That's interesting. I haven't travelled through the USA in a looong time, but I believe our specs are harmonized with yours (with the exception of tiny blades, now allowed on Cdn. domestic flights, reluctantly).

My needle nose pliers are super-mini, sort of a crafts plier with a stout wire cutter, so they meet the specs for overall length and distance from the pivot. Never had a problem. But I never travel with anything I'm not willing to lose.