I think we can all agree that a knife is a handy thing to have in just about any situation. The question is, are you willing to trade that knife for Red Cross assistance? I suppose it is a matter of the situation at hand. Seeing how the kit lists many tools, it appears they simply aren't allowing sharps, which in a crowded, confined, near-hysterical environment seems like a reasonable safety precaution to me. Personally, I can't see how a penknife would be a reasonable threat to anybody, but I'm sure in the interest of simplicity it is easier for them to say "no blades", rather than get into arguments over why this blade is acceptable, and this blade is not.
So, what could you carry and make both sides happy?
Knifeless Fuse All the utility of a multi-tool, sans the dreaded blade.
Plastic or Lexan Knife For all of your food cutting needs
Cheese Wire For that pesky hard to slice cheese
EMT Shears For most common cutting tasks
Mini-Hacksaw For uncommon cutting tasks
Those are only a few ideas, but all of them should be "Legal" by the guidelines set out, though there is no guarantee that any of them could not be confiscated by an overzealous security inspector. The question still remains, are you willing to trade your tools to ensure the peace of mind of the herd for the protection the herd brings?
Re,
C. Rowe