DE Blades and Airport Security

I travel excessively for work, and for the past 6 months or so have always brought along one of my DE razors loaded with a blade (I usually don't bring extras for my normal 3 day trips) and I have never had a problem until today.

The most interesting sight was to see the local TSA agent figure out how to take a part and old Gillette 3-piece in order to get the blade out.

I looked up the TSA rules and it does say that razors "not in a cartridge" are prohibited - however it does state that "Safety razors are excluded" from that rule. Since they do not specifically define "safety razors", I am not sure if DE's are included in that exclusion.

In any case - what have other members experience been with traveling with DE razor blades?

Simple answer...
There not allowed .
Put that kind of gear in your check in luggage.

The Wiki page has a lot of good info. I've only traveled by air with disposable razors (BIC Metals), as I travel only overnight on business. This has come up a number of times on the forum.

Outside the niche of online hobbyists, a "safety razor" is a plastic disposable or something similar. The rule is pretty clear - no razor blades on a plane.

Basically, you're lucky you didn't get detained or worse - in this day and age there's no way you can expect them to let you on a plane with a loose razor blade.

They are not allowed. But I have found that for the most part, the security people do not check. It seems that about 80% of the time, they don't even look at my safety razor. I've never tried bringing blades in my carry on because I wouldn't want to take any risks crossing paths with one of the security folks.

Thank you for links to the information. One would think that as much as I travel I would have checked before now (ahem... note to self).

I guess I just figured that since 9 inch stainless steel knitting needles are now allowed my razor would be.

Now I have to go buy some kind of razor to travel with.

Thanks all

I have never been hassled. I always do everything by the book so I can get though the checkpoints as fast as possible.

I only carry on Bics. I take a handful. They give an ok shave, and they are cheap too.

Check a bag.
If it's business travel, any baggage charge is reimbursable.
I won't compromise my great shaves with a plastic thingie.
Thanks but no thanks.

There is another option if you do not want to check your bag ("reimbursable" or not, checking a bag is going to cost you time and hassle you don't need). Here's what I (a 25-year road warrior veteran) have done since 9/11 when I don't want to check my bag ...

I put my razor blades, pocket knife, and a couple other items in a small priority-mail package and mail it to the hotel addressed:

HOLD FOR: [My Name]
Checking in [Check in Date]
[Hotel Name]
Address
State, city zip

I include a pre-addressed, stamped, padded envelope to drop in the mail the day of my departure. Usually I just drop the envelope at the front desk on my way out. Note that I can still carry my razor in my carry-on, sans the blade. This has NEVER failed! When traveling overseas, I pack one disposable (AUUUGGHH!!) and can usually pick blades up locally.

Give it a try. The couple bucks you spend on postage is worth it. BTW ... I cannot count the number of times I have had my checked luggage pilfered!

I'm traveling at the beginning of June. Since I am loathe to check bags, I will mail a few blades to the concierge at the hotel I'm staying at. Most hotels are happy to hold an envelope for you, free of charge.

Rocketeer said:

There is another option if you do not want to check your bag ("reimbursable" or not, checking a bag is going to cost you time and hassle you don't need). Here's what I (a 25-year road warrior veteran) have done since 9/11 when I don't want to check my bag ...

I put my razor blades, pocket knife, and a couple other items in a small priority-mail package and mail it to the hotel addressed:

HOLD FOR: [My Name]
Checking in [Check in Date]
[Hotel Name]
Address
State, city zip

I include a pre-addressed, stamped, padded envelope to drop in the mail the day of my departure. Usually I just drop the envelope at the front desk on my way out. Note that I can still carry my razor in my carry-on, sans the blade. This has NEVER failed! When traveling overseas, I pack one disposable (AUUUGGHH!!) and can usually pick blades up locally.

Give it a try. The couple bucks you spend on postage is worth it. BTW ... I cannot count the number of times I have had my checked luggage pilfered!

Click to expand...

That really is a great Option if you know where you're going to stay and know several days in advance.

I don't find checking a bag to be a hassle, but that's just me.

I'm on the road a lot, and checking a bag allows me the additional space to have a change of clothes, shoes, odds and ends that I didn't previously carry.

I've been in a travelling job for 35 years and have never had anything taken from my baggage.

As much as I would rather shave with a DE (or a straight) I wouldn't dream of messing with security at an airport and trying to smuggle a blade through. Spending the next 40 years submitting to regular cavity searches is not my idea of fun.

The idea that you could use flimsy DE blades as any kind of weapon is a ludicrous joke.

Unfortunately, airline screeners are prohibited by law from possessing on their person any form of sense of humor.

Fairlight said:

The idea that you could use flimsy DE blades as any kind of weapon is a ludicrous joke.

Unfortunately, airline screeners are prohibited by law from possessing on their person any form of sense of humor.

Click to expand...

The pictures below are improvised weapons made from razor blades and confiscated from inmates in prison.
While most of the examples below are quite complicated, it just is there to illustrate that they CAN be used as a weapon.
Weaving the blade in the teeth of a comb seems pretty quick though.
A sit down and a few moments thought and I came up with several more examples of uncomplicated and easy to fabricate weapons that could be made from carry on articles, as long as you had a blade.
I understand what you mean though, I am personally irritated that you can bring a stainless steel ball point pen on a plane, but not a pair of nail clippers, but hey - rules are rules.
We can lobby for change, but until the change is made, it is what it is.
.
.

Rocketeer said:

... BTW ... I cannot count the number of times I have had my checked luggage pilfered!

Click to expand...

I hear they now have Mistletoe at the baggage check area for departing flights at Heathrow Airport in London - so you can kiss your bags goodbye.

This comes up a lot, and one thing that seems to confuse people is the exact definition of "safety razor". I don't claim to have the answer, but I have interpreted it to mean the thing that holds the blades, excluding the blades themselves. So my Schick Krona, Schick injectors, and Gem 1912s are all okay, but if they have blades in them, not okay.

Whether or not my personal interpretation is correct, I can tell you from experience that this is how the guards who actually search your luggage also interpret it.

It would be nice if I could get reimbursed for the cost of checked luggage, but when I have flown recently it has been on personal trips, and I don't want to pay $50 to take my razor blades when I can just mail them ahead. My last vacation, I drove my car, so no problem there.

By the way, usually these threads will contain a helpful suggestion from somebody who claims that blades in injector razors are okay. This is apparently not the case. You may get away with taking one because the searchers will mistake it for a cartridge, but don't count on it. There must be some B&B people who work for TSA and wil recognize it for what it is. The blades can be removed without an injector key, and could pose a danger similar to SE or DE blades.

Slivovitz said:

This comes up a lot, and one thing that seems to confuse people is the exact definition of "safety razor". I don't claim to have the answer, but I have interpreted it to mean the thing that holds the blades, excluding the blades themselves. So my Schick Krona, Schick injectors, and Gem 1912s are all okay, but if they have blades in them, not okay.

Whether or not my personal interpretation is correct, I can tell you from experience that this is how the guards who actually search your luggage also interpret it.

It would be nice if I could get reimbursed for the cost of checked luggage, but when I have flown recently it has been on personal trips, and I don't want to pay $50 to take my razor blades when I can just mail them ahead. My last vacation, I drove my car, so no problem there.

By the way, usually these threads will contain a helpful suggestion from somebody who claims that blades in injector razors are okay. This is apparently not the case. You may get away with taking one because the searchers will mistake it for a cartridge, but don't count on it. There must be some B&B people who work for TSA and wil recognize it for what it is. The blades can be removed without an injector key, and could pose a danger similar to SE or DE blades.

Click to expand...

I agree with you, I think personal travel is a whole 'nother ball o' wax, you usually know where you're going and know some time in advance.
For me, and my business travel, I often don't know for certain where I'm going to be, and even if I do, it might be only 1 day in advance of the trip.

Driving is much easier as far as baggage goes.

If I check my bags, I take the razor with me, and place blades in checked baggage. If I am carrying on, I resign myself to an M3 with my brush in a travel tube, and shave cream in a small plastic bottle. I honestly don't think that anyone would be arrested for carrying a double edge blade. However, I don't want to find out if I am right.

luvmysuper said:

I understand what you mean though, I am personally irritated that you can bring a stainless steel ball point pen on a plane, but not a pair of nail clippers, but hey - rules are rules.
We can lobby for change, but until the change is made, it is what it is.
.
.

Click to expand...

Yes, this is my point exactly. There are lots of things that are more effective weapons. All those prison improvised weapons look nasty... but it would be rather difficult to actually kill someone. They're disfiguring but not really lethal unless you get lucky. Compare this to a ballpoint pen or steel knitting needle which is already an effective lethal weapon. Your DE handle is probably a more effective weapon WITHOUT a blade than with... They're strong and the rounded top of the head makes a good t-handle with which to drive it into someone's eyesocket. Messy? Yes. Impractical? Yes. Lethal? Also yes. (Provided you don't limp-wrist it.) Even if you are not trying to kill, the small surface area of the end of the handle will greatly multiply the force you can apply with a punch.

My issue with the current screening processes is actually that they are intended to make people think of airport security as arduous and comprehensive through inconvenience rather than to actually prevent undesirable items/substances from getting on the plane. Remember that guy a few months ago who managed to smuggle a couple of ounces of PETN in his underwear? Be glad he didn't bring a detonator that worked.

The problem is that nobody is willing to tell the public "Here is what reasonable precautions look like, and beyond that you aren't really preventing attacks anymore."

The funniest thing, though, was when an American friend of mine came up by plane to visit me in Canada. She had this to say of Canadian airport security: "They violated me so politely!"

Seriously, airlines already have a safety record WELL above and beyond passenger automobiles. The few incidents that happen are just much more visible. The current security precautions are not in line with the actual risk. I say we need less screening and more Sky Marshalls.

I have had a similar experience. I traveled through 2 airports and never had any problems. I had one loaded in the razor and a 5 pack of derbys. I got stopped in Atlanta by TSA. The TSA agent removed the blade from the razor but left the rest of my 5 pack of razor blades in my toiletry bag. I thought that was awful considerate of him personally. I learned that when the TSA states "safety razor" they really mean a BIC disposable type with a fixed blade that cannot by natural means be removed. So, like the other gentleman said...checked baggage is okay!

-James