Leaving your favorite blade at home when going on vacation can be a bummer, especially if it’s something you need for your job.  Since 9/11, intensified security screens have made it increasingly difficult for knife owners to transport knives. A recent article in the New York Times highlighted  the innumerable difficulties these crackdowns have caused on hair stylists, chefs, engineers, knife collectors and others who use knives as a function of their job.

So, what do you do if you must bring your knife on a trip?

The best course of action is to put your knives in your checked luggage, although many knife owners are hesitant to part, even momentarily, from expensive shears or blades.  However, some knife owners are able to buck security and make it through.

According to the article, chef Rey Benavidez is usually able to travel from San Francisco to New York with his chef knives in his carry-on luggage. He packs his knives in a special chef’s kit and even wears his chef jacket.  However, Benavidez said he’s still forced to check his knives, worth approximately $500, at times.

For these occasions, he has GPS tracking tracking chips in his knives and photographs his suitcase contents before flights.

Custom knifemakers who travel frequently to knife shows can have knives worth tens of thousands of dollars that need to be transported.  In this situation, the best course of action is to have these knives shipped via UPS and insured for the full amount.

Ken Onion, a knife maker from Honolulu, said he had 14 custom knives worth about $40,000 stolen from luggage in 2006 on a trip to a show in California. He recommended that travelers buy insurance and that they photograph or videotape luggage contents and the handover to airline employees.

For valuable items, he said, “place them in a Pelican case, with a GPS tracker at the bottom of it,” adding that once his luggage has been checked in, he can follow it via the GPS locator to ensure it is on the same flight.

How about you?  Have you flown with knives since 9/11?  Do you have any advice for those with knives pursuing air travel?  Let us know in the comment section below.

Considering taking a trip down under this year?  If so, leave your pocket knives at home.

Australia is moving ahead with some of the most repressive anti-knife legislation in the world, prohibiting pocket knives and “flick knives,” and mandating that anyone caught with a pocket knife in public explain to police why they need it or face arrest.

According to a recent article in the Warwick Daily News, this sweeping legislation could turn approximately 50,000 formerly law-abiding citizens into criminals over night.

National Public Relations Manager for Katter’s Australian Party Scott Barrett said enforcing the law was a “restriction of freedom, adding,

“It’s purely a political game they’re playing to give us further restrictions. It’s not criminals that will be targeted by this; it’s farmers and fishermen who might have a knife in their tackle box, or tradies who have one on their tool belt.”

Knife laws in Australia and Europe are generally more restrictive than the United States.  However, recently the city of Boston has considered further regulating pocket knives and New York City has recently been sued by the knife advocacy group Knife Rights for their campaign against knife owners.

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So, you’ve made the decision to buy a knife for Christmas for a friend or loved one.  That’s terrific, but now comes the hard part: what sort of knife should you get them?  To make things easier, we’ve created four archetypes of the modern knife fan along with a few suggested models.  Have some additional ideas?  Then, let us know below.

The Jack of All Trades

Do you have a brother, father, mother or lover who can fix the toilet, gut a deer, whittle a masterpiece and prepare a delicious dinner all without breaking a sweat.  Lots of handymen and craftsmen fall into the jack-of-all-trades category.  These knife lovers are constantly dabbling in different projects and pursuing various hobbies.  They love to learn on the go and aren’t worried about making a mistake or two along the way.

Recommended Knives: For such a diverse set of tasks, you’ll need a knife with a lot of range.  Consider a 3-blade or 4-blade pocket knife, which combines blade types such as pen, sprey, sheepsfoot and others, providing an excellent range of tools perfect for those who like to do everything themselves.  Multi-tools and Swiss Army knives are also great choices.

The Minimalist

He wears the same pair of faded blue jeans every day.  He only owns one pair of shoes.  He eats the same cereal every morning, occasionally drinking his orange juice out of the carton.  When he goes on trips, he never, ever checks a bag. All of us have a minimalist in our life, someone who likes to keep things as simple as possible, including when it comes to knives.

Recommended Knives: A Single-blade folding knife is at the top of the list. This kind of fellow is looking for a knife with one good blade that’s functional, strong and versatile, and that fits efficiently in his pocket.  A neck knife, which is conveniently suspended from a lanyard, will also appeal to him, especially if he’s often on the go.

The Show Off

Did he wear a light-blue tuxedo to the prom when everyone else was in black?  Does he always have the biggest truck and the most badass T.V. for watching the game on?  When it comes to blades, the Show Off needs something big and burly that will set himself apart from the pack.

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