TSA and Razor Theft

Hey guys. I know similar discussions have been had on this topic, but I have recently spoken to several people that have told me both razors and scissors have been stolen by TSA luggage checkers and I have personally had stuff stolen from checked luggage.

This really burns me. You can't bring the stuff on the plane, so you have to check it. You can't lock the stuff up, because they have to search it. Then they help themselves to your valuables. What the heck?

So now, I have to travel. Even a razor I paid $10.00 is worth more than that by the time I'm done with it and I don't want it stolen.

So that leaves me with a DE or a Shavette type razor. Either one of which I either have to check the luggage or buy blades at the destination, which for sure will be just some generic blade - not a Derby or other good blade.

So I have two questions. First what is the value in getting a Parker or Dovo Shavette, and second what has been peoples experience buying DE blades at the destination.

Thanks in advance.

I can't offer much in the way of answering your questions directly , but my experience when traveling has been a good one every time. Maybe I have been lucky so far(knocks on wood) , but I just put my razors and the rest of my gear in my luggage that gets checked in. I make sure to surround it with cloths so it will not suffer as the luggage gets tossed about. So far , so good.

I refuse to travel with my straights exactly for that reason. I don't want my razors to be stolen or damaged by careless people.

I own two shavette type razors from years ago when I couldn't find a real straight I usually take these with me when traveling and no problem so far.

As for the blades I usually just pre load it and carry an extra one in my toiletries kit. So far I've had no issues with it, the only problem is having to deal with using a shavette when I've gotten so used to my regular straight razor.

I started traveling frequently with work about six months ago. I bring a Dovo Best Quality with me. I have yet to have a problem. I put all my toiletries in a ziplock bag in my checked luggage and my straight inside it's plastic box, inside of a zippered leather pouch. Knock on wood, but I've had no problems thus far. Good luck!

As I will be taking a journey to Europe at the end of the year, this thread is of interest to me.

I am very curious to know - WHY would a baggage-checker WANT to steal a straight razor? For what purpose? It's not like they're watches or fine pens or DVDs...it'd be much harder to try and fence a razor or something...

The best bet is have some vintage ugly razors that shave well and take them. I suspect they would be stolen because if they are lookers someone who doesn't know might think shiny metal and gold decoration means value.

When I used to travel alot I had some ugly pieces I took. I never had problems.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Shangas

As I will be taking a journey to Europe at the end of the year, this thread is of interest to me.

I am very curious to know - WHY would a baggage-checker WANT to steal a straight razor? For what purpose? It's not like they're watches or fine pens or DVDs...it'd be much harder to try and fence a razor or something...

---

I have no idea why anybody steals anything. All I can tell you is they did. Don't know what they did with them.

I'd just pack those orange Bic Sensitives, a boar brush and Palmolive soap. They are as cheap as anything and I find they provide as good a shave as a DE. Nobody would bother to steal them and if they did, big deal!

I brought my DE on my last flight and did not have a blade in it. I'm sure it's a matter of which TSA agent you get, but they didn't even bother to open my bag to verify that there was no blade (I wanted to be safe, though!).

My little travel kit was an empty DE, 3 oz. bottles of witch hazel and bay rum, a small puck o' soap, and my smallest brush which fit nicely inside a toilet paper roll.

I picked up a 10-pack of generic DE blades from CVS for a few bucks. I read on another forum that these weren't the best blades, but I got nothing but great shaves from them (and I'm also a head shaver).

Gentlemen:

In all my travels my wet bag has been untouched in my checked suitcase. Still, I always take two 4/8" vintage razors that will not be a devastating loss should they be stolen.

I also sometimes take a Feather Artist Club with replaceable blades as a back up razor. A backup double edge Merkur (with a Muhle-Pinsel shave head) goes along on all my trips.

I have faith that my wet bag will remain untouched.

Regards,
Obie

You can lock your bag with an approved lock. Buy one that has a tattle tale indicator on in that tells if it has been unlocked by TSA. I have not, thus far, had them open a bag with said lock on it. I am sure that it is not foolproof but I think it is just another layer of prevention.


Take care,
Richard

There are 2 ways to "solve" this problem.

One: The photographers trick.
Get a starter pistol or possibly even a cap gun and a hard sided case.
Then declare it to the airline. TSA has you open and show them the "weapon" they verify its not loaded etc then you lock the case with your Real Lock and you keep the key. You must be present for it to be opened. (in extreme situations they at least must contact you before they do anything to the locks) Some say it increases the likelihood your luggage arrives with you.

Two: Ship it ahead.
I have had the address of the place I am staying before traveling in most cases, with that you can mail it to your self, then pick it up at the desk.
USPS, Fedex, etc that way on the rare occasion there is a problem the items are documented and insured. Still sux they are gone but at least its not a total loss.

These do not eliminate the need for a backup plan, but they keep the TSA and luggage handlers out of your razors

I wil be upfront and preface my comment by saying that it adds absolutely nothing meaningful to this discussion:

There is no rhyme or reason to the things our government or its employees do. Governments have oppressed people for thousands of years, and now we could include theft of straights to that list of oppression. :confused:

I've flown with straights a few times now, always with pieces I consider to be great shavers but definitely beaters. Old framebacks, crusty Sheffies, etc. I've never even considered a DE or shavette, don't own any and I don't know how to use them.
A friend of mine really wanted to see some of my shinier pieces in person and I almost went along with it, but decided against a) packing them for fear of losing them and b) shipping them ahead because, why spend the money when I have a few perfectly shaving uglies laying around? For what it's worth.

I've only traveled with a checked straight a couple of times, one that is a workhorse-but not to be missed if it turned up missing, anyway, I just roll it up in a sock and then place it in a pair of shoes in the bottom of the suitcase. It has arrived at its destination each time.

I have two slots cut in my Plano Case. My two razors that I take will be sitting right next to the Sig or Glock that I travel with. I do not Airline often and I must check the firearm therefore the razors go into the same locked case with the gun. I always get strange looks from the TSA goobers when checking the case. I always have a case in the planes I fly just in case I have to airline back to home base.

I carry a Swiss Army Knife almost every where. In fact I feel uncomfortable with out it. Since you cant take them on a plane anymore I do the same thing and put it in a sock and a shoe in my checked bag. I also have a pouch on my roll away under the handle for a strap that has just enough room for it under the strap.

Been carrying the same one now for about 8 years.

There isn't a lot of time when they are rummaging through bags and I imagine once in a while something is bound to fall out by accident.
If there isn't anything worth having an "accident" quickly available the criminals likely move on for many reasons.

All though on my way back from Colorado last season with my new Ski Logic Ullr's Chariot I know they took them out and set them side by side.
They did a real crap job of bundling them back up, it wouldn't surprise me if some one said "it would be a shame if those got lost" I almost made a seen when I picked them up at baggage claim.:cen

But I have also flown cross country with a case of beer in my checked luggage and it was fine.

Since having my luggage lost the 3 times in a row about 4 years back I try never to check luggage if I do not have to. Since starting shaving with Straights/DEs I have done a couple different things. First I have a Fromm Hair shaper which was 5 or 10 bucks from Sally's that I can take with me if I want to shave with a straight. The problem with that is I can not always find blades depending on where I am going. I normally will bring a DE with no blades because you can almost always find a Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, etc.. in the area that has blades. Sure they may be a little sub-standard but if I am only going to be shaving once or twice while I am gone it is not that big of a deal and I just pitch the extras. If I have to stay longer than a couple of days then I normally have checked luggage and will still take my DE on the plane in my carry on but will put a pack of razors in my checked luggage in a non-branded container. I very rarely take an actual straight on a plane with me as I have had many small things come up missing even before all the high alert stuff had happened and the economy took a dump.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Shangas

As I will be taking a journey to Europe at the end of the year, this thread is of interest to me.

I am very curious to know - WHY would a baggage-checker WANT to steal a straight razor? For what purpose? It's not like they're watches or fine pens or DVDs...it'd be much harder to try and fence a razor or something...

---

If your going through Charles degaul be very cautious about what you pack in your check in luggage every time i fly through Paris my luggage is gone through and things taken and thats just why the luggage is being transferred to another plane .
I have lost cameras, underwear ? (strange) presents I have bought for friends . tsa locks and zippers are nothing to open try it with your bags that zip up use the point of a knife and pop it open zip it up again and you never know till you notice something missing..

Have I mis-understood something here? You lot are saying you aren't allowed to take DE blades in your luggage. The stuff that is taken away and put in the hold of the aircraft. Is that right? Are you blokes sure you live in a free country?! :rant:


Mick

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MickR

Have I mis-understood something here? You lot are saying you aren't allowed to take DE blades in your luggage. The stuff that is taken away and put in the hold of the aircraft. Is that right? Are you blokes sure you live in a free country?! :rant:


Mick

---

No you can put them in the checked bags which go through the baggage handlers but there has been a lot of theft so they may not make it to your destination. You can not take them however in your carry-on you take into the plane with you.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MickR

Have I mis-understood something here? You lot are saying you aren't allowed to take DE blades in your luggage. The stuff that is taken away and put in the hold of the aircraft. Is that right? Are you blokes sure you live in a free country?! :rant:


Mick

---

I finally know what a Bloke is.....

So I ended up doing a carry-on, taking my Merkur DE and buying a pack of blades when I got to my destination.

I won' do that again. Blades were $8.00, I only used 1 and had to leave the rest.

TSA didn't even check the razor to see if there was a blade in it.

I am going to get an ugly str8 for travel and go that route.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Troggie

No you can put them in the checked bags which go through the baggage handlers but there has been a lot of theft so they may not make it to your destination. You can not take them however in your carry-on you take into the plane with you.

---

Fair dinkum! They steal DE blades?! Sort of a low bloody thing to do, when they're so cheap to buy in bulk online. I could maybe understand the theft of a nice Cutthroat, not condone, but could see how it might happen.
It must be a free country, when people in a position of trust make free with other peoples belongings. I'd be reporting everything and claiming it back through the airline, no matter how trivial the loss was.
Enough people start doing that and action will be taken to stop it from happening.


Mick

PS MVCrash is going to explain to everyone what a 'bloke' is now. :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

The best bet is have some vintage ugly razors that shave well and take them. I suspect they would be stolen because if they are lookers someone who doesn't know might think shiny metal and gold decoration means value.

When I used to travel alot I had some ugly pieces I took. I never had problems.

---

What he said.

Or buy a shavette. Buying blades at your destination is a real bother. Especially on business travel when you don't have much time to find a shaving shop. I bought a second hand Feather for this very purpose.

It is not something that people will steal because they see it is modern and not special or antique. And even if they would steal it, I have no emotional attachment to it in the same way I am not attached to my toothbrush.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MickR

Fair dinkum! They steal DE blades?! Sort of a low bloody thing to do, when they're so cheap to buy in bulk online. I could maybe understand the theft of a nice Cutthroat, not condone, but could see how it might happen.
It must be a free country, when people in a position of trust make free with other peoples belongings. I'd be reporting everything and claiming it back through the airline, no matter how trivial the loss was.
Enough people start doing that and action will be taken to stop it from happening.


Mick

PS MVCrash is going to explain to everyone what a 'bloke' is now. :)

---

You have to check luggage if you are carrying a str8 or DE blades, but - have only heard of them stealing the Str8's.

I wouldn't care that much about them stealing DE blades, a Str8 is a different story.

Hmm... if it is modern looking items they leave alone I may be safe to pack my straight I have in circuit board scales next week when I go to California.. still not sure if I will be checking any luggage though.