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The Tale of My Antique Letter Opener & Airport Security

I do a bit of traveling on commercial airlines and one day knew I'd forget to take one of my blades out from my briefcase. It was inevitable. While I do have two briefcases- one for work and one for knife shows- it was having knives in my work one that I worried about.

Yes, I tend to use my briefcase to carry knives in- typically though I use it for hauling the ones sent to my office for me to take home (eBay purchases). But I've always worried one day I'd have a "keeper" in it that I forgot to take out, only to watch our buddies from TSA take it from me at the airport.

Well, the other day I flew into Charlotte, NC for a meeting. Got in on time and headed to the hotel. Later than night I was digging through my briefcase and discovered my antique Robeson Cutlery Co, pearl handled, letter opener. Oh my gosh... while not an extreme tactical knife or really even a weapon, per se, even still it is more dangerous than the dinner knife from first class.

It has a dagger type fixed blade that is 9 inches OAL and 11 inches with the pen blade open.

Crap, I brought my letter opener and made it through security somehow- what the heck do I do now? I had a decision to make about what I was going to do with it. Do I go through the headache of shipping it from the hotel home? Do I give it to someone at the hotel? Or do I take my changes and try to get it back through security on my trip home.

Well, I decided the later. I was going to take my chances and hope they don't take my treasured vintage letter opener.

I know they'd keep it if they found it. Good grief, they keep the little bitty swiss army knives from folks everyday, so I know they'd keep this baby.

So, I placed it exactly in the same spot in my briefcase. Maybe I figured it somehow was shielded from the X-ray there. I made sure the same stuff was around it too. My iPad was sitting on top of it and it was surrounded by all my cords and chargers (computer, iPhone, iPad, earbuds, etc.

I got in line to clear security behind my business associate. I hadn't told him of my dilemma yet, but sure wanted to, in case they took me away to interrogate me for a couple of hours...at least he'd know. But I decided not to breath a word and just do what I've done hundreds of times before....just walk right through acting nonchalant and like a real businessman would :)

It was now my time to put all my stuff on the belt heading into the X-ray machine. I unloaded my computer, took off my coat and shoes, emptied my pockets and headed through the body scanner while my Robeson was on its own.

I got to the other side in time to watch my bags as they were X-rayed. The technician watched the screen intently as I held my breath. I had to resign myself that they'd take it from me if they saw it. I didn't expect them to grab me and lock me down once they saw it or anything, but even still I bought this baby off eBay years ago because I liked it (got a liking for the old Robeson knife brand too), plus I used it all the time.

Long story short- it made it! Yes, I'd successfully taken my long letter opener through airport security- again! It came out the other side and I quickly stuffed all my items back where they belonged, put on my shoes and quickly got out of there.

While I'm trilled they didn't take it from me, I hate the thought of being able to get something like this through all those security guys- especially considering their job it to find "dangerous items" from boarding planes.

Here you go- my Robeson Cutlery Co. letter opener and it's still mine!

Tags: airport, letter-opener, robeson, security

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Comment by Bill Harvey on September 15, 2010 at 9:31: Heaven help us all. Have to say you were lucky Andy. If I figure out how to up-load and publish a picture, I'll show you what nefarious weapon -on my key chain w/ a blade 3/4" long (I measured)- that got me all cross threaded with Deputy Pecker-Head at our local county courthouse.

Figured it out -the black line is the actual cutting edge
-and t'other key is to my wee Mazda pick-up.

In Memoriam Comment by Scott King on September 14, 2010 at 18:50: Good story Andrew. I totally understand!

Comment by J.J. Smith III on September 8, 2010 at 10:52: No need to wonder why I don't fly...

In Memoriam Comment by D ale on September 8, 2010 at 9:49: .. used to find ink erasures & such on business trips .. just stashed em in the briefcase & forgot about them till home .. yeah, pre 9/11

.. now I've a 6" stainless steel rule that slides in next to the calculator .. kinda sharp beyond 4" .. go figure ..

Comment by Jason Hak on September 6, 2010 at 21:02: Wow, great story I am very surprised! I was a supervisor for TSA after 9/11 for a very large International airport for about 4 years and have some very good ideas why this is getting through the X-ray machines.

The X-Ray machines have changed so much since I have worked for them but it is still the same theory. If you put things through so the technician is looking at it from the top or if they are looking at it from the side really makes a difference. It also can be tough to make out dangerous objects depending on the chemical make0up of the item, if it's an organic item or a non-organic item and a combination of the two and of course what is around that object in your bag.

You did something very smart to try and get something through an X-Ray machine that you don't want the man to have. I am going to cut and paste a paragraph from your letter because this is exactly what to do. "So, I placed it exactly in the same spot in my briefcase. Maybe I figured it somehow was shielded from the X-ray there. I made sure the same stuff was around it too. My iPad was sitting on top of it and it was surrounded by all my cords and chargers (computer, iPhone, iPad, earbuds, etc" Usually when someone would do this we would seperate items and run them back through the x-ray machine because some of the metals in computers and especially the batteries are so opaque you can't see through them or things can look as if they belong or are part of something they are not. X-Rays are great for flat items or just mildly layered items but when you get into stacking several thing ontop of each other especially electronics, wires, batteries and other metalic items the x-ray operator has to have a good idea and/or imagenation of the proper make-up of items.

I would not try it to many more times especially with something of value, because you will get that one x-ray operator that will catch it and we all know what happens then.

Thanks you so much for sharing your experience.
Sincerely,
Jason
(hakjason)