Swiss Army Knife

[Heckler]

After the saga of losing my old swiss army knife at Faro airport, I remembered that I had a really old battered broken one somewhere. I found it. It was the original one from the late 70s. It had a two broken knife blades and was seriously battered. I did a google on refurb. Burton McCall are the main peeps for them in the UK. Phoned them up. Yes sir, we do do refurbs, send it in and we will give you a price to sort it. If it is of sentimental value and you want the same knife back it has to go to Switzerland, takes 8 weeks, fixed cost of £9.98.
Of it went. Today it arrived back, all the old bits in a bag and a nice shiny, indistinguishable from new with a slight smear of grease on the pivot points knife. I am chuffed to little mintballs!
Stu

 

[ghostlymoron]

I've got two as well. One bought in Switzerland and one bought more recently at junk shop in Peel IoM. Most useful tool I own and fantastically well made.

 

[rotrax]

I've got two as well. One bought in Switzerland and one bought more recently at junk shop in Peel IoM. Most useful tool I own and fantastically well made.

Last year at Malta's airport I realised I had not put my much prized and loved SAK in the hold bag-it was in my pocket.

I unfolded my wallet, put it in the centre and put my rather large metal belt buckle on top of the wallet in the plastic box.

It went through, came out the other side-not a squeak!

Phew...........................

 

[st599]

Last year at Malta's airport I realised I had not put my much prized and loved SAK in the hold bag-it was in my pocket.

I unfolded my wallet, put it in the centre and put my rather large metal belt buckle on top of the wallet in the plastic box.

It went through, came out the other side-not a squeak!

Phew...........................

I had one taken away at GVA. Bought a new one at the Victorinox shop in departures.

 

[Babylon]

The SAK Huntsman: I've had the same one for thirty years. Never thought I'd actually use the saw bit, but it became exactly the right tool for relieving an opening in 18mm marine ply deep down in the boat!

Question: if one has a piece of kit (such as this) confiscated by airport security, is there a method of getting it back on one's return to the UK? Else is the stuff (i) destroyed, (ii) shared between airport security staff, or (iii) sold?

 

[Babylon]

Duh! Google answered the question for me: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/10085910/What-happens-to-items-lost-at-airports.html

 

[Heckler]

p

The SAK Huntsman: I've had the same one for thirty years. Never thought I'd actually use the saw bit, but it became exactly the right tool for relieving an opening in 18mm marine ply deep down in the boat!

Question: if one has a piece of kit (such as this) confiscated by airport security, is there a method of getting it back on one's return to the UK? Else is the stuff (i) destroyed, (ii) shared between airport security staff, or (iii) sold?

The saws work extremely well! I dunno what happens after it goes in the bin like mine did. Wish Id been a bit quicker on the ball, could have put it in one of the liquid bags with a business card and asked the staff to put it in the hold.
S

 

[Bathdave]

I was extremely concerned last month when I got stopped at southampton airport with my long-owned SAK in my hand luggage, unbeknownst to me ...I had used the bag to go to the boat a couple of days earlier.

The security staff could see that (a) I was surprised it was in my bag and (b) I was upset that I would have it confiscated having had it many years.

They took it off to measure the blade, came back and said that it was 5.8cm and that was ok as the limit was 6cm, and gave it back. I had assumed you couldn't take one on, and it would be confiscated

so if it happens to you, challenge them on measuring the blade.

I never got to the bottom of how I got through jersey airport security earlier in the day...

 

[Binman]

Funny world, when I visited India, on leaving after all the checks at customs, passing into there duty free, I was surprised to find I could buy a sheave knife,

 

[st599]

Funny world, when I visited India, on leaving after all the checks at customs, passing into there duty free, I was surprised to find I could buy a sheave knife,

You can in Geneva too.

 

[Dave-Shafa]

 

[ghostlymoron]

I had the very small knife from my Swiss army card confiscated at Athens airport. The blade was about 60mm long. incidentally I was told that I would be able to reclaim it at manchester. manchester reclaim had no idea what i was talking about and presumably the knife was bins in athens.

 

[colind3782]

A friend who is a 757 Captain had his Leatherman confiscated at Manchester. While he was pre-flighting in the cockpit, one of the groundstaff handed him a jiffy bag with his Leatherman inside and instructed him to give it to himself at the destination.

 

[ghostlymoron]

He was lucky. A pilot has recently been suspended and faces prosecution for attempting to carry a knife onto a plane.

 

[colind3782]

It was a while ago, just post 911, when it was all quite fresh.

 

[Babylon]

He was lucky. A pilot has recently been suspended and faces prosecution for attempting to carry a knife onto a plane.

RFC pilots in Sopwith Pups etc were issued with hammers to clear jams in their Vickers machine guns...

 

[Shearwater]

My Swiss chum tells me that only a Swiss military officer is entitled to have a SAK with a corkscrew in CH. If you have one, you are honoured.

 

[titian]

Buy a Wenger: better scissors.

 

[VicS]

Buy a Wenger: better scissors.

isn't Wenger a footballer. Plays for arsenal ??? Or am I getting mixed up with David Blackman ?


BTW my SAK has a corkscrew!

 

[planteater]

He was lucky. A pilot has recently been suspended and faces prosecution for attempting to carry a knife onto a plane.

I don't actually have a problem with that!