Spyderco Forums

They don't set off metal detectors I've been through.

I've carried mine into amusement parks, concerts, NBA games etc. Never set one off.

Obviously don't do something stupid with this info like carry one into court, but it's nice for a day at six flags or something.

That's weird. It certainly is a magnetic steel.

Good to know!

Hmmm, interesting anecdotal evidence. I'm not convinced :)

Not something to try at TSA checkpoints though, where you’re 50/50 going to be sent through a metal detector or those millimeter wave detectors (the ones where you raise your hands above your head). Good luck explaining that to them...

The Meat man wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 18, 2019 7:35 pm

That's weird. It certainly is a magnetic steel.

Good to know!

I have no idea why it happens. I may pick up a cheap metal detector wand and wave it over my pockets with different knives clipped to it.

RadioactiveSpyder wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 18, 2019 7:50 pm

Not something to try at TSA checkpoints though, where you’re 50/50 going to be sent through a metal detector or those millimeter wave detectors (the ones where you raise your hands above your head). Good luck explaining that to them...

Yup, I only try this at places where I can walk back to my car and drop it off if need be. Flying I put a padlock through the spyderhole and toss that in my checked luggage.

I'm thinking the metal detectors were visual and not functional. I have metal detectors you run across the ground and they are incredibly sensitive, a knife blade would kick it into overload mode....

CG

Vivi wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 18, 2019 7:19 pm

I've carried mine into amusement parks, concerts, NBA games etc.

Bloke wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 18, 2019 7:59 pm

Vivi wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 18, 2019 7:19 pm

I've carried mine into amusement parks, concerts, NBA games etc.

“It’s for cutting apples!”

It could be that you can't heat treat H1 the way you can other steels

Huh, that's very interesting, Vivi.

I just did some googling and apparently austenitic stainlesses like H1 are harder to pick up, due to low electrical conductivity and being non magnetic.

Some types of detectors can be tuned to pick up a response better, apparently.

This article claims that some 'high end stainless' is practically 'invisible' to detectors which use magnetism and electrical conductivity to pick up ferrous and non-ferrous metals:

https://detectingschool.com/do-metal-de ... ess-steel/

Interesting although I don't think I'll try it.......

I'd give it a try somewhere that I could get away with playing dumb like I forgot but not anywhere that it could get me arrested. I did accidentally carry a Military into a government building once that didn't have a metal detector or guards at the door but the guard at the front desk spotted it immediately. He was cool though and just asked me to put it in my car. I remembered my Glock but the knife is so second nature I forget it's there sometimes.

The Meat man wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 18, 2019 7:35 pm

That's weird. It certainly is a magnetic steel.

Good to know!

Yes, H1 does stick to magnets, and thus is a magnetic steel. I say this, because in the past I've read posts from some people who have said that H1 is more akin to a 'glass' than a steel, which is incorrect.

I'd never tempt fate by trying to get it past a detector, though. Not worth the potential hassle for me.

Jim

Vivi wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 18, 2019 7:51 pm

.... Flying I put a padlock through the spyderhole and toss that in my checked luggage.

That's a great idea Vivi! The padlock is a definite deterrent to someone stealing it.

Vivi wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 18, 2019 7:19 pm

They don't set off metal detectors I've been through.

I've carried mine into amusement parks, concerts, NBA games etc. Never set one off.

Obviously don't do something stupid with this info like carry one into court, but it's nice for a day at six flags or something.

Did you remove the clip?

no

I am pretty sure metal detectors are adjustable. On the highest setting the rivets on your jeans will set it off and on the lowest setting it will take a handgun to set it off. It all depends on where they choose to set the sensitivity.

I forgot I had my BK14 around my neck once and walked through a metal detector in a government building without an issue.

If the metal detector is properly adjusted it should pick up an H1 knife. I would agree that they had the sensitivity set too low.
As an anecdote, I went to a major amusement park down here and on the morning visit I went through the detector without incident, later when we returned in the afternoon my watch set the detector off and I had to be wanded.

Very interesting... years ago I carried a Pacific Salt in my waistband in the Philippines. We ended up going to a mall in Baguio City and I was a little nervous because they had security guards with metal detecting wands checking people before they entered.

They were not able to detect it, but my wife told me the wands were probably fake.

I definitely would not knowingly try to get one through a metal detector though.

as much as i hate my freedom being trampled by people who are afraid of everything, i definitely don’t want to be caught “accidentally” carrying an almost 4” spyderedge knife in all black tucked into my waistband. “whoops” isn’t going to be very believable in that moment and the knife would appear even more murdery (in the words of mr. shabazz) because it would seem like i was trying to hide it.
i usually place my knife in plain sight. when security freaks out about it, i calmly have a conversation with them about freedom and how knives are tools before walking it back to the car. i don’t think it’s worth getting caught sneaking it into a place you aren’t supposed to have it.