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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This Christmas, why not give the sharpest gift one can give:  a knife. Whether it’s your mom, your dad, your crazy uncle or your fishing buddy, you’ve undoubtedly got a knife fan in your family.  Here are five knives that make fantastic Christmas gifts.

Gerber Prodigy Survival Knife:  $58

This award-winning knife measures 9.75 inches and has a full-tang high-carbon stainless steel blade that’s coated with black oxide for ultimate corrosion resistance. The handle is soft and ergonomic and the knife comes with a high-quality sheath in addition to a leg strap, ensuring that carrying is always convenient.

Smith and Wesson Extreme Ops Pocket Knife: $22.49

If you’re looking for the ultimate tactical folding knife, check out this Smith & Wesson masterpiece. With its reliable framelock, it can sustain a tremendous amount of pressure in any extreme situation. The sturdy thumb stud on the blade allows you to open it quickly and effortlessly with one hand when you need instant access to your knife. This finely crafted knife is ideal for everyday tasks or intense use in the heart of a jungle.

Personalized Smith and Wesson  Military Police 2nd Generation M.A.G.I.C. Assisted Opening Pocket Knife : $59.99

If you’re looking to give a truly individual gift this year, consider picking up this Smith and Wesson military knife and having it stamped with a personal message.

This military police pocket knife is off the charts when it comes to its cool factor. Not only is this extremely sharp and practical, but it also comes equipped with a M.A.G.I.C. assisted-opening mechanism that will leave you and your friends in awe. With the release of a safety switch and the flick of a thumb, the partially-serrated blade will literally spring into action.

Got a favorite of these four?  Let us know which knife you’d prefer to find under the tree in the comment section below.

This Thanksgiving millions of Americans will sit down at the dinner table with their friends, loved-ones, and on some occasions, people they barely know or only pretend to like.  They will eat, drink and sporadically run to the living room to get updates on the score of the Packers-Lions game.

And, if the world’s most eminent scholar of dining decorum, Miss Manners, gets her way, they will conform to the basic rules of table etiquette and remember to always set the table with the knife facing in.  Rather than poorly paraphrase her witty comment, which provides information on everything from eating etiquette to historical stabbings, I’ve included it with the question below.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: In setting the table for the Thanksgiving repast, there is some debate about which way the knife should face. One of the family recalled that in time of war, the blade faces outward; in time of peace, it faces inward. Another opinion suggested that it always is toward the plate. Your guidance please, sage lady?

GENTLE READER: It is always good to be prepared, and in case of attack you wouldn’t want to have to take the time to turn your knife around.

However, at the Thanksgiving table, any attack is likely to come from one of your relatives. And we want to discourage patricide (even of fathers whose carving destroys the turkey and who keep the drumsticks for themselves), infanticide (even of babies who have been crying steadily for half an hour), and aunticide (even for those whose idea of conversation is, “Isn’t it about time you got married?” and, “I see you’ve put on some weight”).Mealtime stabbings are considered bad form, even at Thanksgiving. In 1669, Louis XIV of France decreed that knives must be rounded at top, not threateningly pointed. (Oh, wait, that was to stop people from using their knives to pick their teeth.)

The rule is that regardless of what else is going on in the world, the table is set with knife blades facing in.