What knives did you carry on the plane prior to 911?

B

Bufford

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Prior to 911 we had the liberty to carry small knives through security and onto the plane. My regular 'flying knife' was a small 2 inch blade frost cutlery lockback that I recieved as a gift for subscribing to the National Knife Collectors Association back in the 1980's. It was functional and very pointy.

A few times I got away with carrying my Spyderco Police. In the early 1980's I had the opportunity to go fishing for Arctic char in Baffin island. Up in the arctic they did not have airport security screeners, and locals often flew with their hunting rifles and carried fixed blades on the plane- boeing 737s. I had no problem with my Buck 110 up there and wore it on the belt home even through the connecting flights since I was already inside the secure zones of those days.

Then there was the time I came home from the Canadian knife collectors association show in Toronto back in the late 80's or early 90's. I had accidently left a fixed blade in my carry on. It was busy at the airport, and the security screener looked at me and gave me an odd look, and stated 'take your bag and go to your gate'. When opening the bag at home seeing the 4 inch blade at the bottom of the bag, then I knew why the screener gave me the odd look.

What knives flew with you?
 
I flew with my Emerson Benchmade. The blade was just under 4" long. Only problem I ever had was in Boise, ID. Lady screener told me I couldn't board with a knife that big. I quoted the FAA guideline (at that time, blade had to be <4") to her. She called her supervisor, he told her the same thing I had said. They measured my blade, said sorry for the delay, and away I went. Whole deal took about 2 minutes. I'm still pi$$ed at the 9/11 losers for the loss of that flying freedom.
 
I still carry a folder. It used to be a BM-Emerson 975, now it's a BM mini-Skirm

I always like to tell this story: After 09/11/01, a friend who owns an electronic surveillance mfr company in Washington,DC, was attending an electronic surveillance conference in Tampa. We were standing outside talking about our flights to the conference. The issue of sharp items being taken away came up. He says "I think every seat ought to have a 9" bowie sticking straight up out of the armrest! You sit down and your hand wraps around this knife! Who's going to hijack that plane?"
 
I always flew with either a Benchmade Osborne or a CRKT M16Z. Never had any problems.
 
I remember the good ole days when I carried a Benchmade AFCK on planes. It helped convince a creep in Chicago's airport that the wallet in my pocket was not worth his time. Flying a red eye with a layover, I naturally went to use the restroom. I came out of the stall and blocking the door was a young man holding a Buck 110 lookalike. I popped out the AFCK and told him he might just get the wallet from me eventually but it was gonna cost him more than the $20 I had in it. He paused and then bolted from the doorway. Couldn't find him outside the doorway and did not want to miss my plane so I went on my journey and avaoided dealing with the pathetic attempts at security they had. Besides to this day I couldn't really id the bugger anyway. I do recall that the snap of the AFCK opening was a real factor in why I didn't loose the wallet of more that night. If that happened today.....who knows the outcome. I would hope the bad guys couldn't get their weapons beyond security today but I think they still can if they want. Nowadays the old AFCK has been replaced with a rolled magazine and a stout metal bodied pen and a real bad attitude from me :)
 
I bought a Gerber Silver Knight in 1982, and it rode in my pocket on a couple of trans-Atlantic flights, back and forth from state to state within ConUS with nary a peep from the screeners.

Now all my cutlery is in checked bags when I fly.

It isn't "terrorism" that hurts us. I've never met anyone who was "terrified" by it. All I've met are people who've developed chronic anxiety.

It's the unrelenting anxiety and mistrust that corrodes the soul and gradually turns the entire society into cowards.​

Now, on MY airline, no one gets to fly unless they show up armed. "I'm sorry, sir, you can't board with a knife under three inches in length. If you wish, you can pick one up at the kiosk over there."

 
I know the airliners are trying to make their airlines more secure, but if a hijacker can take over a plane with a sharpened piece of metal, doesn't that say something about the lack of security?

Personally I think the best solution on flights longer than 2 hours is to either chemically or electrically sedate all of the passengers during the flight. This would mean nobody could hijack the plane while it's in air, and on tip of that, nobody gets anxious because they have to sit down for 9 hours. More or less you'd get on a plane that's a 12 hour trip to alaska and the next thing you know you're there!
 
Squeezymo said:
I know the airliners are trying to make their airlines more secure, but if a hijacker can take over a plane with a sharpened piece of metal, doesn't that say something about the lack of security?

Personally I think the best solution on flights longer than 2 hours is to either chemically or electrically sedate all of the passengers during the flight. This would mean nobody could hijack the plane while it's in air, and on tip of that, nobody gets anxious because they have to sit down for 9 hours. More or less you'd get on a plane that's a 12 hour trip to alaska and the next thing you know you're there!
Click to expand...

Wow.

On another note: I find it funny that you can bring file and a screwdriver under 7 inches, but not a SAK.
 
In addition to whatever I had on my keychain at the moment, I picked my Spyder "Copilot" to fly with. 2" serated blade and perfect for opening the peanut bag. Remember when peanuts were legal on a plane????:)
 
And I remember the last time I flew, the plastic butter knives I got there were extremely sharp, I could have easily hurt someone with it.

I always carried a smaller version of the Buck 110(not made by Buck though)
 
shecky said:
The 9/11 losers didn't take away our freedoms. We took away our freedoms.
Click to expand...

No, we didn;t lose any "freedom" in regards to flying. Airlines are a private industry. Since the public uses them and planes can in fact be turned into weapons, the Govt. has a say-so regarding security. No weapons on the plane. Those who don;t like it can find other means of travel. We didn;t "lose" the ability to carry weapons on airplanes, the airline industry just took back their right to forbid them.

At my home, no communist "I hate America" attitudes are allowed. If a guy can;t lose that at the door, he doesn;t cross the threshold. If I realize it after he's inside, he crosses the threshold going the other way. That's not a "loss" of his freedom, it's an excersize of mine.

I still say, though, that my buddy was right. Let everyone carry weapons and deny those that would use them for terror their breathing rights.
 
NO. We have abandoned our freedoms by not protesting enough when Congress passed laws allowing non elected, faceless, officials to write "regulations" with the impact of laws.
 
I've been flying for work 50- 100k+ miles since '91. For those first 10 years, I routinely carried a Buck 110 and a Leatherman. Just put them thru the x-ray machine and kept on going.
 
I used to carry a Calypso Jr. on flights. Now I carry a stout walking stick and an attitude.
 
For real and not kidding,I took a Buck 184 BuckMaster on my carryon luggage on a trip from Pittsburgh to Dallas,and a slippie in my pocket.
The Buck was a gift for a friend in '98.
Those were the days. :(

Doug
 
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