"Starting April 25, passengers flying on U.S. flights will be allowed to carry small pocket knives-blades less than 6-centimeters, up to two golf clubs, ski poles, as well as sporting sticks used for hockey, lacrosse, and billiards. Baseball bats will remain on the no-fly list, though wiffle-ball bats and souvenir baseball bats (less than 24-inches long) will be allowed."

http://news.yahoo.com/tsa-allow-pocket-knives-planes-201605201--abc-news-politics.html

I know there are people who have died from ski pole stabbing.OBut they sort of stabbed themselves after a tumbling fall and extremely bad luck.

The only non-locking folder I have that qualifies is a Victorinox Swiss Army Classic. Fortunately, I never fly commercial.

The weird thing is the TSA document that illustrates these changes shows what looks like a standard SAK (something like a hiker ... with the phillips instead of the corkscrew) as an example of an allowed knife. I thought standard SAKs have blade lengths just over 6 cm?

Here's the document: Changes to Prohibited Items List (PIL) - March 2013

The complete list of criteria for allowable knives is:

• The blade is no longer than 2.36 inches or 6 centimeters in length
• The blade width is no more than ½ inch at its widest point
• The knife does not have a locking or fixed blade
• The knife does not have a molded grip

I have been swapping out my Leatherman PS4 for a Style PS when I fly. I'll stop doing that after 4/25, which will be a very small nice change for me.

My SAK Spartan (which I consider to be a standard SAK) has a cutting blade that measures 6 cm to the Ricasso; if you measure from tip to plastic it as specified by TSA, it measures 7 cm. Thanks for playing and thanks for the knife. Have a nice flight.

The SAK 3.3 in/84mm size which would include the Cadet has a 2.2"(5.5 cm) blade. That should meet the requirement, but knowing TSA, find one in red plastic.

I think the toothpick on a SAK is longer than that. You probably need a good 5 inches to penetrate the outer fat layer on the average American.


Yeah, wouldn't want to allow any knife that is actually safe to use.


Pretty much I think they are ALL molded in some way, "injection molding" is pretty common. Except for the hand-carved exotic ones and maybe a few cheap stamped metal ones. I wonder what the point of this requirement is?

Still, this is better than before. But even my itty-bitty SAK is probably still banned, because it includes a fingernail file. Aren't those a no-no?

Would those fit under your seat or in the overhead bins to qualify as a carry-on in the first place? Would anyone want to put their expensive golf clubs in an overhead only to have other passengers smash their suitcases in there on top of them? I don't play golf, but those clubs look relatively fragile (if they were to get into a fight with a suitcase) and very expensive.

I wonder how long it will take someone to compile a list of "approved" knives. I need to dig into my sock drawer and see what I have that will pass. It looks designed toward the Victorinox SAK style mini knives. Six cm? Who came up with that? I guess I should be happy that I won't need to file down a 2 inch knife just to make sure some TSA ruler doesn't get itchy.

I think this change puts that decision in the hands of the airline. It seems to me that what security allows through its gates and what the airline allows for space reasons should be two, mutually exclusive things.

That said, some things like trekking poles & pool queues can often be broken down or otherwise collapsed which shouldn't be a space concern.

From what I've read, this seems to be the European Union recommendation & the TSA has gone with it for global conformity.

Well thank goodness for some sanity to return to the airways. I took my Swiss Army Knife every time I traveled overseas and it hurts my feelings that I can't have it in the cabin to file my nails, cut my sausage or fidget with something needing repair or adjustment.
I would hate to think how terrible it would be to even attempt to actually stick any individual with such a tool. I am certain the damage done to the knife wielder would equal or exceed that of the stabee...

I am glad to hear this. One less thing I have to be without when I fly...I travel with only carry-on baggage whenever possible so it limits what I can bring in terms of being prepared. At least now I can bring a small SAK (or maybe a regular one, will have to measure the large blade on my Huntsman). I'm sure they won't start allowing pepper spray any time soon though...

The Huntsman is 91mm closed the same as my Spartan. The large blade is 7 cm, 1 cm too long.

That would be the real blade. The PDF from the TSA shows them including the unsharpened section near the hinge.

FORGET IT ... I don't trust 'em. :-)
They took a perfectly nice multi-tool (with a tiny blade) from me in Salt Lake three years ago. I was not a happy camper - that thing was a gift. :-( No way I'm getting burned on that one again.

So if my plane crashes and the passengers are forced to EAT each other in a survival situation ... all because no-one had a decent knife ... well I told ya' so.

HAHAHA!!!

Pete2

That's rough. Salt Lake is the ONLY place I have received what I would consider to be professional treatment from the TSA.

Yep, like I said they include the ricasso in the measurement and with that the blade on a 91mm SAK is ~70mm/7cm.

Watch and see how many 91mm SAK's TSA collects.

The SAK 3.3 in/84mm size is the way to go. I don't have one.

This sounds like typical gentleman's folders or micro-tools are permissible. If they are expressing in in centimeters for length, why not express the depth in centimeters too? as in 6 x 1.27?

I supposed the TSA is getting tired of collecting a ton (metric tonne?) of these mini knives and decided to ease the restrictions? I hope other countries loosen up on their requirements too because I would love to be able to travel with my Leatherman Squirt tools. I've lost 1 small decorative folder because it was absentmindedly in my pack and almost got tossed from the flight.

I just noticed in the regs that they are going to allow hiking/ski poles as well - super! That would mean that I could put them in a medium size pack and not worry about checking them.