Plane friendly tools

[GearedForwards]

As it's the time of year where travel kit videos start to pop up, and I start to consider one myself, I thought it would be good to discuss the kind of tools you can get away with on a plane.

What I like: In my checked bag I normally have a MT or two and a knife, my SALT Dragonfly is usually my travel knife. On my person I keep a AA light and a pen normally,  but may try a pry in future.

1) What do you like to take when you travel?

2) This one is basically paging Surgey boi, but what can we get away with through the various securities without a beating and a good old cry?

[nate j]

I don’t fly much, and when I do it has always been within the US.

But when I do, it is basically what you see here, except that the four knives are deleted.  The Vic Rambler is replaced with a Vic Jetsetter.

I also have a LM Style PS that I like and have flown with, though it is MIA at the moment.

On the even rarer occasion that I check a bag, I usually just put a Vic Climber in there.  It gives me a good amount of capability, but is legal to carry virtually anywhere that blades aren’t totally banned, and is inexpensive and easily replaced if it gets lost or stolen.

If I flew more often, I would probably get a LM Knifeless Rebar as well.

[Crunchie64]

If I flew more often, I would probably get a LM Knifeless Rebar as well.

Would the knifeless Rebar be to check in? There’s no way you’d get it through a European airport with that saw.

[ReamerPunch]

There’s no way you’d get it through a European airport with that saw.

That was my first thought too. What you can carry on board is up to airport security. It doesn't matter that a tool is blade-less. A saw or scissors can be enough reason to have your beloved tool taken away. I think a MTO member posted that TSA confiscated his snap-off utility knife, even though it had no blade in. They took it just because it made a "threatening sound".

[Vidar]

That was my first thought too. What you can carry on board is up to airport security. It doesn't matter that a tool is blade-less. A saw or scissors can be enough reason to have your beloved tool taken away. I think a MTO member posted that TSA confiscated his snap-off utility knife, even though it had no blade in. They took it just because it made a "threatening sound".

I remember a girl at the boarding of an airport. Her hand luggage made a threatening sound so they stopped her and searched her hand carry right there in front of the boarding line. They dug out a smurfrator which to be fair did make quite a lot of sound, and even more so when placed on the hard table... I've always put the electric toothbrush in the check-in luggage ever since. They take their sounds seriously!

On a a more related note I have been stopped due to the length of the saw with a Wenger. The knife was ok - not the saw. They also checked the scissor and were sceptical about the pointy bits. They were nice enough to let me mail it to myself though, so it ended well.

[SurgeUk]

As it's the time of year where travel kit videos start to pop up, and I start to consider one myself, I thought it would be good to discuss the kind of tools you can get away with on a plane.

What I like: In my checked bag I normally have a MT or two and a knife, my SALT Dragonfly is usually my travel knife. On my person I keep a AA light and a pen normally,  but may try a pry in future.

1) What do you like to take when you travel?

2) This one is basically paging Surgey boi, but what can we get away with through the various securities without a beating and a good old cry?

[/b]

Well hello GF (long time no hear  )

You are barking up the wrong tree with me I'm afraid as I don't work for airport security (I work for the Gov'mint innit  ) Isn't it?
However, I have carried a SAK classic on numerous occasions awl over Europe, in my hand luggage, with no issues (as has Mrs Surge  ) I usually have a Swiss+Tech Utillikey as well and again no issues https://www.knivesandtools.co.uk/en/pt/-swiss-tech-shswtu-utili-key.htm

However, I do keep them separate so that should they take a dislike to the Classic they won't usually look at the bunch of "keys"

Ultimately, airport security can refuse to allow anything that they believe could endanger either; A) Persons directly (used as a weapon) or B) The aircraft (tools used to remove bits thereof)

This may be of some help for those UK based types (or even the Welsh)  https://www.gov.uk/hand-luggage-restrictions/personal-items

NB: Some airlines don't like some things that the list would allow but you'd need to check with them first (and get it in writing)

[powernoodle]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6c1j3yAYCJg

[GearedForwards]

I don’t fly much, and when I do it has always been within the US.

But when I do, it is basically what you see here, except that the four knives are deleted.  The Vic Rambler is replaced with a Vic Jetsetter.

I also have a LM Style PS that I like and have flown with, though it is MIA at the moment.

On the even rarer occasion that I check a bag, I usually just put a Vic Climber in there.  It gives me a good amount of capability, but is legal to carry virtually anywhere that blades aren’t totally banned, and is inexpensive and easily replaced if it gets lost or stolen.

If I flew more often, I would probably get a LM Knifeless Rebar as well.

Now that's a heavy carry! Can I ask why the duplicate Bics and Sharpies?

[GearedForwards]

[/b]

Well hello GF (long time no hear  )

It's not my fault you're a heavy sleeper, I tried throwing sheep at the window but all it did was loosen Mrs Surge's cosmetic shelf again 

I never left here I just haven't posted as much recently due to work and YT picking up a bit. I'm always creepin' tho bae 

You are barking up the wrong tree with me I'm afraid as I don't work for airport security (I work for the Gov'mint innit  ) Isn't it?

Huh, I knew the TSA was it's own thing in the states but I thought this was a border force thing in the UK. So are you like, a point of escalation for airport security then?

And yes, I say Border Force in my head like Lee Evans saying Parcel Force. 

However, I have carried a SAK classic on numerous occasions awl over Europe, in my hand luggage, with no issues (as has Mrs Surge  ) I usually have a Swiss+Tech Utillikey as well and again no issues https://www.knivesandtools.co.uk/en/pt/-swiss-tech-shswtu-utili-key.htm

However, I do keep them separate so that should they take a dislike to the Classic they won't usually look at the bunch of "keys"

Oh sneaky, I like it! I don't think I'd try it yankside, but I don't have the most pleasant of memories with airport police 

For Euro travel that be nice though, I'll have to snag a utilikey, seen them before but questioned their usefulness.

Ultimately, airport security can refuse to allow anything that they believe could endanger either; A) Persons directly (used as a weapon) or B) The aircraft (tools used to remove bits thereof)

This may be of some help for those UK based types (or even the Welsh)  https://www.gov.uk/hand-luggage-restrictions/personal-items

NB: Some airlines don't like some things that the list would allow but you'd need to check with them first (and get it in writing)

Thank you!

And thank you for recognising our Sovereignty, we shall remember this when the battle sheep ride 

[nate j]

Would the knifeless Rebar be to check in? There’s no way you’d get it through a European airport with that saw.

Well, when I wrote that, it was with the intention to carry it on.  I would pick other things if I had to check it anyway.

I have no experience with European airports, but I suppose I could see it going either way here in the US.

The TSA app shows the following (somewhat contradictory) information:
- MTs without blades are allowed to be carried on.
- MTs with knives of any length cannot be carried on.
- MTs with scissors less than 4” long may be carried on.
- Saws are not allowed as carry-ons.
- Tools (including screwdrivers) must be shorter than 7” to be allowed as carry-ons.
- Scissors may be carried on if and only if they measure less than 4” from tip to pivot.

Would the Knifeless Rebar be allowed as a bladeless MT?  Disallowed because of the saw?  Would it pass or fail the 7” rule?  Your guess is as good as mine.

As an aside, from the LM standpoint, if I were going to offer a bladeless MT, I would do my best to make sure it would be TSA compliant.

Ultimately, as others have noted, it is at the discretion of the individual TSA agent whether to allow an item or not.  While I understand the difficulty of writing rules to address every possible situation, this approach results in a maddening lack of consistency for those trying to figure out what actually will or will not be permitted.  It wouldn’t surprise me even a little bit if I heard that someone bought a round trip ticket, and was allowed to carry a given tool on the first leg of the trip only to have it confiscated on the return trip.

[nate j]

Now that's a heavy carry! Can I ask why the duplicate Bics and Sharpies?

I usually only carry the Sharpies to youth wrestling or scouting events where I’m pretty sure they’ll be used.  By having two, I have a backup if one runs dry; if not, then I have a spare to loan out while still keeping one for myself.


With regard to the Bics, the TL;DR version is that there is a primary for me and a backup for me, plus one for anyone who asks to borrow my lighter.  I don’t differentiate which is which though; I just use or offer up the first one that my fingers find in my pocket.  The long version is below…

I’m a cigar smoker so my lighters get used pretty heavily and regularly.  I also use them for camp fires, candles, the ends of paracord etc.  They last a fairly long while, but as a general rule when they do run out it will be at the least opportune time.  I’d be incredibly annoyed if I were out somewhere with only a single lighter, getting ready to light a nice cigar for the drive home or a camp fire for the kids, only to discover that my one lighter was out of fuel and wouldn’t light.

(I’m aware that one can check the fuel level in a Bic, but it is less hassle for me to just to carry a couple than to carry one and have to keep checking the fuel level in it.  Also, if I were only carrying one, checking the fuel level, and replacing it before it ran empty, then I would either be discarding lighters that still had a usable amount of fuel left or building a collection of them.)

It’s also pretty common for someone to ask to borrow my lighter.  If we’re out camping, and someone borrows it to start a camp fire or stove, it might be a while before I get it back, if ever.  If it’s a fellow smoker needing a light, I usually just give them one of my lighters and tell them to keep it.

[SurgeUk]

It's not my fault you're a heavy sleeper, I tried throwing sheep at the window but all it did was loosen Mrs Surge's cosmetic shelf again 

I never left here I just haven't posted as much recently due to work and YT picking up a bit. I'm always creepin' tho bae 

Huh, I knew the TSA was it's own thing in the states but I thought this was a border force thing in the UK. So are you like, a point of escalation for airport security then?

And yes, I say Border Force in my head like Lee Evans saying Parcel Force. 


Oh sneaky, I like it! I don't think I'd try it yankside, but I don't have the most pleasant of memories with airport police 

For Euro travel that be nice though, I'll have to snag a utilikey, seen them before but questioned their usefulness.

Thank you!

And thank you for recognising our Sovereignty, we shall remember this when the battle sheep ride 

Mrs Surge would like to point out to you that she is young enough not to need a cosmetic shelf  However, that would explain the woolly deposits on the ramparts of my English castle 

As for "awlways creepin' " I am not in the least surprised (are you not on some sort of register  )

So, Airport Security (where I am based, but don't work for) are part of Heathrow Airport Ltd (HAL) which was formally the British Airports Authority (BAA.) They are now a private company (like train companies) and are regulated by the Dept' of Transport (DoT) and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) when it comes to the matter in hand.

Border Force deal with Customs matters, both import & export (my job) and Immigration matters (not my job) We are Civil Servants and whilst in my case I am based at the airport, I do not work for them and certainly not an airline (likewise colleagues at Gatwick, Dover etc.)

We do have things escalated to us by HAL but that tends to be for very naughty things found in your hand luggage (think firearms, drugs etc.) MTs & SAKs etc would just be confiscated by HAL (the same way as liquids over 100ml would be) I wouldn't try a pry bar as I suspect it would be considered a tool (but that's just my personal view  )

The Utili-Key hasn't left my side since I've had it and has NEVER been an issue, like the Classic (within Europe)

I look forward (even Geared thus) to the ride of the battle Sheep as I'm a big fan of this if and when I can get it 

https://jonesogymru.co.uk/products/calon-lan-mint-sauce-1

Stay safe out there in the hills & valleys butt