Forget about flying with your “key” knife

A few weeks back the THR collective was helpful in advice about my first time flying with a firearm. You were all correct, it was a complete nonhassle. However, my folding “key” knife, about 1.5 inches long and purchased a decade ago for $1, was confiscated. I’ve flown an average of three times a year with it for as long as I’ve had it. Evidently the rules changed from the original <2.6” okay. Nothing sharp at all anymore in carryons.

don’t lose your key knives everyone!

 

Nothing changed. No knives, of any size, since 9/11.

 

You got lucky in the past that the TSA were either too lazy or too inattentive to notice your Novelty knife in the past.

 

I just stow my current favorite or two in my checked bags. Not a big deal really.....

 

Maybe you can get you knife back. They have been holding these auctions for years...
https://travelinglight.com/tsa-auction-confiscated-items/

 

Per their own web page, "pocket knives" can be in checked baggage.
And "nail clippers" can be in carry-on.

But, all that is down to what the Alert status is at the specific airport, and if that specific airport is using its own SOP for things.

There had been a rule that you were allowed a 50mm long blade--victorinox pen knife size--but, that appears to be superseded (again).

Beigh TSA PreCheck seems to matter, too. I flew with a Victorinox Gentleman's Companion several months in a row mixed in with the pocket clutter, only to have to give it up on one trip through DFW. $5 knife, so, not an issue to me.

 

TSA took my approved e-lighter I got in a German airport over a decade ago. They pretty much make up rules as they go.

 

My wife lost her mini Swiss Army knife with her dad's last business name on it to the TSA, and she is a Federal Employee with FBI clearance with one of her jobs as part of a disaster team.

 

I always stash my duplicate Kershaw in a checked bag and carry nothing objectionable through. TSA apparently went into my checked bag last week as the knife was removed from its box and returned loose to the pocket. A bit odd, but no harm...no foul. Over the years I have lost a couple of knives and a drilled bullet on a key ring to TSA over zealousness, but no big deal.

 

You can even lose your fingernail clippers

 

There was supposed to be a rationale that once the cockpit cabins were secured with doors, tiny knives would no longer be a concern. Pre-9/11, a lot of cockpits were totally unsecured. Nowadays, they are all secured on jumbos -- and this, not a key knife, was exploited by Andreas Lubitz.

The problem is, once you lose a freedom (liberty), it's very hard to get it back. The precedent was well-established for the TSA to enforce these restrictions, and reversing it after cabins were secured doesn't appear to have happened.

 

Yeah, I remember when smoking on air planes was cool, ash trays were in the arm rests back then. Lots of things have changed since those days, some even for the better.

 

But last I heard they greenlighted knitting needles. Has that changed again?

 

I’ve had them confiscate a P38 can opener from inside my wallet.

If someone can successfully hijack and airliner using a P38 can opener, every single person aboard that aircraft deserves their fate.

 

Yeah I feel real safe especially when they took Joe Foss MOH and wouldn't give it back makes you wonder if these people even understand English it says what the medal is right on it.

 

It's a real rabbit hole.
Looks like we start at 49 USC 114: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/49/114
Where we find

And

So, then, 49 USC 4901 : https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/49/44901

Eventually, I got to 49 CFR 1562.23: https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/1562.23
Where the last paragraph sent me to 49 CFR 1540.111: https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/1540.111
Which tells me all about explosives, firearms and ammunition, but nothing about prohibited items.

We will likely need a better sleuth than I.

 

Ok, found this in the Federal Register: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2003/02/14/03-3736/prohibited-items
It offers some gems like (italics added):

Further (italics added):

The, way further down (italics added):

(how a cleaver is not a "knife" or a saber not a sword is beyond my ken)

(For @old lady new shooter Knitting and crochet needles are listed as allowed items in the cabin under "Toys"--this subject to local TAS interpretation,of course.)

 

Thanks.

 

You don't have to lose a knife or any other prohibited item. If you do not wish to put it in check luggage and dont mind some cost/wait to get it back, you can simply declare you have the item at TSA check and they will put it into return mailer. You fill out a form and provide credit card info for postage and handling. Its not super inexpensive (there is a schedule for each item and knives are about $30) nor quick but the company will call you to verify payment amount and let you know when it is sent. I would not bother with inexpensive items but anything monetarily or sentimental in value can be retained without leaving the airport. (Still recommend checking it if thats an option.)