Spyderco Forums

Hello All,

Not sure if anyone remembers me. It has been a while since I've posted. Even then I wasn't a prolific poster, mostly read the posts and commented here and there.

First joined here in 2005, participated in the "Tony The Hose" led pen gift for Sal back in 2008 and I've been to Golden 2 times in conjunction with business trips. Bought my 1st Spydie in 1988 and I was hooked. I would classify myself as an "acquirer" as opposed to a hardcore collector. Typical run rate 2-3 Spyderco per year. Current next acquisition target for me is the Spyderco Phil Wilson
South Fork, and will pick up the G10 Worker when it is released as well.

I had an experience this week that I thought would make a good forum post and see if anyone else may have had a similar experience.

I do a fair amount of travel for my job, and I'll admit I was running late and cutting it way to close for comfort. So much so that I failed to do my typical mental pre-check parking lot list - wallet, glasses, money, boarding pass, put EDC Knives in the glove box etc.. Handed the keys to the attendant, dashed up the stairs, got to the security checkpoint, about 5 minutes before the gate closed and thought I was home free. Go through the ritual - laptop, shoes, toiletries, everything out of the pockets and into the backpack...... push everything on the conveyor and start walking toward the scanner and I hear "BAG CHECK!" bag check? that's odd, I usually sail through and then I realized my Co-pilot, my 1st Spydie, my almost constant companion, the one I bought in 1988 from the now defunct mall cutlery chain "Hoffritz" with brass liners, the one that serves as my money clip, the one I screwed up the tip on and sent back to Golden for TLC, yes THAT ONE was in my bag!! Not enough time to go back to the ticket counter to check my bag,... I had two choices part with my old friend or miss the flight. I asked the TSA guy if they still had any of those "fed Ex it back to yourself Kiosks" and he replied "we got rid of those years ago" ( Newark Airport Terminal A) He nonchalantly took the knife off the money handed me the cash and tossed the knife into a bin... HOLD THE PHONE PAL - "I'll take that back" I said. He looked at me puzzled saying "you're really going to miss your flight over this" ( I know what he was thinking - "can't you buy these on late night TV in lots of 20 for 2 bucks a piece?" ) I then took the opportunity to school him on Spydie lore, the hole, the serrated edge, the history of THAT knife, why the Co-Pilot was created as it was intended to be a compliant air travel knife, the fact that I carried it with me on Sept 4th 2001, through Logan a week before those scumbags went through the same airport with box cutters.. who knows maybe I left him enough curiosity that he'll get hooked himself. He handed me the knife and said "good luck"

I went back to the ticket counter booked myself on a flight for 6:40am the next day ( ugh means 4:00 am wake up call for me) Went home had dinner with my wife and kids.

Now in all honesty if it were a flight with my family to a long awaited vacation destination would I do the same? Perhaps not but a good lesson for me to be more careful in the future. It's all about priorities I guess - My God, My Family, My Dog, My County, My Spydie.. in that order of course


It brings to mind ( for those of you old enough to remember ) the old cigarette ads - "I'd walk a mile for a camel" or "I'd rather fight than switch" maybe there's a marketing angle here " I'd miss a flight than part with my Spyderco" :)

Wondering if any others have similar stories??

Glad to see most of the old gang still around - Deacon, Tony Da Hose, Daywalker, Dr Snub, Co-Pilot, - God Bless all.

Sorry for the long post - but I figured when you post once or twice a year it's tolerated

My wife carried a Native through with no issues. Put it in the checked luggage on the return. In a federal building that has all the same security set-up as TSA, I had to have my tools checked. The security dude was in his 60's, a no BS kind of guy, checking my tool boxes intentionally allowed my SE Endura to pass. You don't see that kind of common sense used in a federal job very often.

It's good to hear you kept your blade.

Did you lose any money booking another flight?

Right on AUXCOM! Theres no way I would have parted with it either.

Great story, you chose wisely (using the Indiana Jones Knight's Templar voice)!


As a frequent traveler myself (like the airport staff and I know each other sort of thing) I can certainly relate. You certainly have a great mental reminder to never do that again. The TSA was responsible for introducing me to Spyderco when they graciously took my Buck keychain knife several years ago, which led me to research new ones. It was the G10 Manbug that gave me the Spyderbite.

Don't be a stranger around here! Cheers, Radioactive :)

Good call...you'd had a tough time finding another Hoffritz Co-Pilot....

I remember Hoffritz & I think there was another mall chain called "Cutlery World" ... I bought a Delica from them ca. late '80's / early '90's...good memories

Most importantly, welcome back to the boards!

Welcome back, AUXCOM!

I believe I remember you from the "good ol' days" on the Forum. (That is, until I went AWOL in '04 through around '09 due to college/marriage/family, etc. :o ). You made the right choice on not allowing them to pitch your Co-Pilot. I likely would've done the same.

Hope to see you around here more often. Don't be a stranger! :D

-Michael

Great story, AUXCOM. I would have done the same thing. I really believe TSA does far more to inconvenience honest travelers than it does to protect them.

Case in point, this incident where Adam Savage from the Mythbusters show accidentally took two foot long razor blades onto a plane no problem:

(Warning: There is some foul language in the video, which is why I linked this article instead of just straight to the YouTube clip.)

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2010 ... or-blades/

Awesome post! I would have probably done the same thing, the sentimental value a knife can bring is priceless.

Welcome back to the forums, hope you choose to stay a while and contribute more in the future :)

I'd say that's pretty hardcore! I like to think I would do the same but it would depend on the model and it's sentimentality to me.

Excellent post and a story to tell your grandchildren. I think you made a wise choice and likely one I would have made as well. Because of my fear of losing my knife to an agent, I keep a broken down box in my carry-on luggage bags top flap, because you never know.

Almost the exact same situation happened to me several years ago. I was late for my flight and I had a SAK in my bag. The SAK was in a leather pouch with a mini maglite and compass and since I just recently received it for Christmas I didn't want to give it up. They gave me 2 choices 1. Go back and check it in the hold or 2. For a fee have it placed in the left luggage until I return. I opted for the second option and a week later when I returned I picked it up at the left luggage office in the arrivals hall. I don't remember exactly how much I had to pay but I'm guessing it as around the $50 mark. That was the first time in my life I had to travel without a knife and I must admit it felt kind of strange. Anyway, I still have the knife and I still use it.

I sure wish that the airline/airport industry would do something about this though. I mean why can't you have a system where you hand your knife or restricted item over to the cabin crew at the gate and then they put it in some type of onboard safe and then return it to you after the flight.

Hi Johnnie,
Had an airline here called Wardair and they did just that. You surrendered your knife and they gave it back to you upon arrival. That was in the early '80s, a much more civilized and "common sense" time...
Tony

Almost lost my Centofante Memory the same way. I had it in a pair of pants and missed it when I packed. It took TSA three tries through the x-ray to actually locate the knife. The inspector could tell that a) I was surprised, and b) I didn't want to lose it. I went back and checked the bag and still made my flight. I was fully prepared to miss the flight rather than lose the Centofante.

As one very experienced who designed the Israeli airport security system correctly observed, Americans have a passenger inconveniencing system, not a security system. Security theater, that's what we have.

AUXCOM wrote: I usually sail through and then I realized my Co-pilot, my 1st Spydie, my almost constant companion, the one I bought in 1988 from the now defunct mall cutlery chain "Hoffritz" with brass liners, the one that serves as my money clip, the one I screwed up the tip on and sent back to Golden for TLC, yes THAT ONE was in my bag!!

HOLD THE PHONE PAL - "I'll take that back" I said. He looked at me puzzled saying "you're really going to miss your flight over this" ( I know what he was thinking - "can't you buy these on late night TV in lots of 20 for 2 bucks a piece?" ) I then took the opportunity to school him on Spydie lore, the hole, the serrated edge, the history of THAT knife, why the Co-Pilot was created as it was intended to be a compliant air travel knife, the fact that I carried it with me on Sept 4th 2001, through Logan a week before those scumbags went through the same airport with box cutters.

A knife with a story like that and no pictures?!?!!?!

Hey Donut

No I went stand by for the next morning because there was plenty of room on the flight

I've made it though the TSA check point before with a shivworks lil loco before. I mailed it back home on the way back.

I've got a Co-Pilot as well - one of the early ones, but not the brass liner version... I bought it specifically so that I could carry it through airport security and travel with it... I put a lot of miles on that blade and retired it in 2001...

I hate to state the obvious, but the world has changed since Sal designed the Co-Pilot.

TedP

I lost a delica zdp189 SE # 156 in Grand Island, NE at a security checkpoint at a concert. Went to a big concert, which we almost never have in the smaller cities and I'd never been to before. There was a checkpoint where they were patting people down; no posted signs or any warning of the checkpoint. I myself work security and was like %#$@&*!!! I wouldn't have thought they would be doing it at a music concert, but what do i know? I suppose if I were from a bigger town I would have expected it. Thought about stuffing it somewhere they wouldn't go searching, but just ended up giving it to the gal. I told her I was her "kind" and was why I was upfront and giving it to her, she told me I could come back later and reclaim it. I was on a date and didn't want to bother searching for her later. I wrote it off on the spot so I could enjoy the night and not worry about it.

Oh well...

You made a smart decision, that knife is irreplaceable!!!

I got caught with my Ladybug Salt at security. Luckily, it was a small airport and I had time to sprint back to my car and go through security again. The second time, I got a pat down because I was so sweaty.