewelry "vanish" after getting the TSA treatment, so I'm not inclined to bring along anything of any particular value.
 
Plane day trip: I carry a Micra with the knife blade cut off. I show it to the the TSA agent and put it through seperately. These are my folding scissors. There is no knife blade. Always goes through.

Plane with checked baggage: toss in my Opinel n9.

Car: full Micra and Opinel N9

Backpacking: ps2 squirt for the mini pliers and Opinel N9
 
If I'm going away on vacation, the last thing on my mind is what knife to carry. I can live without a knife for a week or two.
 
I travel a lot, and what I bring depends on where I'm going and how I'm getting there. It's usually the same combination of knives and tools, the specific brands and models change.

If I fly, I carry stuff that's dependable but easily replaced (not too expensive, and with no sentimental value). Typically I'll pack a SAK (Victorinox or Wenger, something like a Climber or Huntsman), a locking folder (Endura, American Lawman, Pacific Salt) and a multitool (usually a Leatherman SuperTool 200, tough and affordable). I might throw in an Opinel or something like that. If I'm planning on any outdoors activities, I'll replace the locking folder with a medium sized fixed blade . I've had a few knives and multitools stolen from my luggage at different airports, so I try not to risk anything that I might not be able to find easily (I don't live in the US).

When I travel by car, I carry pretty much whatever I feel like. I'll taylor my knives and tools to whatever activities I have planned if possible. My most common road trip EDC is a SAK (same as above, always handy and people friendly), a locking folder (something beefy and super reliable, since I'll be far from home and my collection, a ZT for example), a multitool (Leatherman Charge Tti or Vic SwissTool Spirit). Sometimes I add a fixed blade, a Mora or ESEE-3, perhaps my BRK&T Bravo 1 or something like that.

I know it sounds like a lot, but everything gets used. I only carry a locking folder and a SAK in my pockets, the multitool and any extra stuff go in my backpack. I help organize wrestling tournaments, and that means I might do everything from food prep to setting up audio equipment and cutting rubber mats.

This is an example of what I'll bring with me when travelling by car:

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Large Sebenza, Manix 2, Leatherman SuperTool 200 (the ratchet and bits are from a SwissTool, it fits the SuperTool sheath), Wenger EvoGrip (can't remember the model number) and a custom fixed blade in O1 (I knew I was going to be invited to barbecues on my trip, it's customary to bring your own knife).
 
When driving somewhere on an overnight trip, I usually pack a full-size Kabar in the car and carry whatever I normally carry on me. (The car has a Demo knife that lives in the armrest, too.)

I fly every month to the same location on business, but we have a small place there and so I Fedexed a basic knife collection that duplicates the most-often used ones from home. But on trips away from this second base, I have either checked a bag with a Vic Classic in it, or actually bought a new one after arrival (and mailed it home at the end of the trip). Never had a Classic stolen from a checked bag — too low in value.

The blue Vic Classic in the photo was picked up last month in San Francisco at a hardware store near the hotel. And the black Classic was bought in Houston perhaps 10 years ago on a business trip — and then accidentally brought back inside the carry-on. (Honest! It was an oversight!) I discovered it in my pocket as I was heading for the gate after check-in, waffled about going back and checking the bag — and made the executive decision that what would be, would be.

Nope, nobody caught it!

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I took the alox Classic to Japan, year before last, and picked up two higonokami knives there. Everything came back undisturbed in the checked luggage.

But I can understand that anyone with an expensive knife (more than $20 on my price scale) is going to worry about it getting stolen. One factor contributing to thefts from bags is how long your luggage sits in baggage handling before it's loaded into the plane. Given the TSA-screening variables, you don't want to wait until the last moment to hand over your bag, but if you have valuables packed you don't want to give them an hour or more to go fishing for goodies.

My wife had a small box with some treasured but not expensive jewelry stolen out of her bag at O'Hare when we flew to China on United a few years ago. I'm sure it was stolen on the US end because the flight's departure was delayed 5 hours, so there was ample time for baggage crew to help themselves. On arrival the entire 747's load of bags was at baggage claim in 30 minutes, making it highly unlikely that the theft happened on the Chinese end. (Chinese screening coming back? I think I could have taken a dadao (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dadao) on board. What a joke!)
 
I carry this. I leave the xm 18 and sebenza 25 at home and it's amazing how useful it is. Makes me wonder why I need to carry anything else most of the time;).



ETA: Now with a photo:)
 
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Interesting thread. I'm getting on a plane tomorrow morning and was just thinking about what knives to take. Like others have said, I don't pack expensive knives in checked luggage. I'm not really worried about having the knives stolen, but more the whole bag going missing. I usually take a couple of Spydercos or other knife with a thumb hole. I have a short plastic coated braided wire cable that I run through the thumb holes on the knives and then around the support bar for the roller handle inside my suitcase, and then padlock it. Someone would have to rip my suitcase completely apart to get the knives. Never lost one yet.

I'm thinking about taking an Endura and a Tenacious. Both capable knives, but nothing that I would mourn over if they went missing on the trip.
 
A.G. Russell Honcho and WoodsWalker plus our two steak knives [FOX Elite folders - mine in olive wood and hers in Tulip wood]. They covered all out needs while vacationing. Thank you A.G :)
 
MRaymond said:
I carry this. I leave the xm 18 and sebenza 25 at home and it's amazing how useful it is. Makes me wonder why I need to carry anything else most of the time;).

Click to expand...

The blade set on that baby looks rather like the camper/scout knife I usually carry (along with a Classic; now a Rambler).
 
MRaymond said:
I carry this. I leave the xm 18 and sebenza 25 at home and it's amazing how useful it is. Makes me wonder why I need to carry anything else most of the time;).



ETA: Now with a photo:)
Click to expand...

LOL, nice! Which SAK is that, the Farmer? I've got a bunch of SAKs myself but more for collecting than using. Here are my Farmers including my collector Scibeer Stalker mod with HA III anodized scales, low rider clip and scissors. I've also got two black Pioneers (one for collection and the other is a user).
 
Usually a trio of SAK's; A vintage Huntsman or Climber that stays at the hotel most of the time. This is to have scissors, corkscrew in case my better half wants an afternoon glass of wine. A nice 02 Soldier or Spartan for Daily carry along with my ever present Classic SD. Additionally I usually have a well worn Delica.

I may rethink the larger SAK's now that I have a Compact.
 
My bro in law had a BM 950 stolen between Poland and Germany. That's just one of many things stolen from his checked luggage over the years he's been touring internationally with a punk band. Jeans are a big thief magnet as well.
 
Working on the assumption that thieves are lazy, I turn my (flying) travel knives into knife kits. The first example is a flea market Bucklite handle to which I have added a #5X40TPI Helicoil. A bolt in the pivot allows the blade to be removed. I put the blade in one suitcase and the handle in another. The tools and spare parts can be carried on in the coin purse.
The second example is a Buck Selector for which I modified a premium blade. No tools required to disassemble this one, but separate the parts to discourage theft.View attachment 407478View attachment 407479View attachment 407480View attachment 407481View attachment 407482
 
KrisOK said:
...I have a short plastic coated braided wire cable that I run through the thumb holes on the knives and then around the support bar for the roller handle inside my suitcase, and then padlock it. Someone would have to rip my suitcase completely apart to get the knives. Never lost one yet.
Click to expand...

This is a good idea :thumbup:
 
Depends on where I'm traveling. Most of the time a Griptilian or a Kershaw 1/4 ton if I'm going out of the country, plus the Leatherman Squirt ps4 that I always have on me unless I'm flying and not taking carry on. If I'm traveling within the US I'll read up the law of the state and city I'm going to and carry whatever I like that fits the bill.
 
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