Traveling with a Swiss Army knife

My husband had a small Swiss Army knife that he forgot was in his carry-on. TSA found it and kept it. More recently, he brought a small pair of scissors thinking that less than 4 inches would be o.k. and they took them also. The best bet is to purchase a small knife when you arrive - I wouldn't take a chance with your trusty pocket knife!

I'll second that. If you're checking luggage, put it in your checked luggage. If not, buy one once you get there. I agree, they're great to have when you're traveling. My husband puts his in his checked bag.

If TSA and European security are doing their job right, it will be taken. You'll have to buy one while there. Cudo's to you for only taking a carry on though. RS will be proud for packing light!

Just bring it on the plane with you. It won't be a problem. Of course that is terrible advice, I'm not sure what you are looking for people to tell you here? You know that you can't take a knife onboard.

I too have my trusty Swiss army knife that is always in my pocket. I occassionally will put it in my checked luggage but mostly I leave it at home. In the U.S. where I mostly travel with carry-on luggage, I must leave it at home. As for scissors, my wife brings a pair with her onboard every flight along with her sewing projects. They have never been taken by TSA. The secret -- they are children's scissors with rounded tips. Kitting needles are also permitted although I don't understand that one.

I think the goofiest "permitted" items are screwdrivers up to 7 inches and corkscrews. By the way you can bring on pointed-tip scissors if they're less than 4 inches in length.

I always buy one when I get to Europe. If in Paris, I go the the Port de Vanves flea market for instance. I can always find an original Swiss with everything I need for a fraction of the cost. When it's time to go home, I find a newly arrived fellow traveler and simply "pass it on." Someday, I'm sure I'll end up buying one of my old Swiss Army knives again at the flea market. Happy travels...

Here is what you can bring.... ** A knife made from Lexan (an almost unbreakable type of plastic) which you can buy at any store with a decent camping equipment supply. That will cut your salami, cheese etc. I bring along its friends fork and spoon as well. ** A pair of less than 4 inch scissors. (that will handle most other cutting needs) ** nail clippers (often works better on the plastic cases you get memory card etc in, than the scissors) ** A normal plastic bottle opener (like found on almost every college students key chain) ** A GI style can opener aka P38 or P51. ** small tweezers. Between those items it covers just about everything I would use my swiss army knife for but the wine bottle opener. But I prefer beer to wine anyway. It also leaves me without a screwdriver, but I rarely need one of those when I travel, and if I do it I need the super small size that the swiss army knife doesn't have anyway and can be legally brought as well. Also don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it. I have never been to a hostel or motel where I was turned down when asking to borrow a wine opener from the front desk. When buying things you will rarely be turned down if you ask the clerk to borrow some scissors to cut off the tags on your new clothes or open up the plastic case that houses your memory card.

Peter - Cheap folding knife - appx $10 Checked bag fee on some airlines - $25+ Time shopping for knife- only a few mins, you can buy them anywhere.
Time waiting for bag to at baggage claim - could be 30 mins or more. I would not check a bag to bring swiss army knife.

I would buy one after you arrive to be safe. I keep a small one on my key ring and on my last domestic flight I forgot to take it off the ring. I had it in my carry on baggage and it went through both times. Probably would not have gotten away with it on an international flight.

Easy solution, check your bag. Save all that shopping time and expense of a new knife.

I used to always carry-on a Swiss Army Knife - until 9/11. Now I buy one on my first day in Europe. I would much rather get a new knife than check my bag. The time lost at the airport (let alone the, however remote, chance of losing my bag) is worth the $20 or so. I never have problems finding one and they're reasonably priced. I regularly use the blade, corkscrew, and scissors. Occasionally I'm glad to have the bottle opener and screwdrivers. Normally I'll give it away before flying home.

Just a word of warning. In the U.K., it can be an offence to carry a knife, even a Swiss army knife. My brother-in-law was waiting to go on the London Eye, and his backpack was put through a scanner. Because he was carrying knife, the security people called the police who took him to the police station where he was interviewed and photographed. The police were not threatening, but the incident interrupted their day. Security scanners are common at many sites these days.

My nephew's got taken away from him in the airport last year. I like the suggestions to buy one when you get there. I'd buy one that meets you needs but not too expensive. You can just give it away or mail it home.

I'm another one who completely forgot I had a swiss army knife in a carry on backpack during a domestic U.S. flight. TSA took it. If you care about your knife, either check it or don't bring it; buy one when you get there.

I've lost a few since they wind up hiding in a jacket pocket or in the wrong piece of luggage. What my wife does is pick me up cheap ones for a buck at yard sales when my little box of them gets low. The darn Brits are particularly annoying. Getting on the ferry at Dover a year ago the folks decided to have a look in my trunk. The gal took a cursory look and asked me if I had a knife - - I showed her the small one in my pocket and she said she had no interest in it. Same place, same knife (probably) a few months ago and I was selected for a detailed search. I tossed my pocket junk in the bin and pointed out the small knife (blade all of an inch and a half). The guy pointed out that the blade-locking feature made it illegal and that it was no longer mine. Paperwork was involved since Her Majesty's Govmint was confiscating my goods. He declined to accept my offer to toss it in the trash and a further offer to bust the blade off and pitch it. Rules was rules - - he had to do what the book said. While he was filling out the felonious person form, rowdiness ensued when the guy I was traveling with announced that I had a concealed weapons permit, the supervisor wanted to see what that looked like and yelled that I needed to be strip-searched, and the gal in the next lane should do it (and outside in the rain). She was kind of cute, but wanted no part of it. Moral: Fess up to nothing and don't go through the Dover ferry port on a slow day.

I packed in a hurry in the middle of the night for an early flight out. Forgot my Swiss Army knife was tossed in my carryon. When TSA found it, I was OK about them taking it (my dumb mistake after all) until she said, "Too bad. That's a $65.00 knife." Then it got me. But she was very nice and suggested I mail it back to myself. Got out of line. Went to drugstore to buy a padded envelope. But no way to find out amount of postage. Went to the check-in counter. The counter agent was very nice and offered to "check" it for me. Whew! Got my knife back. Now I do without and only bring my nail clippers.
My son had a mini Swiss Army knife with "Mom" on it and TSA took it. I gave it to him when he went away to college. He always had it on his keyring and forgot to remove it when he came home for a visit.

I have the impression that TSA considers knives to be in a different category from other objects. Technically, they can make a big deal about a knife in your carry-on. They generally don't, but once a knife is found in your carry-on, you may notice they're lsizing you up. Better to be careful about your Swiss Army knife, leave it at home or make sure it's in your checked baggage.

I can't believe US Postal Service, as hard up as they are for money, haven't figured out to put automated postal machines near TSA. All they need is a vending machine that offers an assortment of one-price-if-it-fits envelopes and a mailbox. Then valuable stuff that would otherwise be confiscated and destroyed (TSA can't keep it) can be mailed home instead.

Brad, Ineptness and lack of ingenuity on the behalf of the post office (or any government or quasi-governmental agency) should surprise no one. That not a single for profit organization such as DHL, Fedex or UPS has not taken advantage of this opportunity is what I find surprising.

I actually had fingernail clippers confiscated at the Denver airport recently, on our way to Dallas. The agent took my bag aside, found the clippers in a zippered compartment with my toiletries, opened all the little tools on the clipper til he found one with a little hook shape, which he said was illegal. So he confiscated them. I asked if he could just break that piece off, and he said no, he could injure himself doing that. Those fingernail clippers have made it through 10 years of traveling and dozens of airports. They were just regular sized, ordinary clippers. I figured it was either a slow day at DIA or else he was behind in his quota!

I know someone that made it to the UK with his knife he forgot about in the bottom of a zippered pocket, but didn't make it out of UK, got hauled down to the police station and they kept him long enough that he missed his flight. Sounded like they take it very seriously. I wouldn't take one.