I just found out that we can no longer carry circular thread cutters on an airplane.
This is reprinted from the TSA Regulations:

Transporting Knitting Needles & Needlepoint
Traveling with Special Items
Knitting needles are permitted in your carry-on baggage or checked baggage.

Items needed to pursue a Needlepoint project are permitted in your carry-on baggage or checked baggage with the exception of circular thread cutters or any cutter with a blade contained inside which cannot go through the checkpoint and must go in your checked baggage.

Just a heads up.

Wouldn't you have more luck hijacking a plane with a knitting needle than a circular thread cutter?

I just flew last year and was actually 'allowed' to take on scissors that were less than six inch in length - the blade alone - I was shocked!! I had accidently left them in my carry on and when they found them they said they barely passed the length test but passed them with no fuss - a bit worrisome - I think the smaller ones should be ok, but the larger ones - hm-m--m makes me wonder what else gets through. Thread cutter - put a bobbin of thread in a dental floss container with the thread sticking out - voila - a way to cut thread on the plane!!)

By circular thread cutter--do you mean the ones you can wear around your neck like a pendant?? Here is a link to the one I have.

http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog/p...PRODID=prd2780

Just curious.
Rose Hall

I use a pair of infant nail clippers. Those things stay sharp forever.

Wow, thats actually pretty neat I have never seen one of those before. I can also pretty much guarantee no TSA inspector would catch that either.

I've never had a problem--buy I only fly once MAYBE every 5 years or so.
Rose Hall

:lol: :lol: :lol: That's hysterical. Who the heck is making these rules!!! I would love to hear the explanation for this one.

If you take the cutter apart, it's a round razor blade. You know how sharp your rotary cutter blades are? That's probably why.

DH & I RV when we travel, so thankfully don't have to keep up on the flying regs! And no business travel for either of us.

Reminds me of the joke about the lady who wasn't allowed to take her knitting on board. They were afraid she'd knit an afghan. :lol:

I think the nail clippers are a good suggestion. But I don't understand why they'd ban a small circular thread cutter and still allow razors. I had no problems when I flew with one in August.

That's funny! http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/s...aughing024.gif

I've been told nail clippers should be OK. What about needles?

A few years ago while boarding a flight to CA my little baby nail scissors was confiscated. They were in my makeup case in my carry on luggage. While waiting to board our flight I saw 2 women knitting with very large pointed knitting needles. I think those needles could do much more damage than my little scissors. I had the scissors since my oldest son was born, who at the time was 50 years old. My baby's scissors and they took them! Boo Hoo:cry: May in Jersey

Those are the cutters no longer allowed. Can you imagine the tools you would need to take it apart!!! Thanks for all the creative replies.

I use blunt school scissors. They are good becasue the points won't accidentally poke a hole when I hand quilt!

Around the holidays they always tighten up security... I think the cutting surface of scissors has to be less than 4 inches. They took me aside last Sept and measured my scissors, they are 3 3/4" blades...So going through the rest of the check points I set them and my embroidery scissors out with my baggie of liquid items and I sailed right through.

I think their theory is that something like that can appear to be intact...but they do not want to take the time to inspect these items to make sure they have not been tampered with.

Never would have thought about the floss cutter - great idea. Yeah I'd be more worried about knitting needles, maybe the wife/mother/sister of whoever is making these rules knits. I work for the Federal Gov't and am confused about some of the rules they make-up myself.

I wonder who comes up with these rules.

People who really have nothing better to do than make up silly rules.
At one time, you could NOT bring a lighter onboard, BUT, you could carry matches! Make sense?
You can carry knitting needles, but NOT scissors.
And with scissors, it all depends on where you are. I have had folding scissors taken away, kids scissors (blunt point) taken away, but a pair of full size (cheap Walmart) scissors go thru. Doesn't make any sense!

I have found the best thing for me is to check a couple of days before my flights to see what is or is not being allowed at that time lol. It seems to change as the alert levels do.

Then again, it also depends on where you are.
I've flown out of one airport, arrive at another. Go outside for some fresh air because of long layover. Get back into airport, go thru security check, only to have the things in my backpack taken from me. Don't understand it. If it's allowed in one airport, then why not ALL of them?
I've also had little sewing kits taken from me. You know the kind...has a couple needle, needle threader and some thread wrapped around a small piece of cardboard. The entire kit is no bigger than a business card.

Talk about silly rules; I had a pair of eyebrow tweezers taken away. What was I going to do, pluck the pilot to death?

Last month when I flew to FL, I decided at the last minute to take my suitcase on the plane w/ me rather than checking it (which would have cost $20). In the outside pocket was a rotary cutter. It went through screening no problem!

The afgan thing was sooooo funny. Thank you for the morning laugh.......I used the tooth floss cutter on a 5 hour flight from CA to NYC (includes stopover in Dallas)

Well guess I'll head over to KLM site & see if they'll let my folding scissors through. I also have the clover round cutter with me and will be flying next week. If they take either, it won't be a big deal as I've had the clover one for years & never remember to use it!

I am still laughing!!!

Interesting that they say knitting needles are OK for carryon.
They confiscated my husbands Cross pen stating that it could be used for a stabbing weapon. Knitting needles are thinner and longer. Go figure.

I just flew to Calif for Thanksgiving and took along the round nosed fiskar school scissors. I showed them to the TSA agent before going through security and he said they could go through because they were rounded with a blade less than 4" long.

i don't know. seems to me you could whack someone pretty good with a cane.

It's good, that I don't fly. I wonder, if you could find a piece of obsidian. It's stone and can be flaked off sharper than any razor blade. They sometimes make scalpel blades from it. I'll bet you could make a real sharp knife out of ceramic, which would get by the metal detectors, too.

LMBO You crack me up!!!

I love the ladies who have the metal knitting needles. Those are okay, but my 4 oz of Toothpaste aren't allowed?! I mean, seriously, if I'm going to kill someone, the knitting needles would be much more effective than toothpaste

and nobody bans lap tops from the flight deck.

I certainly laughed at that!!!

I had a very small pair of embroidery scissors taken from me by an insolent baggage checker in the Atlanta airport. And this was after they had been allowed in my own small airport here in Gainesville, FL. I actually begged him not to take them. They had been a Christmas present from my 8 yr. old g'daughter and I loved them. He threw them in the trash can and smirked while doing it. I had foolishly left them in my carry-on bag after I had made a trip by car. They were so small, but he said "the rules in Gainesville aren't the rules in Atlanta." I hate to say this, but I really loathe those people! They are so full of themselves.

i've seen them take away crochet hooks, like old ladies will crochet people to death! :hunf:

You can use the cutter on dental floss.

Thanks for all the info - I am flying to see my grandbabies in a few weeks and have a long layover.
Thanks,
Scherrie

are hand sewing needles allowed?

my DH sure yips if he steps or sits on one

we're going to the dominican republic in a few days and i don't know if i can take a gallon of distilled water, which i need for medicinal purposes. i have a hard time finding that outside the usa. in mexico they didn't know what it was.