Knives on planes

[Richardpotts]

Hi all – anyone know what the situation is with regards to taking a bushcraft knife on a plane in main luggage (not hand luggage obviously!)

I’ve got a work skiing trip to France via Geneva (Easyjet) this weekend and don’t plan on doing much skiing but rather taking myself off for some alpine hiking. I am loath to do this without my knife but am not sure if I’ll end up getting the strip-search-rubber-glove treatment by some chap called Pierre if I get ‘caught’ taking a knife in my luggage.

Incidentally – how do the likes of Ray and Co. manage to do this in just about every country in the world?

Paranoid with thanks, Rich

 

[BorderReiver]

No problem at all with hold luggage.

Just remember that if your flight is cancelled and you are sent via the train,you have a major problem.

 

[Nikolai]

If all goes wrong, i recommened tucked inside a mess tin, in side a sleeping bag, in the bottom of your sac (if in main luggage). Aslong as it's obvious you don't intend to use it for criminal purposes, they shouldnt have a problem. I have taken my knife all around the world... France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Greece, Caribbean, Egypt, Turkey and the list goes on, and i have never had a problem. Hope this helps!

 

[Richardpotts]

Cheers Mike - thought as much. I'll play the idiot tourist if it all goes wrong!

 

[dommyracer]

Personally I would put it in my checked baggage, on its own

I've always thought that if you're putting inside things it might look like you are trying to hide it.

 

[addyb]

Yeah, I think it would be fine to put it into your checked baggage and not your carry-on. Also, I'd recommend maybe declaring it, and stating why you need it. When I used to compete in biathlon, we'd have to declare that the aircraft would be carrying firearms, and they'd ask us to state why we needed them etc etc....

Just.....be careful. 9/11 was a horrible thing and frightened a lot of air travellers!

Adam

 

[Richardpotts]

Yeah thanks guys - it'll go in amongst my hiking gear (wihtout being obviously hidden) in the luggage for the hold and I am pretty sure that will be fine. 911 did indeed change things, although I don't think the laws have changed as such, just peoples reaction to these sorts of things.

I'm back on Tuesday so if you don't hear from me....

 

[John Fenna]

I have travelled to Africa by air several times and not had any hassle - my knife was just packed normally inside my checked luggage. The only item I have ever had queried was an urn of my fathers ashes!
John

 

[C_Claycomb]

I went to Norway twice this past year via Stansted. Had a rucksack go in the hold and packed a SFA, two sheath knives and a couple of folders in there. Since my bag had to go in the "Oversize" section, due to the danger of straps in the machinery, I got to be there when it was x-rayed. This is the best option in my opinion.

The items that caused problems were steel billy cans, both in hold luggage and in carry on. Don't hide knives in metal containers, they may well make you unpack to see what is in that big black blob. For carry on, take a large, clear plastic bag, put all electronics in that and have it run through the scanner separately from the rest of your kit. The same goes for anything like a billy can that is otherwise x-ray proof. One item that can't be identified can leed to the whole bag being unpacked. If it is scanned by itself you can save yourself time and agro.

I have never had a problem with knives in hold luggage, even in the US.

 

[Richardpotts]

I

The items that caused problems were steel billy cans, both in hold luggage and in carry on.

I have never had a problem with knives in hold luggage, even in the US.

Ok cool - happy with the knife situation - it's going in hold luggage, without being serruptitiously hidden. The billy can is a good point though! I will probably put it in top of my bag for the hold and let them know when I'm checking it in and ask if it will be a problem .... then face the strange looks from colleagues/others and stick it in my hand luggage :-D

 

[Brendan]

On a recent trip to Finland I was walking up to security at Heathrow and saw everyone taking their belts off. As I began to take mine off I realised I still had my leatherman wave on my belt (shock horror) I didn't fancy loosing it so chucked it in my hand luggage bag and acted normally as I put it through to be scanned I employed the old Jedi mind trick on the security guy!.
They totally missed it and I borded the plane an hour or so later avec leatherman!

Naughty but nice

 

[DZ-Y]

Knives in checked in luggage will not be a problem. I don't know if you plan to take a stove with you, but anything smelling like petrol or meths will be a problem.

You might want to consider en new unsued esbit burner for the trip

rgds,
Harmen

 

[eraaij]

...
The items that caused problems were steel billy cans, both in hold luggage and in carry on. Don't hide knives in metal containers, they may well make you unpack to see what is in that big black blob. For carry on, take a large, clear plastic bag, put all electronics in that and have it run through the scanner separately from the rest of your kit. The same goes for anything like a billy can that is otherwise x-ray proof. One item that can't be identified can leed to the whole bag being unpacked. If it is scanned by itself you can save yourself time and agro.

I have never had a problem with knives in hold luggage, even in the US.

Same experience. I traveled with a group to Scotland last year and several people forgot to take their billycan out of the backpacks. They all were searched at Inverness Airport. The officers did inspect and unsheath the various woodlore type knives and Axes they found in the backpacks, but did not have a problem with them. Nothing was confiscated. If it is not identifyable on the scanner, they will inspect your luggage.

-Emile

 

[C_Claycomb]

In my case they unpacked my carry on to see the billy, then, having started, they said they had to upack everything else...and swab all electrical goods for explosives. They said that had these items been run through separately, they wouldn't have needed to unstuff the rest of my kit.

I tried it out on the next trip with all cameras and phones in clear bags and just sailed through security.

Have been through Atlanta twice, first time in 2002 I must have just looked guilty 'cause I was "randomly" chosen at every opportunity to have a bag search. Having just been to the BLADE show there was a LOT of steel in my suitcase. No problems. Next time I wasn't searched, but I asked if I could have my bag scanned while I was present so that I could lock it for security. No problem. They scanned, saw something and wanted to see inside. I was all ready to be angry since the last such search had resulted in kit not fitting back in the bag and getting damaged in transit; however, before I could really build up steam the bloke doing the search reached in, plucked out my Nikwax boot polish tin, swabbed it for explosives, stuffed it back and closed my case! That was ALL he wanted to look at. Guess they improved the scanners, or the training or something.

 

[Thrym]

My friend just came back from Borneo with two large machettees in his suitcase and he didnt get in any trouble so i doubt theyd mind a knife