Quote Originally Posted by Roger View Post
I am sure there are up to the moment rules at the tsa website. But it is even better to call the actual airline too, they can field your questions on what you can bring. I wanted to bring watercolor on board the plane (the dry stuff in cakes) and they would not let me do that. No Paint. It was a bummer. I talked with one guy on the cruise I went on and he was able to bring his cutter, although I don't know if he had checked or carry on luggage.
TSA Rules?

The rules are what the knuckle-draggers interpret them to be. The airlines will tell you its perfectly fine to do something - and you'll find it's quite a different situation when you reach the checkpoint. Especially with something they're not necessarily used to seeing regularly.

Carry a torch and a cutter in your checked in bag - likely 99 out of 100 times it will be no problem. That 100th time is a bitch... I have accidentally walked through the checkpoints with a pocket knife in my carry on bag. Managed to get through - but I wouldn't want to do it very often...

That being said - flown dozens of times the last few years and never had any problem with my torch/cutter in my checked in bags - and I've found the TSA courtesy "search" card in my luggage. They're NOT supposed to confiscate it, but I've hear horror stories from others that have lost their Palio or Xikar cutters and expensive torch.

...of course the VERY worse that will happen is they will confiscate it. Pack cheapies in your luggage and you don't lose much. Even though I pack a decent cutter and torch in my checked luggage - it's something I could care less if I lose...