Can I Pack a Bowie Knife in My Suitcase When Flying?

November 22nd, 2009

Can I Pack a Bowie Knife in My Suitcase When Flying?

Air travel has certainly become more troublesome since 9/11. However, most travelers would agree that the new restrictions are not without cause. That said, understanding these new restrictions can be a bit problematic. For instance, are you allowed to carry a bowie knife aboard a plane? You might be surprised by the answer to that question - yes, you can. However, you’ll have to follow some special rules setup by the TSA to maintain safety aboard planes.

How do you go about carrying your bowie knife on the plane? First, don’t put it in your carryon bag, or wear it on your belt. These are sure ways to be stopped and investigated by the airport security personnel. In order to transport your knife aboard an airplane, you will need to put it in your checked baggage and leave it with the ticket desk. You should also ask whether or not sharp objects need to be declared. Firearms, ammunition and even paintball guns are required to be declared, so your knife might also.

However, you cannot just toss your knife in your suitcase. You must follow TSA guidelines to ensure that your knife arrives safe and sound (well, as safe as possible) at your destination. What are these guidelines? First, your knife must be sheathed. Naked blades cannot be transported aboard planes in any form whatsoever.

What if you are not taking any checked luggage? If you’re only going for a short trip, or just like to travel light, it’s pretty common to only take carryon baggage with you. If this scenario sounds familiar, you should consider shipping your knife ahead, through UPS or FedEx. However, you should check the freight carrier’s weapons policy before attempting to ship that bowie knife ahead.

As you can see, taking that bowie knife with you is not as difficult as you might have thought. Of course, these rules might pose a problem if you were only going to take a carryon bag and didn’t intend to have any checked baggage. In this case, consider shipping your knife ahead to your destination if possible.

Dylan Sabot is the owner of an online bowie hunting knives store featuring the Cold Steel training knife. Additionally, Dylan is also the President of an online humidors store.