Which multi tools are allowed on airplanes?
Which multi tools are allowed on airplanes?
If you carry basic tools with you daily, it’s only natural that when you head out on a business trip or for that much-anticipated vacation you will want your trusty multitool close at hand.
But ever since the terrorist attacks of 9/11, airport security has been confusing. Most people know that you can’t carry a weapon like a firearm onto the plane, but some rules seem downright confusing and silly. But the 9/11 terrorists used small knives that at the time were not considered concerning, and perfectly legal to carry onto the plane.
The rules today are based on the principle of better safe than sorry.
You cannot bring a multitool with a blade or sharp point onto the plane. Scissors that have blades less than four inches are generally ok. But the inspection officer will make the final call. If the TSA doesn’t want it on the plane, it doesn’t pass security.
What are the TSA rules?
The United States Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is a law enforcement arm of the federal government. They were created in response to the 9/11 attacks to provide a higher level of consistent security for transportation of all kinds. They are most visible as the officers at airport screening checkpoints when travel.
Rules at most airports around the world follow their guidelines, although there is some local variation. They have a difficult job – anticipate what might go wrong and limit the opportunity for it to happen. An important part of doing that is to restrict dangerous weapons from getting anywhere near commercial aircraft.
After the attacks of 9/11, airport security became very strict. For a while, a strict set of rules that banned seemingly reasonable items like nail clippers. I don’t know about you, but it seems ridiculous to me that someone could feel threated by a nail clipper, but the thinking was always better safe than sorry.
To be fair, the nail clipper ban was in place immediately after 9/11, before the TSA was created a couple of months later. But the left considerable discretion to the inspection officers, who considered safe travel to be a much higher priority than short nails. So when the TSA stepped in, they simply continued the tradition.
And of course, once the rule was in place, nobody in the TSA wanted to the be person advocating for less security rather than more. There were reports as late as 2003 of people having their clippers confiscated. This was such an obvious overreaction to any reasonable person that they eventually issued an edict to all their officers to back off on the clippers.
Nail clippers are now safe to take through security, but it took two years.
Risk and Penalties
If you are found to be carrying a restricted item at the security checkpoint, in most cases you will have two options: allow them to turn you away, or hand the item over to the TSA for disposal.
If you have the time, the first option may be a good one. There are many items that are restricted from being carried onto the plane but are perfectly ok to transport inside checked luggage. So you can just return to the check-in counter and either put it into your checked luggage or inside another bag that you check.
But from a practical standpoint, this rarely is a good option:
- You may not have time, especially at larger airports that have long lines at both the check-in counter and then again at the security checkpoint. And the two locations may be a fairly long walk apart.
- By the time you get to security screening, you already turned in your bags at the check-in counter earlier. The bags have been placed on a conveyer belt into the luggage handling system, and cannot be retrieved.
- Checking a new bag probably will add a hefty fee.
So in most cases, the questionable device is simply abandoned at security. The TSA has large trash cans filled with passenger possessions that were given up every day.
All of this assumes that we are talking about perfectly legal items that you simply did not realize runs afoul of TSA rules.
If you intentionally mislead the TSA officer or are found to be carrying an item that is illegal to possess, you can expect the TSA officer to make your life very difficult.
Anything illegal, e.g. drugs or weapons, will probably result in the officer calling for local law enforcement to step in. Most airports have quite a few officers on the premise and can walk over to take over within a minute or two.
On the other hand, I have seen people who think they can outsmart the TSA pulled out of the line for further questioning. Even if you eventually prove to be right, you can easily miss your flight. No one needs the hassle.
If you are found to be transporting a prohibited item at the checkpoint, you may be subject to hefty fines. On a first offense, the TSA can impose civil penalty fines of up to $13,066! Fines for repeat offenses are higher.
The TSA Officer Ultimately Decides
Nobody likes going through the security checkpoint, but it is an unavoidable part of air travel. If you have a tool with you that a reasonable person might think is questionable, but you are certain is ok, you may want to bring a print out from the TSA website of current rules to show why it is ok.
You can also ask for a supervisor if you think the specific officer you are dealing with is being unreasonable.
But no matter what you do, always be polite. Even if something is technically compliant with the rules, the local inspection officer makes the final call. If you are rude and difficult, you are just encouraging them to be inflexible. It’s no way to win your point.
A good rule of thumb is to avoid carrying anything that is:
- Sharp
- Pointy
- Flammable or explosive
- Might be used as a weapon
- Could be mistaken for a weapon
Of course, many of us may innocently carry items that might reasonably fall into one of those categories. Most multitools will include a small knife blade, which makes it a prohibited item. Leave those home.
But some multitools are specifically designed to meet TSA limits.
Flying Friendly Multi-Tool Options
Manufacturers of multitools are very aware of flying restrictions. They have designed a variety of good multitools that don’t include the banned knife blade.
Interesting enough, a multitool with a knife blade of any length is banned. But scissors are ok if they are less than 4 inches. I’m not sure why that is, but I’m not complaining. And any tool (multitool or otherwise) must be less than 7 inches total in length.
Top TSA Compliant Multitools
This is a larger multitool, with everything you might want except the banned knife blade. Tools include pliers, wire cutters, Phillips and flat head screwdrivers, can opener, scissors, and more. It’s a great full sized multitool, and comes in satin silver or black oxide finish.
This is a smaller, but very popular tool with spring action pliers, wire cutter, scissors, flat and Philips head screwdrivers, and bottle opener. They come in different colors, and like everything Leatherman makes, this tool is sturdy and will last a long time.
If you’re looking for a more compact multitool that still has a lot of function, but without the knife, this may be your tool. It includes pliers, screwdriver, bottle opener, and scissors. An unusual tool is a hook for zippers if your regular zipper handle should break off.
This small multitool looks like it could be the iconic pocketknife when closed, but includes a Phillips screwdriver, bottle opener, and small scissors. As a “bladeless knife”, you get essential tools small enough to put on your keychain.
For those who are willing to give up a bit of functionality so they can travel light, there are a great array of keychain one-piece tools that pack a lot of flexibility into a small package.
Some of the best options include:
- PocketMonkey 12-in-1 Wallet
- CRKT Viva
- Tactica M100
- Griffin Pocket Tool
- Nitelze DooHiKey
- Lever Gear Toolcard Pro
- BigIDesign TPT
- Leatherman Piranha 2
Playing it Safe
The safest way to be certain your multitool doesn’t get confiscated is to leave it home. But for those of us that like to carry our tools with us, a close second might be to put it into checked luggage. Most commercially available multitools are fine to travel in checked luggage, so you can put it in your bag when you check in and pull it out upon arrival.
The other thing you will want to be careful about is local knife laws, but that is another discussion.
The tools listed above should sail through TSA – they were designed specifically to be compliant. But remember that the officer has the last word, so if he doesn’t like it you are going to lose it. Be polite!
Play it Even Safer With a Backup Plan
As a person carrying a multitool, you probably like to be prepared. Despite the rules, if you find yourself with an inspector who does not want to let your multitool pass, you will be in a difficult place.
A great fallback position is to carry with you a postage pre-paid, self-addressed envelope. If the inspector insists you cannot take your multitool (or any other item) through the checkpoint, you can just mail it to yourself. There is usually a mail drop inside the airport near the checkpoints, so you can quickly drop the item into your envelope, and mail it, and be on your way.
Of course, this isn’t a perfect solution because you will be without your device for the rest of the trip, but it may be better than losing the tool entirely.
Check TSA Rules Before You Leave for the Airport
The TSA updates their rules pretty regularly, so a tool that is fine now may not be in the future. You will be pretty safe with the tools listed above, but avoid any unpleasant surprises if the rules change down the road.
The most up to date place to find out what you can and can’t carry onto the plane is TSA’s website. The comments above were mostly focused on multitools and related devices, but their website addresses pretty much anything you might have a question about.
If you have anything that is a bit out of the ordinary, print out the current rules and bring them with you. You might be able to politely demonstrate to the inspector that your device is ok. And if it doesn’t work with the first agent you talk to, you may have better luck with a supervisor.
But a common-sense rule to remember is that if you think a reasonable inspector might find something suspicious, you are probably better of packing it into your checked luggage.
Conclusion
Avoid carrying anything with a blade or point onto a plane. Many multitools have blades, but some newer devices have been made specially to comply with TSA restrictions. Carry one of these, or simply pack you multitool with your checked luggage.
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