Pocketknives Back on 'Planes?

L

Lone Star

New member
THIS IS NOT A JOKE!

TSA is taking public comment as to whether knives to five inches (closed?) should be allowed back in passengers' pockets on commercial flights. If you, like me, want to again carry a pocketknife on a 'plane, PLEASE call (202) 282-8495, which is Homeland Security's public comment line, and leave a message.

My local newspaper, which is also anti-gun (like most), has already editorialized against this, so call NOW if you want to be heard!

Lone Star
 
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8989156

"Some airline security experts support the idea, saying screeners should spend more time looking for greater hazards, like explosives."

"Members of the Air Line Pilots Association, meeting Wednesday in Washington, say they’d support loosening the restrictions."
 
"Some airline security experts support the idea, saying screeners should spend more time looking for greater hazards, like explosives."
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Makes sense passengers armed with knives can at least be somewhat effective against terrorist with knives, but probably would not do much good against bombs.
 
But nothing can stop a terrorist armed with razor-sharp nail clippers - so wear your flak jackets if you see somebody with those on board your plane.
 
The world changed on 9/11 and the mind set of just about everyone with it. I am willing to bet that everyone would have gotten up to fight the terrorists, regardless if the flight attendant got killed for it had they know the kijackers were going to ram the planes into buildings. The mindset before was keep cool and do what they said. Let them make their demands and then blow their heads off with an entry team once they land. A hijacking is better than just blowing up the plane because at least there was a chance to negotiate. Like I said, those days are over.

My concern is a 5" blade is still a formidable weapon. Can you be sure that only the good guys ar carrying knives? Will it result in a greater chance for someone to try and hijack a plane? If a terrorist trained at a knife fighting art such as escrima, the damage would be pretty bad even if they could not get to through the cockpit doors.

I think that restricting nail clippers is a bit absurd but I would limit the length to 3 inches at most. I'm not going to count on having sky marshalls or trained knife fighters (good guys) to stop the carnage right away. Bad idea.
 
My concern is a 5" blade is still a formidable weapon.
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A knife that was 5" closed would typically have a 3" balde which was allowed before the hijackings

I don't remember where I read this but I believe that it also had to have a straight or non serrated edge and could not be a fixed blade such as a small neck knife
 
My concern is a 5" blade is still a formidable weapon.

I think that restricting nail clippers is a bit absurd but I would limit the length to 3 inches at most. I'm not going to count on having sky marshalls or trained knife fighters (good guys) to stop the carnage right away. Bad idea.
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My feeling is that if we were dealing with this escrima-trained perfect weapon assassin guy, he's gonna be every bit as lethal with a 3" blade as with a 5" blade, dude.

I don't see the need, then, for lopping off those extra 2". It's pretty irrelevant, unless you're going to claim that a Spyderco Native's blade can't be made to puncture the heart when thrust up under the solar plexus, or that a Delica can't be used to slice right on through a throat/neck artery. How deeply does someone need to be cut near the groin to reach the femoral artery?

Do you forget that the compressibility of flesh enables 3" knife blades to penetrate FAR deeper than just 3" under the surface of non-compressed flesh?

Let's please try to remain realistic. Limiting blades from 5" down to 3" for the reason you cited makes no more sense than claiming that a 10 round ammunition limit on magazines made anyone safer.

-blackmind
 
My feeling is that if we were dealing with this escrima-trained perfect weapon assassin guy, he's gonna be every bit as lethal with a 3" blade as with a 5" blade, dude.
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If he was going to go through that much training couldn't he just grab one of the flashlights from the wall next to one of the jump seats to use as a bludgeon type weapon, or sharpen the edge of one of his credit cards.
What about one of those big western rodeo belt buckles. In HS I wore one made of a lead alloy for that purpose.
The 9/11 terrorists used knives because they could disallow them knives and they will find an alternative.

The problem now is we know better than to just sit there quietly hoping that commandos will be there when we land.

The pentagon flight proved that. I think the passengers just got the message to late.
But wasn't the shoe bomber subdued by passengers? If one of them had had a knife and knew how and was willing to use it we may have been spared an expensive trial
 
or sharpen the edge of one of his credit cards.
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Burt Reynolds' character in the movie "Stick" used such a thing to great effectiveness.

You might find it in the cheapo bin at Walmart. It's worth the $5.50 + tax.

-blackmind
 
You might find it in the cheapo bin at Walmart. It's worth the $5.50 + tax.
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The movie or a sharpened credit card?
I heard about it on another forum and tried it, don't know about flesh but it cuts paper and boxes pretty good
 
joab said:
A knife that was 5" closed would typically have a 3" balde which was allowed before the hijackings
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Most knives I have (and I have quite a few) have blade lengths almost equivalent to the handle length. These include Benchmades, Cold Steels, and Gerbers. Most of the other knives I have seen have blades that are practically as long as the handle.

Blackmind said:
My feeling is that if we were dealing with this escrima-trained perfect weapon assassin guy, he's gonna be every bit as lethal with a 3" blade as with a 5" blade, dude.

I don't see the need, then, for lopping off those extra 2". It's pretty irrelevant, unless you're going to claim that a Spyderco Native's blade can't be made to puncture the heart when thrust up under the solar plexus, or that a Delica can't be used to slice right on through a throat/neck artery. How deeply does someone need to be cut near the groin to reach the femoral artery?
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If you add the handle length to the overall length of the knife, those 2" would make a difference. You are talking about a almost 9" overall length knife with a 5" close length versus 6" overall length with a 3 inch closed knife. I know a well trained martial artist would still be pretty effective but they would be less effective with the smaller blade. I'm not even sure I feel any knives should be allowed back on. Why tempt some idiot to even try to take over the plane and get people hurt for no reason? Nail clippers and the like is going overboard though.

I think lighters were restricted because of the attempted shoe bomber. Its getting tougher and tougher these days. Pretty soon, they are probably going to restrict carry ons altogether and make everyone fly naked... after they go through cavity searches. :eek: I think I'm going to start driving to more destinations!
 
If a weapons trained dude is dealing with 30-40 pissed off passengers with knives...I dont think his training is going to be very effective unless he can clone himself in a hurry.
 
Think how many years it was when we could carry knives on planes. Who was it that used them in the wrong way?

That's right. It was not the Americans. And today, no one would put up with that crap. Like I have always said. "Flying? Leave your civil rights behind."

I am amazed that here on the ground most know the fallacy of weapon control. Yet it seems in the air many of you get sucked into the lie.

Do you folks really believe that an airport is "secure"? Please. I have worked here at the Airport. People walk around that airport all the time with no control. It would be very easy to get knives/guns/ etc on the plane. Not hard at all. There is nothing that the TSA can do about it.
 
You should be scared of the lies the gov. feeds us. Like I said, the airport has more holes in it than swiss cheese. We carried knives for years on the plane. Perhaps a few well armed Kershaw carries could have changed the course of history.

Once you shut the aircraft door, the only way to stop the aircraft threat is to shoot it down.

Is that the only option you want?
 
Myup. Gotta go with Ptown on this one.

Random example (out of hundred accrued during a one-month globe-hop in March/April of this year).

LAX to SFO: My Big Obelisk of Heat (17" Toshiba laptop) was the subject of some scrutiny. SecO wanted to check that it was, in fact, a laptop. Their ultimate test of this? Switching it on to see if it boots. Now, that's just pathetic. The darn thing has three removable bays! Any one of those - or indeed, just the interstices of the machine itself - could have been stuffed with plastique or even just home-mixed thermite, without in any way compromising it's ability to boot.

If your intention is to destroy the plane, it's an absolute breeze. A no-brainer.

Hell, carrying something lengthy and sharp aboard an airliner is as simple as winding duct-tape around one end of a broken peice of glass and sewing it into your jacket sleeve!

Really, there is no security in the "security measure" the civillian flyer is forced to endure.
 
Most knives I have (and I have quite a few) have blade lengths almost equivalent to the handle length. These include Benchmades, Cold Steels, and Gerbers. Most of the other knives I have seen have blades that are practically as long as the handle.
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I was semi wrong all the knives I've just measured have appx a 1" difference between the closed length and the blade length with the closed length being longer

Still 3" is a fairly formidable weapon for close quarters
 
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