Airline travel and Safety Razors

I have to go for a business trip next month and would be rather upset if the TSA person told my new safety razor away from me.

The TSA webpage (and various posts) claim that a DE is acceptable in a carry-on bag, but the rules are not always distributed to all personal - and these are the guys that are afraid of a glass of water...

Does anyone have experience with travel in this sense that they can share with me?

Thanks
-m

You can take the razor (the part you hold on to) in your carry on. You cannot take the blade in a carry on only checked baggage.

I would think that you can keep the razor as long as you do not have any blades. If you do, the only thing they can do is take the blades as a DE isn't dangerous unloaded. The best thing would be to check your gear under the plane, mail some blades to your destination or buy some blades when you get there.

Luc said:

I would think that you can keep the razor as long as you do not have any blades. If you do, the only thing they can do is take the blades as a DE isn't dangerous unloaded. The best thing would be to check your gear under the plane, mail some blades to your destination or buy some blades when you get there.

Click to expand...

+1 on that. Just put your razor and blades in your checked baggage and just worry about the airlines losing it. You best bet would be to put the blades in your dopp bag and place it in your checked baggage. Carry your razor with you in your carry on. When you go through security, take the razor out with it opened up in a plastic bag and so the TSA guy or gal can look at it and see that there isn't a blade in it.

You can take the razor but cannot take the blades.

RayH said:

+1 on that. Just put your razor and blades in your checked baggage and just worry about the airlines losing it. You best bet would be to put the blades in your dopp bag and place it in your checked baggage. Carry your razor with you in your carry on. When you go through security, take the razor out with it opened up in a plastic bag and so the TSA guy or gal can look at it and see that there isn't a blade in it.

Click to expand...

i'd put the DE under the plane too if possible. TSA isnt known for its consistancy in applying these rules. Youre theres a chance you get some goober who doesnt care that theres no blade in it confiscating it.

Generally they wont if you show them its unloaded - but you never know, and for that reason I would take a 3 piece and have it travel dissasembled so it doesnt even look like a razor anymore.

Are you of minimal intelligence,looking for a dead end job? Well, TSA is for you!
These idiots are unbelievable in their idiocy, ignorance! As an active duty soldier, in uniform, I was subjected to numerous inane questions, searches, etc..
We'd be better off if we hired vegetables to guard us.

Throw it all in your checked baggage. I had an impromptu flight recently where I didn't have any checked baggage. They took the blades (knew that was going to happen), almost took my brush, and took my 80% full TOBS Shave Cream. I guess a solid mass of sandalwood is a threat to national security.

grumpy old codger said:

Are you of minimal intelligence,looking for a dead end job? Well, TSA is for you!
These idiots are unbelievable in their idiocy, ignorance! As an active duty soldier, in uniform, I was subjected to numerous inane questions, searches, etc..
We'd be better off if we hired vegetables to guard us.

Click to expand...

You must look suspicious...

Corey said:

Throw it all in your checked baggage. I had an impromptu flight recently where I didn't have any checked baggage. They took the blades (knew that was going to happen), almost took my brush, and took my 80% full TOBS Shave Cream. I guess a solid mass of sandalwood is a threat to national security.

Click to expand...

It's a shame to loose a TOBS shave cream tube or tub...

Corey said:

They took the blades (knew that was going to happen), almost took my brush, and took my 80% full TOBS Shave Cream. I guess a solid mass of sandalwood is a threat to national security.

Click to expand...

In their defense, sandalwood-scented C4/RDX/PETN is a common diversionary tactic among Sri Lankan rebels. Plus, it lathers acceptably well (but that stuff gives you a headache if you breathe it in)...





...nah, I'm just BSing you. That's a total crock, but because the creams are semi-liquid, they count against the 3-oz rule. Better to travel with a shave stick.

I should put it in my signature, but here's the wiki page on air travel with razors.

soapbox said:

In their defense, sandalwood-scented C4/RDX/PETN is a common diversionary tactic among Sri Lankan rebels. Plus, it lathers acceptably well (but that stuff gives you a headache if you breathe it in)...





...nah, I'm just BSing you. That's a total crock, but because the creams are semi-liquid, they count against the 3-oz rule. Better to travel with a shave stick.

I should put it in my signature, but here's the wiki page on air travel with razors.

Click to expand...

Yep.

You've showed amazing restraint there Hulkster.



Tho, I"m a bit concerned about your non-trivial knowledge about Sri Lankan rebels.

edit: re. 3 oz rule.. .what if the cream is a non-newtonian liquid and the stress of security causes it to solidify?

RichGem said:

Tho, I'm a bit concerned about your non-trivial knowledge about Sri Lankan rebels.

Click to expand...

You should be more concerned about my knowledge of commercial and non-commercial explosives.

soapbox said:

You should be more concerned about my knowledge of commercial and non-commercial explosives.

Click to expand...

Now that you mention it....

I know it's not optimum but there is no way in hell I am going to let the airport folks take my HD or my Gold Ball Tech. For me, I am just going to make due with a Bic Sensitive Disposal and maybe take a soap and brush but probably just a travel size of Barbasol.

For short trips that will work well enough for me. I have gotten fine shaves from Bic Disposables--they're single bladed and approximate a DE shave pretty well. TSA probably doesn't pay much attention to them (although who knows these days)...

But I can certainly understand why you'd want to take your good Dopp gear. Hard to give up that luxury!!!

Marty E.

When I'm flying with just a carry-on, I pack a shave stick and my DE without blades. I usually buy blades when I get where I'm going (check on line for retailers before heading out). As somebody said, you can mail them to yourself too. I also decant everything else into small bottles (AS, etc.) to keep it under the 3.4 oz limit and put them into a one quart freezer bag inside my shaving kit. I haven't ever had any problems with the TSA folks.

instpasr said:

This topic has been discussed at length here several times. Bottom line is safety razor blades are allowed under TSA rules. But bear in mind that one of the requirements to obtain a TSA job is that you must not posses the ability to think outside of the box. These guys see a blade and freak. Likewise they see some shave soap and think it's explosive. I've flown with mine in my carryon several times and have encountered no problems. In the interest of full disclosure I was in uniform most of those times. I guess i'd carry my razor unloaded and either mail myself some blades or place them in the bottom of the plane. If you look like a Sri Lankan terrorist, i'd consider no luggage. You're gonna get searched. Oh wait they only single out the little old ladies and small children.

Click to expand...

This too has been clarified; the wording used by the TSA is ambigous as far as our concerns. (They use safety razor at points to mean both a DE and a cart.)

However, it seems that what is intended by said wording, and what practice bears out, is that cart razors are no problem in carry on. DE blades, however, are forbidden ("razors not in cartridge" in TSA-ese). Empty DE razors are no problem in carry on. It goes without saying that str8 razors are forbidden. See soapbox's wiki article ref'ed above. But, short version is that for the sake of carry on, DE blades are considered no different than a boxcutter... forbidden.

Does anyone remember the day when not only could you bring a loaded DE or str8 on a plane, but you could smoke a cigar and slap the stewardess on the the rear, and no one would bat an eye. What the heck happened?

instpasr said:

This topic has been discussed at length here several times. Bottom line is safety razor blades are allowed under TSA rules. But bear in mind that one of the requirements to obtain a TSA job is that you must not posses the ability to think outside of the box. These guys see a blade and freak. Likewise they see some shave soap and think it's explosive. I've flown with mine in my carryon several times and have encountered no problems. In the interest of full disclosure I was in uniform most of those times. I guess i'd carry my razor unloaded and either mail myself some blades or place them in the bottom of the plane. If you look like a Sri Lankan terrorist, i'd consider no luggage. You're gonna get searched. Oh wait they only single out the little old ladies and small children.

Click to expand...

If you've seen it discussed here "several times" you should know by now that DE blades are not allowed in carry-on (see Rich's quoted post below).

Guys, as much as we'd all love to be allowed to take those blades in carry-on, we're not. Anyone who has taken their blades through security has not gleaned some secret interpretation of the rules, they just got lucky. I don't really feel like getting into the implications of that little scenario this early in the morning but if you just call the TSA rather than trying to get an answer from a bunch of optimists (all of us) or people who assume they know the rules better than the organization making them you're taking an unnecessary risk.

RichGem said:

This too has been clarified; the wording used by the TSA is ambigous as far as our concerns. (They use safety razor at points to mean both a DE and a cart.)

However, it seems that what is intended by said wording, and what practice bears out, is that cart razors are no problem in carry on. DE blades, however, are forbidden ("razors not in cartridge" in TSA-ese). Empty DE razors are no problem in carry on. It goes without saying that str8 razors are forbidden. See soapbox's wiki article ref'ed above. But, short version is that for the sake of carry on, DE blades are considered no different than a boxcutter... forbidden.

Click to expand...

+whatever we're on now.

Montecristo #2 said:

Does anyone remember the day when not only could you bring a loaded DE or str8 on a plane, but you could smoke a cigar and slap the stewardess on the the rear, and no one would bat an eye. What the heck happened?

Click to expand...

I was on a plane recently, and inside that tiny little box of a bathroom I saw a slot for used DE blades. If there was enough room for me and a camera I would have taken a picture.