They tried to confiscate my stryker and rookie when I forgot to put them in my checked luggage. They actually thought I was going to forfeit them instead of mailing them back to myself. Its such a scam operation. They charged me like $15 per blade to mail them and wouldn't let me mail them in the same package. I'm not really worried about TSA. They are just a bunch of wankers anyway. I'm more worried about the other end of world, off US or at least Western soil. I haven't had any problems so far, but I've never taken a fixed blade overseas.
I have never had any problems in the third world. They are used to seeing machetes all the time. Ethiopia was a strange experiance. They checked our luggage with X-Rays, then brought us all out onto the tarmack so that we could open them ourselves to make sure everything was ok and then loaded them onto the plane. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> That was weird.... But it gets better... They wanted me to bring my duffal bag on board as carry on because there was no room, so I am climbing the steps to board the plane and the attendant told me that she could check my bag because there was no room in the overhead compartment.......... Ahhhh Africa...... Nothing ever makes sense out there, thats why I love it!!!
But the best part is that I forgot that I had my machete in that duffal bag <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" />... So I was about to board a plane with a full sized machete!!!! I did not know about the machete until I got to Wash D.C. where I was going to carry it on (pre 911). The ran it through the x-ray and asked if I had a sword. I told them that all my knives and spears were packed away. We opened the duffel and out came my machete. I said that it was my panga from Kenya and I forgot about it.... By the way they were very nice about the whole thing and said that they could mail it. I said not to worry that it only cost me about 50 cents in Kenya and that they could keep it because I was running late for my next plane. I left them there holding the machete and ran to my next plane after thanking them.
This was back in 2000.
