# Non Metal Knives... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 18, 2001, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-metal-knives/82400 "2001-09-18T15:36:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chekmate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/46a35a/32.png) [@Chekmate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chekmate)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-metal-knives/82400/1 "2001-09-18T15:36:08Z")
What’s keeping people from getting ceramic knives on to a plane. Would the current security measures detect knives such as these: [http://eknifeworks.com/webapp/eCommerce/index.html](http://eknifeworks.com/webapp/eCommerce/index.html) [http://store.knifecenter.com/pgi-ProductSpec?BO89](http://store.knifecenter.com/pgi-ProductSpec?BO89) [http://www.osograndeknives.com/Boker/boker\_model\_2031\_ceramic.htm](http://www.osograndeknives.com/Boker/boker_model_2031_ceramic.htm) Do the detectors pick these up, or are they something that could slip past the system? ---
**Author:** ![evilhanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba8739/32.png) [@evilhanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilhanz)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-metal-knives/82400/2 "2001-09-18T15:50:08Z")
X-ray machines will show the outlines of objects. The outline of a non-metallic knife should stand out. In a recent thread, the issue of non-metallic guns was discussed. You might want to search for that thread for relevant information. Anything can slip past inattentive security personnel, though. ---
**Author:** ![Chekmate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/46a35a/32.png) [@Chekmate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chekmate)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-metal-knives/82400/3 "2001-09-18T16:26:38Z")
I’d say that with the case of the knife, it wouldn’t be someting that would go in my carryon if I was gonna hijack something. I’d have it in my pocket, where they wouldn’t be able to x-ray, and would have to rely on the metal detector. ---
**Author:** ![Sultan\_Kinkari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7bcc69/32.png) [@Sultan\_Kinkari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sultan_Kinkari)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-metal-knives/82400/4 "2001-09-18T19:34:30Z")
_Chekmate_, I recently(a couple of days ago) learned law was inacted in the early 80’s that mandated that all caramic knives sold to civilians(all non-military personnel) must be manufactured with metal embedded in the plastic handle. Sorry, no cite. I wonder how easy it would be to just remove the original handle and reconstruct it out of Bondo or something. ---
**Author:** ![Doc\_Nickel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5fc32e/32.png) [@Doc\_Nickel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doc_Nickel)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-metal-knives/82400/5 "2001-09-18T19:48:08Z")
I’m still wondering about those “plastic” knives that seem to be so popular in the spy-toy catalogs. The company makes a couple of kinds- a plastic copy of a “tanto” type knife, a double-edged dagger, and a triangular-section OSS “sleeve-knife” type. They’re all molded entirely of some black, fiber-reinforced plastic, maybe a carbon fiber. Every catalog that carries the phone “voice changers” and whatnot has 'em. They’re about $3 each. I wonder if the manufacturer will get a nice “Hi, we’re from the Government and we’re here to help you” type visit. ---
**Author:** ![mmmiiikkkeee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/edb3f5/32.png) [@mmmiiikkkeee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mmmiiikkkeee)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2001, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-metal-knives/82400/6 "2001-09-19T07:04:50Z")
Yeah, what about those big plastic serated knives that chefs on cooking shows sometimes use to slice up onions and tomatoes? I wouldn’t want one of those at my neck or in my back. But as was mentioned, the X-ray machines show the outlines of things going through… if you’ve ever looked at the screen as they pass things through it just looks like a big black-and-white negative, quite clear and in focus - you can see papers and everything! I doubt I’ll be able to ever wander around the security checkpoints to snoop at such things again though; oh well. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2001, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-metal-knives/82400/7 "2001-09-19T08:29:17Z")
> [@](#): > > X-ray machines show the outlines of things going through… But people don’t go through X-ray machines, we just go through metal detectors. I think the OP was concerned about people carrying non-metallic knives in their pockets. **Sultan Kinkari** ’s information seems to indicate that we are safe from this threat, though I wonder how difficult it is to remove that metal piece. ---
**Author:** ![fierra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58956e/32.png) [@fierra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fierra)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2001, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-metal-knives/82400/8 "2001-09-19T10:45:04Z")
For information on a scanner that **will** detect ceramic knives, see [here](http://65.69.77.33/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=841) and the links there. It’s a new device, currently in trial phase in the UK, but as well as being safer, it scans people as they move along and will speed up airport security approximately 3 times.