Never without my pocket knife.

Ditto Ed............and realize that there are laws that limit the length of blade that you can carry in Italy.

My husband, who has had his wine opener, favorite tiny folding scissors, etc., confiscated by the FSA, wants to know where he can get a plastic corkscrew? On a recent trip, my nailclippers, which I'd forgotten, were tucked away in a carry on bag, and they got through just fine. . . .

http://travelstore.ricksteves.com/catalog/index.cfm?fuseaction=product&theParentId=126&id=369

Keep in mind as well that some museums that have security (Uffizi, The Vatican, Borghese) may have issues with you carrying a pocket knife, if you can check your bag, maybe not an issue, but it can be.

I used to always carry a Swiss Army knife, for the corkscrew, bottle opener, and the blade for picnics; now I have a plastic corkscrew bottle opener and have some plastic silverware tucked in my bag..so I have adapted. I did the first few trips buy a knife there, but after 3 or 4 trips, they started to pile up at home and my alternatives work just as well.

Consider going without.

My wife just had her one inch pocketknife taken on a flight to San Francisco last week. Andrew, I fear that you are SOL.

You and that knife ain't getting in the passenger compartment together. Forget it.

Museums aren't a problem, I'm always forgetting I have one and they just take it and give me a receipt so I can pick it up later.

What Ed said.

"On a recent trip, my nailclippers, which I'd forgotten, were tucked away in a carry on bag, and they got through just fine."

Yep. That's because nail clippers are not on the prohibited list--it's not that TSA somehow missed them.

But TSA has ways of finding items on the prohibited list.

We throw our pocket knives into our checked luggage and usually carry them with us during the day. A small knife is no problem larger ones could be. Be aware that some sites use the walk through screeners (Vatican Museums), we made an effort to leave the pocket knives at our room those days.

Nice to have the nail clippers thing cleared up. It seemed at one point that they were banned, though.

"It seemed at one point that they were banned, though."

Yes, I seem to recall they were originally banned, right after 9/11. But at some point, the powers that be determined that passengers could probably overcome a hijacker who was only wielding nail clippers.

In response to the plastic corkscrew, I snagged mine from a hotel in Japan, so no good source.

In regards to what is allowed or not, it is worth periodically checking the TSA site for updates, things once banned are now allowed, and depending on what events happen, new things may pop up. Also consider that things allowed on flights in the US may not be in Europe. (Like a metal corkscrew)