Swiss Army Knife In Hand Luggage On A Flight.

[sandyRoe]

Is there an absolute ban on knives in hand luggage or are some acceptable ?
The knife I'd want to take has a blade which is 6.5cm in length

[retrocop]

Yes totally unacceptable.My wife inadvertently left a small pair of manicure scissors in her hand luggage which now graces a CAA security officer's bathroom. Put it in the hold!

[ABSpareEditor]

I have moved this thread into the category "How it Works".

[woofgang]

It been the same for some time although now I believe enforced more tightly. I almost lost my first Swiss Army knife through forgetting to pack it in checked luggage and that was 40 years ago. More recently a friend of mine arrived at the airport with a Leatherman tool on his belt, again he had just forgotten to remove it. This was a Scotland to London flight and the airline mailed it home for him. tangentially, my best SAK is a Wenger purchased in the US but it has a locking blade and so is no longer legal to carry in the UK. I have never understood the locking blade ban btw, they are so much safer than the standard kind.

[dannyk13]

Spath 6,5cm is only 2.5 inches.

[retrocop]

As Danny says a 2.5 inch blade is acceptable on the street (as long as not a lock/gravity knife) Ex Army folding jack knife for example.
No blade of any length in an aircraft cabin.

[sandyRoe]

Rather than put the bag containing the knife in the hold I'll not take it. It's cheaper to buy a small penknife when I arrive than it is to pay to check-in a bag.

[237SJ]

The only blade allowed is a on a pair of nail scissors and the blade can be no longer than 6cm

[retrocop]

Sandy
You might get away with your knitting needles though. :-)
Can I take large knitting needles and scissors in my carry on luggage?

"We’ve spoken with a lot of knitters around the world, and even though the main travel agencies agree that knitting needles (and crochet hooks) are acceptable in carry on luggage, you still have to get through the security checkpoint, and the security guards have the final say over what gets through. Even though scissors with blades under 4 inches long are supposedly allowed on a flight, it’s unlikely that you’ll get through with them. Sometimes, security guards will think that your needles look like a threat, and they will confiscate them."

[237SJ]

You can take knitting needles. That stopped for a while after 9/11 but they are acceptable now. If security guards are making up their own rules about what is acceptable then they should be reported to their supervisor. IATA make the rules, not G4S

[naomi24]

I wouldn't carry anything sharp in hand luggage. As has been said, regardless of 'rules', security makes the decision. My friend lost a tiny pair of valuable antique nail scissors that way.

Daft really, when you think you can take big glass bottles which could easily be broken and used as a weapon on board.

If you're not checking luggage in, buy a knife when you arrive at your destination - and throw it away before you come back.

[jno]

I once had one of those Swiss Army card confiscated. It contained scissors and a nail file, each less than 2 inches long. A lethal weapon in the hands of SAS members, no doubt, but anyone who can hijack a jumbo with a nail file deserves to keep it.

[naomi24]

spath, by 'modified' do you mean hitting it on the wall and breaking it to leave a useful chunk of sharp glass? Done in a second - easily.

[Prudie]

My husband lent my daughter his long cherished Swiss Army knife to take on a Uni geology trip to Spain and she left it in her rucksack on the return and it was confiscated. He was not happy.
And personally I'd have moved this to Travel....