Eurostar and knives

[bmartin1uk]

Anyone ever travelled on the Eurostar with camping equipment such as knives and axes etc?
Their website says the items aren't permitted, but i'm fairly certain if you checked your bag, you could get them on a plane, or am i wrong? Is there anyway to get a knife with the intended purpose of fishing or camping on the train, or does it have to be a sub 3 inch folding knife?

 

[Ph34r]

You are right in saying that as long as you check in your bag at the airport you can take a knife. Will be interested to hear about the Eurostar though...

 

[Robbi]

eurostar staff will confiscate ANY knife they find, even a 1.5" non locking folder !

" unless sir hands over the knife, the police will be called, this may take a while sir and you will probably miss your train "

 

[JonathanD]

eurostar staff will confiscate ANY knife they find, even a 1.5" non locking folder !

" unless sir hands over the knife, the police will be called, this may take a while sir and you will probably miss your train "

Yes, they do. It's far more strict in its policies than any airport.

 

[ex-member Raikey]

eurostar staff will confiscate ANY knife they find,

not advocating concealment or non declaration...but how thorough is the check in?

eg,..metal detectors,...

i ask, obviously, from an innocent stand point as me and my Bro are planning an "adventure" next summer,...

were both approaching our #ahem cough* our 40,s and havent had much chance in recent years , caused by careers, kids etc,,,

we would be carrying camping gear and will use campsites, hostels etc,...

i did think about this issue and had settled on a Swisschamp, but its got sentimental value so,....

probably better buying a cheapo, or even pick something up when we hit france,....

has anyone had any experience with this,...?

 

[MartinK9]

http://www.eurostar4agents.com/a-z/security_checks.htm

 

[Mesquite]

http://www.eurostar4agents.com/a-z/security_checks.htm

All passengers and their baggage may be subject to security checks at check in. Items such as knives (which are illegal), CS gas sprays, firearms and all other offensive weapons will be removed and given to the police

Since when have all knives been illegal?

 

[ex-member Raikey]

or does it mean "all knives which are illegal"

without the comma its a different phrase,...

or are they being purposley ambiguous?

 

[Ahjno]

As said above. They WILL confiscate any knife. I know from experience when I returned from my RM Fundamental, on my way to the south of France. I handed in my 10 quid Mora, but that French custom officer (who saw it all happen) thought it was a nice idea to give me a hard time, with some (irrelevant) questions (though, also speaking French, I had no probs with him ).

 

[bmartin1uk]

hmmm so conflicting info then from BCUK members experiences and the info given on the Eurostar website (Open razors are allowed). Might have to consider posting my knife c/o a european postoffice on route. Sucks.

 

[CaptainBeaky]

+1 - they will confiscate any knives, legal EDC or not, and be snotty about it as well.

"Locking knife? They're illegal to own...", and "No, you can't go back out to the Post Office 30 yards down the corridor to post it back to yourself at home"



And that was my work EDC gone - had to buy another one in Paris to use on that job, then post it home from Gare du Nord.

You might get the impression that the Security goons at Ashford International ****** me off -


and you'd be dead right :twak:

 

[Ph34r]

on this subject, if i had a naturally made knife - say obsidian - and the metal detectors at the airport dont pick it up, and I am not fondled by a jealous security guard, could i get away with it. I was thinking about drilling a hole through it and wearing it as a necklace... do you think that this idea could work?

 

[ex-member Raikey]

i mistakenly left my swisstech key on my car key last time i flew,

hand luggage only...didnt realise until i got home,..

 

[Woodcutter]

Cross the channel by Ferry? or is it the same, just a suggestion, may take longer though.

 

[sandbender]

This post from 2005 details the experience of two blokes who attended a Woodlore Ardeche trip and chose to travel via Eurostar.

"a couple of attendees traveled to Avignon via Eurostar with their bushcraft knives secured in their baggage.

However (as may have been expected) the scanner picked one up at Waterloo, the police were called, they were both arrested, cautioned and eventually released minus their knives."

 

[Graham_S]

on this subject, if i had a naturally made knife - say obsidian - and the metal detectors at the airport dont pick it up, and I am not fondled by a jealous security guard, could i get away with it. I was thinking about drilling a hole through it and wearing it as a necklace... do you think that this idea could work?

On that subject, if you did that, and you were caught (and modern scanners can pick this sort of thing up) you would be in for a world of trouble.
That would be a "Stealth Knife" which could earn you 4 years inside.
Not recommended.

 

[SRC]

Leave your knife at home and buy one at your destination. It saves a lot of hassle from security.

However, when we went on a Family trip to Disneyland Paris I was without a blade for cutting apples up etc. As there is nowhere near there to buy a decent knife. I ended up borrowing a cutlery knife from the restaurant!

 

[ged]

When it says in the documentation which you're supposed to read before you travel that you can't take things like knives, it means you can't take things like knives. That's really the end of the story, and it's theoretically pretty much the same story on all the railways in Britain. In most jurisdictions the carrier is entitled to make those rules, and if you don't want to obey their rules, don't use that carrier. Trying to get around the rules with ceramic blades and other crazy ideas will most likely get you into very hot water.

As it happens I never travel by Eurostar, but it isn't because of their policies, it's because I have serious misgivings about safety in what is basically a thirty mile long hole in the ground. If I cross the English Channel with a vehicle I always use the ferries, and I routinely carry all my camping kit.

I've checked most of my kit into the hold of an aircraft. Hold or carry-on, my petrol stove and much of my firelighting kit (and although I don't use them, things like compressed gas cylinders) would be forbidden in an aircraft, and thesedays it might be difficult to get things like fixed-blade knives to the baggage check-in in some airports. Apart from the stove I've taken my full kit to Sweden via Heathrow but a lot's happened since the last time I did that and I probably wouldn't even try it now. I guess I'd either source the kit out there or send some of it on ahead.

For a few Euros you can buy a perfectly usable folder in any petrol station in France. French law on carrying such a tool is if anything more strict than that in the UK, but might possibly be applied with more intelligence.

 

[Ph34r]

On that subject, if you did that, and you were caught (and modern scanners can pick this sort of thing up) you would be in for a world of trouble.
That would be a "Stealth Knife" which could earn you 4 years inside.
Not recommended.

Okay, thanks Graham, just wasn't sure on the exact letter of the law.

 

[DavidJT]

They haven't always been this strict on Eurostar. I spent a period of about two years travelling to Paris for
work about once / month. This is about five years or so ago. I always travelled
with a small tool kit which included stanleys and scalpels.
I was only questioned about it a couple of times, and never had anything confiscated. How times and attitudes have changed in a few short years.
How about posting out a cheap Mora to your destintion?