Craig,<br><br>This is a family forum. If you review the Forum Rules and Courtesies at http://www.equipped.org/rules.htm you will find that "obscene or otherwise undesirable language are inappropriate." The forum software incorporates a "badwords" filter that will automagically replace any of a half dozen (currently) commonly used, but unacceptable words or phrases with the censored tag. This serves to protect our Family Friendly ratings and you or I when we slip up inadvertantly.

AMEN !!!! Well stated, CastAway!

I have no idea. what exactly it is? Probably the first thing I found on google. <br><br>I agree there will be no further discussion. However most companies that sell any sort of "ceramics" now require LE id number, some have quit altogether! Others still take orders and report them to local law enforcement! I will edit my previous post. <br><br>GATOR

I picked up a swearing habit in college. I have since made it a firm point to think before I speak when I'm out in the public, such as at work. Which is a good habit even if you don't normally swear. I found that hesitating for a moment or two before opening my big fat mouth is a live-saver. If I find swearing to be appropriate to a post, I simply enter "expletive deleted."

There is no reason to edit your post. Such items are available to anyone who looks around. I myself found a small pocketknife that looks exactly like a normal key. Would blend in perfectly on your keyring. Am I going to buy it? No. Souls braver - or more foolish? - than I might very well think differently.

I think we're looking at this problem the wrong way.<br><br>The objective is to have tools at hand that are useful in a survival scenario, but which cannot be used as weapons, either to intimidate or cause bodily harm.<br><br>Knives are out, period. So the problem requires a little out-of-the-box thinking. My plan for "safe" cutting tools on aircraft:<br>1. Heavy duty paramedic shears. These can do a lot of serious work, but they're useless as a weapon (designed to NOT cut the patient), and are recognizable items to security/police types and flight staff. They're part of my first aid gear, so they're in an appropriate context. As well, they're also cheap enough to abandon with a smile if security insists. (I prefer to grind off the "slider" portion at the end of the bottom blade, making a perfect blunt half-moon to match the top; they're more versatile this way.)<br>2. A six-inch reciprocating saw blade (get a thicker "demolition blade," metal cutting variety, in the finest tooth size available). I grind and sand both ends to a half-moon shape that's comfortable in my palm. It really can't be used as a weapon, there's no point, there's no sharp edge, but it can cut and shape almost any material with a bit of patience, and used by hand it's quite indestructible. Security never even checked this one before 9-11, and I think you can make a reasonable case for it today.<br>3. Other useful related items. A diamond file (quite coarse) to shape materials in a longer-term situation, a 4-inch vise grip as improvised handle, and leather gloves to protect hands from rough handles and materials.<br><br>Does this sound like a rational alternative?

Absolutely it sounds rational. <br><br>After I thought about it for a bit, I came up with the idea of EMT shears myself. Even divers are using these now. Blunt ends, obviously medically oriented. I'm sold. Has anyone tried packing these with their first-aid kit in their carry-on yet?<br><br>I'm also looking for a small pair of Vise-Grips.<br><br>Don't have anything to grind a reciprocating saw blade with, so that's probably out.

Actually, you can shape a recipro blade with an ordinary file. Mostly you need to take off the pointy bits used to attach it to the power saw. It's only the hardened teeth that you can't file down.