Blades on planes. Woohoo!!!!!

[Bailey Guns]

Fair enough...except the "no to all" part because you'd be at a disadvantage. That's your problem...not mine. Or maybe that was tongue-in-cheek?

[mtnrider]

[Aloha_Shooter]

The only knives I own that small have locking blades because y'know, it's SAFER when the blade can lock into place. I think it's kind of stupid to have to check a common utility knife but this rule really isn't much better (if any) than the ban. As far as firearms go, sure, I'd love to be able to carry my piece on board with me but I also know there are a lot of stupid wankers out there responsible for NDs every year so I'm okay with having to check it too. I could see room for having some kind of safety certification to enable you to carry onboard but honestly, it's just not going to happen with this administration so not worth the gray hairs even thinking about it. I'd rather get emotionally worked up over that jackass Holder continuing to be AG and the stupid gun laws being passed in Denver.

[Mick-Boy]

On a side note, Emerson Knives just announced on their FB page that they've got a TSA compliant knife in the works. So if you want a good blade that you can carry on a plane, that's an option.

After dropping the coin on an Emerson I'd give the TSA a couple of months to sort out their new policy before trying to take it through security though.

To all of our friends,
I am proud to announce the introduction of our new TSA Compliant knife, “The Hummingbird”.If you know anything about hummingbirds you should know this. It’s a little bird with a BIG attitude.I’ve seen them drive blackbirds and crows out of their territory. Now that’s not saying this knife is small. It’s just not large. The blade is fully compliant with the size requirements of the TSA but the handle is quite a bit bigger than you might expect. In keeping with my core philosophy that every knife I design will always be a fully functional capable (read between the lines) tool, I beefed-up the handle so that you could get a good grip on it should ever have to use it in a “high stress” situation. The handle may seem a bit thick to some but again to put it simply, “If I can’t feel it in my hand, I can’t grip it in my hand.” If you travel but never want to feel alone, you’ll love to have The Emerson Hummingbird as your pocket partner.
Stay Safe, Stay Vigilant,
Ernest Emerson

[Mick-Boy]

A knife can be a great defensive tool in a tight space. Even with the restrictions these idiots are imposing. It all has to start with your mindset though.

I've been flying internationally 4-6 times a year since '06. I've never felt like I was "unarmed".

Just remember that a plane is a tight, tubular space. Any weapon or strike that requires swinging motions to do the most damage (like the oxygen tanks that are on all flights...) will be of limited use, especially if there is more than one passenger trying to tune up whoever is acting a fool. Most ground fighting techniques would either be useless or need to be heavily modified because of the space available and the risk of more than one threat. A lot of throws and any kicks that aren't some variation of a straight thrust kick would be useless.

The metal ball point pen from the hotel. A tightly rolled magazine. The Surefire E2d in my pocket. They can all be used to devastating effect with a little know-how and the right mindset.

A small folding knife could be useful. But having one or not certainly isn't the deciding factor.