How to Travel with Knives

[Stone]

"Egullet Staff." Is this a new anonymous name behind which the affiliates can hide?

[Steve Klc]

Wow, odd to re-read this in light of 9/11. That first anecdote of mine would definitely have a different resolution now. We brought big knives to Orlando recently in checked baggage no problem. (United out of Dulles.) I'd still FedEx your stuff ahead Liza.

[Liza]

Thanks, Steve. My thoughts exactly. I was taking Tommy's suggestion on another thread about finding old threads and revitalizing them in hopes of getting us all back to talking about food. Glad to see it is working!

[stellabella]

(Full, wracking sobs...) look at this thread, folks. People helping. People starting new threads. People thanking people...(snurfle)...

And guess what? I am going BACK to New Mexico and the same issue exists...anyone having any trouble bringing their knives on board these days? 

i started reading this thread and thought, What the.....&^%$#?

then i noticed that it was started in august, 2001.

liza, they ain't gonna let you on no plane with no knives. but i was thinking, maybe i could buy you a nice set of knives and drive out to new mexico with them and deliver them to you upon your arrival, so that you don't have to deal with the hassle of shipping them, or getting hassled by the baggage hasslers, i mean handlers, at the airport. i mean, it's a little thing, but i'd do it. i figure if i leave now i'll be there in time to meet you.

[ivan]

Once, returning from France, we had our menacing cutlery stowed somewhere secret by a very nice flight attendant. Upon arrival in the US, the cutlery was handed to us as we disembarked. I don't know if they'd still do that -- depends on the airline, I guess. Also, I wouldn't try that with plastique.

[torakris]

Just had this conversation on another thread.

I am hoping to buy some knives while in the US for a visit and then bring them back to Japan with me. It was kindly pointed out to me that I may not be able to get them on the airplane. I have know decided to mail them ahead to avoid any hassles.

At Tokyo's Narita Airport they check every car that enters (and have been doing this for atleast the 12 years I have going in and out) and last year and last year (pre 9/11) as they were looking under the car and in the trunk on guy noticed that the key in the ignition was hanging from a Swiss Army knife key chain. I had to reclaim it on my trip back.

[Wilfrid]

Eek, I was planning to check knives on my flight to London to cook my game tasting menu, and then I just re-read Steve Klc's September 2 comment. I'm really going to have problems with knives in my suitcase???

[Steve Klc]

As I said, we "checked" knives Wilfrid on our last domestic flight without any problem.

My international experiences have been different and I had a major problem in London, pre-9/11, though that would hardly constitute a fair sample. After having this one isolated problem--I heard from several friends London has always been tough. Post 9/11 I have to imagine they're even tougher.

Regardless, if you know you need something, if it is integral to your experience, why not send it ahead?

[Wilfrid]

I know, Steve - I was just trying to make life simple. Thanks for the warning. Maybe I'll take a knife sharpener - there must be something with a blade in the kitchen I'll be using .

[DrKoob]

I have a question for those of you who make your living in the kitchens of Seattle. How do you travel with your knives.

Recently my bride and I have been vacationing near other relatives and renting a house or condo so we can all cook. These rentals are always fully furnished and have most kitchen implements and/or we can pick some up that are disposable if we have to (aluminum roasters at Thanksgiving, etc.) but the knives always suck.

I fully understand the owners of the rentals not wanting their good knives to disappear but it is darned hard to cook with bad knives. And sometimes dangerous too.

So, here is my question. How do you travel with your knives? I know they won't let me carry them on an airplane and I certainly am not going to put them in checked bags and have them lost. Not with the cost of the knives.

Do I have to resort to shipping them ahead and shipping them home? There has to be a better way.

[300rwhp]

I had one chef explain that you could request to have the knives placed in the cockpit and get them after the flight has landed. Assuming they are in a small enough bag, but i dont think you would be able to do this. Only a phone call with tell

[memesuze]

I just buy one minimally decent all-purpose size at a local grocery store and donate it to the rental when I leave - it's always sharper than theirs - not worth the hassle of carrying my own

[Silly Disciple]

I had one chef explain that you could request to have the knives placed in the cockpit and get them after the flight has landed. Assuming they are in a small enough bag, but i dont think you would be able to do this. Only a phone call with tell

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I tried this with several airlines, with no luck. I just take a minimal subset of knives and send them with the checked baggage, and pray . Or you could have a cheaper but still decent set just for this purpose.

[MichaelB]

I put a knife case in a checked bag. Only had one problem when a knife obviously fell out during a TSA inspection of the bag. The airline bought me a new knife. Interestingly, that is the only time TSA has opened my checked bag to look at the knives -- they were in a bag full of other cooking tools on that trip.

[JasonZ]

I had one chef explain that you could request to have the knives placed in the cockpit and get them after the flight has landed. Assuming they are in a small enough bag, but i dont think you would be able to do this. Only a phone call with tell

←

I tried this with several airlines, with no luck. I just take a minimal subset of knives and send them with the checked baggage, and pray . Or you could have a cheaper but still decent set just for this purpose.

←

Pre 9/11, I was lucky enough to have the flight crew on SAS help get a set of knives home for me. I had just purchased them and my checked baggage was already checked ... The offending box was taped, labeled, and given to the airline at the ticket sales area. They got it to the flight crew, who then got it to me past immigration but before customs. Don't know if it would happen today -- it's a far different world.

I'd go ahead and pack in my checked baggage (I use plastic sheaths that snap shut around each blade and then place the knives in a plastic see-through case. No danger of cutting anyone unless they go out of their way to open the sheaths, but easy to do a visual inspection) ... or if I'm really worried, ship by FedEx or UPS.

[Pielle]

Funny how things changed... Fat Guy brought a chef knife with him in the cabin pre 9/11. Now a bottle of shampoo or toothpaste is considered potentialy dangerous...

[MelissaH]

When we lived in Ohio, we'd drive to the in-laws' house. I'd always bring at least one or two knives with me, ones I liked and I knew were sharp. Now that we've moved further away, we'll often choose to fly, especially at this time of year when weather could be an issue. A couple of years ago, we bought a couple of knives especially for the purpose of leaving there. I know it seems like a waste, but this way at least I know I won't be driven crazy in the kitchen by the knives.

MelissaH