Thread: Flying with razors

I wanted to add a page under the safety book in the Wiki, but because it took me more than a minute to figure out how wiki's are organized, I thought "Screw this, I'll pop it in the forum and maybe Robin will pick it up".

Yes, lazy bastard, I know.

So, the best guide is not hearsay or some overcautious paranoid guy/gal on the internet, but the actual authorities. The TSA has a very readable doc on what you can take with you and what not:
Pretty PDF: http://www.tsa.gov/assets/pdf/prohib...s_10-24-07.pdf
Link to a page: TSA: Prohibited Items

What I picked up is:
OK for check-in: Disposable cartridges, safety/DE razors, straights.
OK for carry-on: Disposable cartridges, safety/DE.
NOT OK for carry-on: straights, razor blades outside cartridges.

Cheers and hope this helps for flying,
Hilmar

DE Blades are not o.k. for carry on though....

Originally Posted by Hillie

I wanted to add a page under the safety book in the Wiki, but because it took me more than a minute to figure out how wiki's are organized, I thought "Screw this, I'll pop it in the forum and maybe Robin will pick it up".

Yes, lazy bastard, I know.

So, the best guide is not hearsay or some overcautious paranoid guy/gal on the internet, but the actual authorities. The TSA has a very readable doc on what you can take with you and what not:
Pretty PDF: http://www.tsa.gov/assets/pdf/prohib...s_10-24-07.pdf
Link to a page: TSA: Prohibited Items

What I picked up is:
OK for check-in: Disposable cartridges, safety/DE razors, straights.
OK for carry-on: Disposable cartridges, safety/DE.
NOT OK for carry-on: straights.

Cheers and hope this helps for flying,
Hilmar

Good call, let me edit the startpost. If the blade is loaded in a holder it seems OK, according to what I read on the TSA page.


edit again:

Razor-Type Blades - such as box cutters, utility knives, razor blades not in a cartridge, but excluding safety razors. No (carry-on allowed) Yes (check-in allowed)


Does it mean the safety razor itself (eg. a fatboy with a blade in it), or the safety razor and the blade for the safety razors? Leaves a bit of freedom for the randomness of security drones.

I've now created 3 posts for this that I ultimately decided were too specific to post in a public forum. So here's the final try. This applies to all US commercial airports and many international airports that are gateways to the US - regardless if your flight is destined to the US or not in many cases.

Straight razors are weapons to TSA and unfortunately rightfully so. I put my blades in coffins or boxes and stuff them down inside a shoe or boot that's locked in my checked bag with a TSA approved lock. I've never lost one and I fly more than I care to admit. I've lost the actual locks but no blades (TSA opens the bag to see what's inside and then forgets to replace the lock).

As far as carry-on bags, you have roughly a 95% chance of having to mail your straights home or donate them to the nice TSA inspector at the conga line if you put them in your carry-on. The really busy airports seem to be a bit more reasonable about things. The only reason I mention that is because if you fly regularly you'll have sensed the same thing and may be tempted to put your blades in your carry-on going out of a busy airport. Don't try it! O'Hare and LAX may be pretty reasonable as to what will motivate them to open up your carry-ons, but at any TSA-run security point once that big metal weapon (to them it's a weapon) pops up on the screen you're going to get a hand search of your carry-on bag - and maybe quite a bit more attention than you really want. They do have those little rooms you see in movies and have been known to put on gloves...

As a general rule, bury them securely inside something that's also in a locked checked bag. You don't want it coming loose and slashing up your clothes. If you can't stand that idea then mail or FedEx them to your hotel or destination a few days beforehand. If you do send them ahead to a hotel, ship using tracking and insurance, and coordinate ahead of time with the hotel manager - and confirm that with email or fax if possible. You want a name to go to if they go missing at the hotel.

While we're at it, I've never had a problem with a blade going missing in a hotel. No maid issues other than they seem fascinated and want to open them sometimes especially in little towns - no idea why. I make it a habit to leave a nice tip with a thank you note next to my blades on the bathroom counter the first morning. I do that to get the maid's attention and to maybe nudge her hand away from my beauties on the counter - but you could also just put the blades back inside your suitcase during the day too. Being the hotel points whore that I am I always stay at one of the more well known chains and they generally have honest employees - generally. At a smaller (as is 3 star or less) or a no-name hotel I simply won't leave them out during the day, shave at night, and lock them up when I head out for the day.

Hope that helps some and that you'll see these words in your head should you start to think about trying to get your blades though security in your carry-on at a busy airport.

Another option is just mailing the razor to yourself, its only $5-6 bucks for priority mail with delivery conformation. It might leave you in the dark for a few days (no more than 3, assuming youre domestic) but it beats having your razor confiscated by airport security...

Yeah, straights are a no-go in carry-on. Unfortunately, but understandably. I've checked them in many times, never problems there of course. Especially for travelling purposes (and to have a quicker morning routine during the week) I decided to pick up a DE, as, from what it seems, safety blades seem OK.

The plastic toothbrush holders you can get for < $1 work pretty well for travel.

Yeah, that would work. I picked up one of those wooden cases from that UK site some time ago, which works nicely too. My dovo strop folds in well too.

I have had two str8s stolen from my checked bag so I travel with a shavette.