"I don't agree that a little knife is useless."

Nor do I. But we're not talking a mini-RSK here; these are the "knives" that have been mentioned on this thread:

http://www.knifecenter.com/knifecenter/seber/utkey.html

http://www.garrettwade.com/jump.jsp?lGen...roductID=105025



A real knife--one that would truly make a difference in a survival situation--is going to be too large to smuggle on board, too expensive to risk confiscation (for me anyway), and probably more likely to get you into legal trouble. These key knives are convenience items--nothing more. A better tool could be made from wreckage or salvaged from checked baggage--should you be lucky enough to survive the crash to begin with. Why risk the hassle over toys?

As far as civil disobedience goes, you have to follow your own conscience. For that sort of thing to work you have to get the public on your side eventually, and I just don't see it happening any time soon. FWIW, if I am on your jury I will vote to acquit <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Regards, Vince

The knife I normally carry is of similar size. It is useful and safer than a bit of broken glass. You can't rely on being able to salvage anything from the checked luggage hold.

Mine got through about 8 times until they took it. So yes...unless someone notices it.

After several field trials, I would classify the Utilikey as highly "TSA resistant." They seem to be much too busy making crippled people get out of their wheelchairs to stagger through the metal detectors and scaring the absolute crap out of small children to be bothered with things like Utilikeys. <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

So I shouldn't try to disguise a knife as shotgun ammo in order to sneak it past TSA?
<img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

The short answer is, "No."

Anything that has a blade is a no-no. One exception is nail-clippers without nail files. They're supposed to be allowed.

Emery boards are okay. Tweezers are supposedly okay.

Eyeglass screwdrivers are allowed. I'm 40+, extremely near-sighted, and wear bifocals, so I'm bringing my eyeglass repair kit. That's a personal health thing.

And if you look through other postings on the forum, you'll find that people have had the very things that are allowed taken away from them ... the problem with the TSA is that there IS no consistency. And God help you if a screener doesn't like you, then you are well and truly screwed.

Agreed. Fortunately, I am tall, pale, thin, geeky, and very non-threatening. The average poodle probably outweighs me. That sometimes comes in handy. Grin.

The only thing I would cause a fuss over would be my optical screwdriver. My glasses are powerful. If someone says I don't need them, all they have to do is look through them. I have convinced more than one person to the point that they say, "You're right. You're WAY nearsighted."

In light of how the TSA operates these days, shipping firms are springing up right and left. They charge a hefty price, but I think the cost is worthwhile. How much would you pay the TSA to NOT mess with your stuff. Probably quite a bit.

So I'd be happy to pay a shipping firm and be guaranteed my SAKs and WAVE and SwissTool would be at my hotel when I arrive, resting in my luggage right where I left them.

I have had no problems checking knives in baggage. Nothing stolen so far and I always have one of those little cards letting me know my bags were searched. That being said I still wouldn't put my $450 Sebenza on a plane in a checked bag but then again I wouldn't ship it Fedex either without $500 insurance on it. My multitool or any knife under $100... those I would "risk" checking in my luggage. So far so good for me.

Cool. I don't carry any blade as expensive as that. I tend to favor SAKs, myself.