Originally Posted By: Denis
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


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.