Travel knife -- checked luggage

[Superflex]

I hide my knives in checked luggage as well after one time in 1997 when my dive knife went missing on a return flight from Florida.
Delta took almost 1 month to reimburse me for that little incidence of theft.

[James Y]

I’m definitely the odd person out here, but if I were flying by air nowadays, depending on the destination, I wouldn’t pack more than maybe an SAK. Maybe a Spartan or a Classic. Even those, I would secure them to something else inside my luggage with a zip tie or something.

Jim

I don’t blame you. It’s always a risk.

Yes. For some people, it’s not such a problem, as long as a stolen knife is a cheaper knife. To me, ANY knife matters. I do not want to end up ‘gifting’ any item, especially something like a knife, to a person who’s a thief. Who knows what they might use it for? I don’t even want to be indirectly responsible for supplying them a free tool at best, and a potential weapon at worst.

Jim

[Co Pilot]

I’m definitely the odd person out here, but if I were flying by air nowadays, depending on the destination, I wouldn’t pack more than maybe an SAK. Maybe a Spartan or a Classic. Even those, I would secure them to something else inside my luggage with a zip tie or something.

Jim

I don’t blame you. It’s always a risk.

Yes. For some people, it’s not such a problem, as long as a stolen knife is a cheaper knife. To me, ANY knife matters. I do not want to end up ‘gifting’ any item, especially something like a knife, to a person who’s a thief. Who knows what they might use it for? I don’t even want to be indirectly responsible for supplying them a free tool at best, and a potential weapon at worst.
Jim

James I don't think you need to think of it that way. I see how you don't want to give them the weapon but they're going to get one anyway. It's an inanimate object, you're no part of it if some lowlife decides to use it illegally. The same as if you lost a knife out of your pocket some place and someone found it and used it as a weapon.

[K1500]

Check a firearm and include your knife in the gun case. You must lock a firearm up with a non-TSA key, specifically so they cannot open it after you declare it.

[TomAiello]

My travel knives are pretty much always something replaceable. I've lost some that weren't (Urban K390, for example), and I'm still bummed about them.

[James Y]

I’m definitely the odd person out here, but if I were flying by air nowadays, depending on the destination, I wouldn’t pack more than maybe an SAK. Maybe a Spartan or a Classic. Even those, I would secure them to something else inside my luggage with a zip tie or something.

Jim

I don’t blame you. It’s always a risk.

Yes. For some people, it’s not such a problem, as long as a stolen knife is a cheaper knife. To me, ANY knife matters. I do not want to end up ‘gifting’ any item, especially something like a knife, to a person who’s a thief. Who knows what they might use it for? I don’t even want to be indirectly responsible for supplying them a free tool at best, and a potential weapon at worst.
Jim

James I don't think you need to think of it that way. I see how you don't want to give them the weapon but they're going to get one anyway. It's an inanimate object, you're no part of it if some lowlife decides to use it illegally. The same as if you lost a knife out of your pocket some place and someone found it and used it as a weapon.

Makes sense, Co Pilot. Thanks. I just really hate thieves.

Jim

[skeeg11]

Ikuchi travel knife. Attach and lock to the interior of your checked luggage.

[Toucan]

I’m more curious to know where most people HIDE the knives in their checked luggage? I don’t travel a lot but I know I have hid a knife or 2 in rolled up socks in the past.

Unless your bringing a knife that is illegal at your destination (which you shouldn't), why would you go through such lengths to hide it?

Now to elaborate a little bit on this, I used to travel a lot a few years back. Pretty much everywhere you can imagine. This was before I was really interested in knives, so my typical travel knife was a Leatherman multitool or two. And only models with locking blades (Skeletool, Wave and Crunch were the models I had at the time), as I wasn't into knives I didn't realize that locking blades could be an issue. That concept was just to far fetched for me (LOL).
Luckily I never run into any problems because of that. Maybe helped by the fact that multitools seem to have a broader social acceptance than dedicated knives, IDK.. Even in the UK where my Leatherman was detected by security personnel as I was transitioning over to a helicopter flight, there where no repercussions for having a locking knife in my checked luggage. They just locked it up for the duration of my stay and I got it back when I returned for my flight back home.

This is a few years back, quickly approaching a decade actually, and while it's true that very little regarding knife laws and perception has moved in the right direction since then, I think that anyone who do a little research on applicable laws would do at least as well today as I did with my naive approach back then.

I "lost" a knife that was packed in my checked luggage. It was a sprint run too.

[Revival]

I’m more curious to know where most people HIDE the knives in their checked luggage? I don’t travel a lot but I know I have hid a knife or 2 in rolled up socks in the past.

Unless your bringing a knife that is illegal at your destination (which you shouldn't), why would you go through such lengths to hide it?

Now to elaborate a little bit on this, I used to travel a lot a few years back. Pretty much everywhere you can imagine. This was before I was really interested in knives, so my typical travel knife was a Leatherman multitool or two. And only models with locking blades (Skeletool, Wave and Crunch were the models I had at the time), as I wasn't into knives I didn't realize that locking blades could be an issue. That concept was just to far fetched for me (LOL).
Luckily I never run into any problems because of that. Maybe helped by the fact that multitools seem to have a broader social acceptance than dedicated knives, IDK.. Even in the UK where my Leatherman was detected by security personnel as I was transitioning over to a helicopter flight, there where no repercussions for having a locking knife in my checked luggage. They just locked it up for the duration of my stay and I got it back when I returned for my flight back home.

This is a few years back, quickly approaching a decade actually, and while it's true that very little regarding knife laws and perception has moved in the right direction since then, I think that anyone who do a little research on applicable laws would do at least as well today as I did with my naive approach back then.

I "lost" a knife that was packed in my checked luggage. It was a sprint run too.

Im sure that one stung extra hard. Sorry to hear. Perfect example of why some of us take extra precaution or don’t take the risk at all.

[Toucan]

I’m more curious to know where most people HIDE the knives in their checked luggage? I don’t travel a lot but I know I have hid a knife or 2 in rolled up socks in the past.

Unless your bringing a knife that is illegal at your destination (which you shouldn't), why would you go through such lengths to hide it?

Now to elaborate a little bit on this, I used to travel a lot a few years back. Pretty much everywhere you can imagine. This was before I was really interested in knives, so my typical travel knife was a Leatherman multitool or two. And only models with locking blades (Skeletool, Wave and Crunch were the models I had at the time), as I wasn't into knives I didn't realize that locking blades could be an issue. That concept was just to far fetched for me (LOL).
Luckily I never run into any problems because of that. Maybe helped by the fact that multitools seem to have a broader social acceptance than dedicated knives, IDK.. Even in the UK where my Leatherman was detected by security personnel as I was transitioning over to a helicopter flight, there where no repercussions for having a locking knife in my checked luggage. They just locked it up for the duration of my stay and I got it back when I returned for my flight back home.

This is a few years back, quickly approaching a decade actually, and while it's true that very little regarding knife laws and perception has moved in the right direction since then, I think that anyone who do a little research on applicable laws would do at least as well today as I did with my naive approach back then.

I "lost" a knife that was packed in my checked luggage. It was a sprint run too.

Im sure that one stung extra hard. Sorry to hear. Perfect example of why some of us take extra precaution or don’t take the risk at all.

Thanks. It was a bummer, but lesson learned.

[Joris Mo]

Have always been lucky with quite a bit of travel back in the day, a bit less now but usually bring the knives I want to use which can be expensive at times. I live in Amsterdam, NL, not much great outdoors around here so I have at times also brought my Randall 14 on a trip so I could at least try it out beyond the kitchen cutting board a bit.
I like to bring a multitool, folder, edc 7" neck knife and a 4"-5" fixed blade in general for longer trips. If I would just go somewhere for a week I might just bring a SAK, folder and maybe a 7"-8" neck knife or maybe less if it would be an urban trip.

[wrdwrght]

We now like to one-bag it on flights, so no blades of any sort.

Good excuse to get a knife of quality that is traditional to the destination (especially while outside your own country), then mail it home before returning. We would have picked up an Opinel in Italy if the place we were staying hadn’t had one.

[Albertaboyscott]

I hate flying so I drive everywhere I need to go. That being said, if I had to fly, I just wouldn't bring anything. If it's in luggage, there's a chance for it to be nabbed. I would prob go knife naked, if it was a short trip, or pick up a cheap folder to carry while I'm there.

[Xformer]

I get the overthinking stuff. That’s why we’re here, but..

unless you’re attracted to pain and suffering, travel has its own set of rules. It’s nothing like EDC where you could perfectly well chose to carry an Espada XL. If brings joy into your life - I say rock on!

For travel you want to bring everything you need and nothing you don’t.
The nature and purpose of the trip should dictate what knife/knives make sense to bring. Or sometimes, non at all.

Generally for checked in luggage, I would advise to not bring items that will be difficult to replace. Some destinations are pretty safe, but I’ve lost a ton of luggage through the years, sometimes even to/from “safe” destinations. Some of that luggage resurfaced eventually, but that’s a type of excitement I can live without for sure.

There’s a slogan in my area of business that says “boring is good”, I guess that’s somewhat true for (air) travel knives as well.

Wise advice.

I would strongly advise against packing anything valuable or fancy on planes. Especially a knife. Endura would be the max I pack.

[Crox]

It sounds like we need an airport knife swap. A Spyderco locker borrow-a-knife at some of the major airports …. What could possibly go wrong?