Not only that, aside from the obvious, that TSA employees would be selling things they legally have no authority to sell for personal gain; where's the proof that it's coming from the TSA, and not simply someone selling a bunch of knives they bought at flea markets and yard sales?
This guy isn’t buying the knives from TSA. He is buying them from an eBay seller who may or may not have gotten them from TSA. So even if TSA agents are not skimming off the good ones, (I don’t think they are, for the most part,) the seller is skimming anything of value, selling it at a good price, and then boxing the low value stuff because it is not worth listing individually.
I bet a fair amount of decent knives are stolen by TSA as well but you will not see any of them because the ones who stole them actually kept all the good ones for themselves!
@scrungus483 "Meeting, at minimum, the specifications put forth by the DoD". Mil spec does not mean bad, or good. It means mil-spec. Sometimes this is good, sometimes it's meaningless.
What's interesting about this knife and seeing he got it from the TSA is that my brother got me one of these surplus knives for Christmas of 22. I forgot I had it in my backpack when I went on a flight. They said I could return it to my car, but I was dropped off and a little behind so I just let them have it. That happened shortly before this video came out. I wonder if that's my knife 😂
TSA confiscated knives can be found at government surplus auctions. I’ve regularly seen entire boxes of Benchmade, CRKT, Gerber and other decent knives. I bought a box or around 75 knives with a mix of very good to average knives for $500 at auction last year. Many good knives in the mix. I still see them in almost every government auction.
Those buck 55 lookalikes seem to be interesting for light edc cutting tasks. Something that you're not afraid to ruin with dirt or duct tape or even lose.
My dad had one of these on him for 40 years! always with a leather string on the loop. He made paper mill machinery. Thanks for highlighting I missed it in the video.
@@GearOutfitter randomly found this video, but I had a TL-29 surplus knife my brother gave me for Christmas of 22. It was left in my backpack a few months later when I went on a flight. I was dropped off and didn't have anyone to give it to, so I let them have it. I wonder if that's my knife 😂😂
Everyone saying that the TSA pockets all the good knives. I think the people with the good knives are just maybe just possibly correctly putting their knives in checked bags instead of leaving them on their person. Like someone who knows the laws around bringing knives on planes.
I worked at a sporting goods store in a touristy town for quite a few years. We had Benchmade, Spyderco, CRKT, Leatherman, etc. and probably once a week someone would come in to buy a replacement for something that got confiscated by TSA. As much as I'd like to give them the benefit of the doubt, I'm betting there's more than a few TSA agents walking around with some confiscated items.
I always enjoy these confiscated knife videos. I see a lot of tactical junk knives and Swiss Army knock-offs, but seldom see a quality knife that would actually be a useful tool like a stockman style, trapper or jack of any decent quality. I don't know who would be impressed by a purple anodized tactical knife with a color-matched blade, but I would be too embarrassed to carry something that trashy. My grandfather would be rolling over in his grave if I ever did!
I worked as an Industrial Maintenance Mechanic and Electrician for 40 + years. Always carried a SMALL knife- usually a 2 or 2 1/2 inch, most often a 1 or 2 blade, some of them with a coping tip- no point, blunt on the end, but razor sharp.Zero value as a weapon or threat, but perfectly adapted to the work I did EVERY DAY.
You gotta think about the kind of people who are getting knives confiscated in 2022. 1. People who regularly carry a small Swiss Army type knife and forgot they had it on them. 2. Idiots. And sure enough the knives in the package are either little utilitarian pieces that you carry around all the time and forget about, or cheap flashy ones that only idiots would buy.
There was a military TL-29 electrician's knife, my grandpa gave me one that he confiscated when he was a Master at Arms in the Navy. Funny to see one confiscated by the TSA and end up on eBay.
Either the TSA is "absorbing" all the good knives or Americans are walking around with shockingly poor quality knives in their pockets. No excuse for that! A good knife is not that expensive and they last for decades. They're much cheaper than any of the handguns I carry everyday.
I've seen lots of random knives but some of those are super cool. Like the hammer multitool and a few of the wood handle ones. That was a fun vid to watch! Thanks so much for making it!
Per TSA, they DO NOT “confiscate” knives. They give the owner the option to return the item to their car or put it in checked luggage. The TSA will never take your belongings forcefully. That’s why you will NEVER find an expensive knife in these, because the owners would know the worth of those and not give them to the TSA.
Obviously anything decent is going to go home with the agents, but my takeaway is that a lot of people are carrying total junk. Most of those look dangerous to the user.
You probably know this but -- for your viewers -- the red one with the skull on the scale and the blade that forms an concave curve is a Karambit style knife.
I hope you didn't pay very much. I think someone hand picked everything of value and you got the SCRAPS😂. I find it improbable...no... IMPOSSIBLE to believe that every TSA confiscated knife is a gas station knife.
It ended up being about $1 a knife. It was a fun “unboxing” and I didn’t expect much. I saw a guy in Atlanta airport trying to give a knife he forgot to check to a police officer. Not sure what was said but the guy ended up putting the knife in front of the police officer then walking off. The officer picked it up and put it in his pocket. Maybe that’s where all the good knives go??
seems to me a person that wouldn't know not to try to bring a knife through an airport secured area checkpoint is exactly the kind of person that would be carrying a gas station knife: they're either uneducated on regulations pertaining to knives, or know about them and simply don't care because they only spent $10 on the thing in the first place and probably have one or more others in their glove compartment.
@@starelikeajunkie I'd agree the ratio leans to that side of the human demographic 😂, but there's got to be people who are ignorant, forget they even have it because they always carry it, or have other factors that wind them up in the security line without the ability to turn back, that have better quality knives. At least a FEW have to be keepers...
@@antoinefarhat5072 no clue. my friend gave it to me 8 years ago or so TSA confiscated it in 2016 or 2017 at Denver international. I don't want the knife back but when I saw him pull the thing out I had to say something🤣🤣
@@carstenmStranger things have happened so maybe it is. Is Denver International as strange as they say it is? I’m not from the US but I’ve read about it.
The pink elk ridge was cool. I have a fixed blade elk ridge, while i never really used it and they are real cheap, they usuallly are very beautiful knives with the blade cut outs. Also the bottom red cap fell off my snap on key chain tool as well😂😂
I’ve got to wonder about the chain of custody following confiscation. Statistically there must be a lot more genuine Victorinox & Wenger branded SAKs and quality Gerber and Buck folders seized rather than all that made in China crap? Just wondering about what’s in many a TSA employees drawer at home.
Think the better and expensive knives, people are actually more sensible about putting into their checked luggage knowing they can't risk blades being confiscated haha
60% of TSA employees are pretty low end rejects. Just go through "security" and you'll see what I mean. Just yesterday they found 3 of them stealing from unsuspecting travelers bags. Out of control.
Well there are a ton of cameras at all the checkpoints and they are not allowed to take any home. They get thrown into a large metal bin and collected end of the month for these kinds of sales.
I have asked about this and some of the people in baggage claim said it’s kinda a free for all after a few days of bags not claimed. They go to a central location I think in Atlanta but that’s only after many people airline and tsa people have had their hands on them
No deals to be had at gun shows either. I worked security at them and all the dealers go around during setup the day before and buy up all the good deals. One guy even pays extra for the closest table to the door to get first chance at private guns being brought in.
Many years ago I was getting on a train in Japan when I found out that I could not carry my SAK on board. They were very apologetic and arranged to mail it home for me. No charge.
You have to file to retrieve your confiscated belongings. I had a handgun stolen and the person tried taking it through the airport. TSA found it. I filed a report. It took months but I eventually got it back.
Looking at these - who in the hell designed these knives? Like the one with the big red skull on it - someone actually sat down and designed that. It’s not more expensive to design an aesthetically pleasing knife. For the love of God I can’t comprehend how these things come into existence.
Totally agree. I have been on the lookout for more extreme mall ninja knives. This is one of the few I kept and it’s sooo tempting to carry and use it.
For what I paid for my husky knife, 10$cad, it’s been a fantastic everyday carry. Gets the job done for everything g I need it for. An upgrade would be nice tho, just don’t want to be let down. Any recommendations?
I keep watching these videos looking for my TSA confiscated knife. I still can't believe I did that. I threw my case knife in my pocket just like I do every single morning not even thinking I was going to the airport. I had that knife for more than 20 years. I bought another one just like it for about $100....but it's just not the same. LOL.
I do like those little wood and brass pocketknives! Probably knockoffs, but they're handy little things. (1:12, 3:20, 3:33) Also the Boy Scout style knife, 1:42. If you still have any, I might buy some of those.
Knives like this get sold by the box several times a month on a certain auction site. This was a box of "no name" knives they sell, typically goes for just a couple hundred dollars. There's usually a box of all swiss army knives, gerber knives, kershaw knives, sometimes buck knives and others.
The knives that the blades are loose just need a new washer in most cases, you can take the blade off and add a new one easily and resell the knives especially if you score a good brand folder.
i got a buck custom shop knife from the TSA store marble carbon fiber tony bos heat treat for 20 or maybe 30 bucks .. now to be fair it was mixed in with the other buck knives and they didnt know what they had but they also had spydercos and benchmades for if not cheap at least a good deal
In my opinion, if you bring a knife thinking you can get it past TSA, then you're stupid an deserve to have you're knife taken. Probably why there isn't any good ones. A smart person won't lose a nice knife in such a way. Keep up the good work.
The old electrician's knife is the only one worth keeping. The rest is garbage. I seriously doubt the TSA is confiscating as many knives as there are TSA confiscated knives for sale on eBay, but when they do they're keeping the good ones.
I don’t know, I’ve seen them take many knives, finger nail clippers, and water bottles in my life. Considering how many airports there are, I think it’s very possible.
Wouldn't you? If people are stupid enough to take a knife to board a plane, they should have every knife they own confiscated, and given to whoever wants them.
This is funny... We have a TSA knife selling place here in NH. For some reason I was feeling REALLY unwelcome when I showed up at 6am one time... These are ALL ALL picked though and this is the LEFT over garbage.
Question from a guy who has barely used air travel: If you're a billionaire with your own private plane, do you have to go through airport security? If not, does that mean you could theoretically bring a weapon on your own plane?
You do not go through the airport buildings when you fly private so there is less security. You drive up to your plane and get on it. You can bring anything you want on your plane. However, you can also check almost any weapon with a commercial airline and pick it up when you arrive at your destination within the USA.
No, I guess they figure if you’re a bazillion-air and you want to check-out by air suicide and don’t mind crashing your 20 million dollar airplane it’s A-OK with them. Again, the rich get all the breaks.
I'll chime in and first say that I don't know, but will offer this; if you're rolling in that kind of money, not even a billionaire but with plenty of means, you don't imagine you can come up with something enticing to an employee who is barely above minimum wage to coerce them to look at some shiny object across the way and not be interested in your luggage and cargo? Supposedly, even people flying private jets still have to go through customs when going through international airports, but I wouldn't be surprised if the same thing applies.
Things have definitely changed. 40 years ago I flew from London to SF. I had a small folder with me, in uniform pants. I declared it. Pilot took it, kept it till we reached SF and gave it back at the planes door.
I find it hard to believe that in this day & age people are stupid enough to go to the airport carrying any sort of knife in their pocket & some of them should be ashamed to carry such junk on them !
Sometimes you forget you have it in your backpack that you use regularly when not flying and find out you left it there when you get pulled over at TSA. Ask me how I know. And it was a good one.
I unfortunately lost an $100 knife to TSA because we received a message that our flight was delayed by 2 hours. We luckily showed up to the airport about 20 minutes before the original flight time (so 2 hours early from the delayed time), and when we were checking our luggage, the person informed us that the flight is boarding at that time, and they could not check luggage, we would have to take it with us. We barely made it on the plane, but I lost my knife that was in my supposed to be checked bag. I was very annoyed.
They were picked through by someone who knows what to look for, before they put them in a package. I had to turn over a very small case pocket knife worth $50 to board a plane (that I forgot I had) and had to board the plane anyway. Most stories I heard also had to turn over their everyday carry knife or knife tool set (like a SOK or Leatherman) that was worth some good money. All you got there was the picked through junk knives that the TSA employee didn't want to weed out.
My Mother-in-law brought me an original Swiss Army knife from Switzerland with "Rick " on it. I screwed up and lost it to TSA. If you happen to find it, $$
@@GearOutfitter My wife was dropping me off at the airport, then the baby got sick. I thought I might still have time to check...but NOPE. I gave my Hogue Auto to a guy dropping his woman off rather than have the indignity of having it seized or dropping it in the trash can.
The State of Michigan auctions confiscated knives fairly often.. The price that the boxes go for is quite high and there is no shipping, you have to go to the warehouse and pick up the boxes. Too many buyers willing to pay too much for a chance to find a deal.
TSA lady told me that I could not take my brand new never opened full size tube of tooth paste. I told it was hers, she looked at my with a surprised look & said something like 'but' then I asked her what she expected me to do about it & that it was hers now.
I got one of these on ebay as well. 20 bucks for something like a pound or two of knives. 8 were OldTimer knives, one of them a 3 blade the rest 2 blade and one in the original 1960s box. All are pre 1973 and marked shrade on the blade. Don't know where they actually came from, but it was the best 20 bucks for all those knives! If you got a swiss army knock off with metal handles hit me up LOL!
TSA already kept the best ones, that’s is why they ALL carry backpacks or rolling luggage, I have never had a job that I had to carry that much to work, just a brown bag lunch. Bet NO ONE CHECKS the CHECKERS, and what else go on, only ones that you know of that feel up your wife, and get away with it Our government !!!!🤷♂️😳
If you have the Swiss Army clone with rubberized grips that’s what I’d want. It’s probably a Swiza and if they function as nice as their features suggest they should be more popular than victorinox
I've used this trick in airports, courthouses and other places that won't allow me to carry my knife. I go outside and find a planter or other good hiding spot and stash my knife in a well hidden area. When I leave the building I go pick it up and go on my way. Saves me from walking back to my vehicle or office to get rid of it. Do it at the airport if you can find a good spot. Even the parking garage has some good hiding places. When you get back from your trip go pick up your knife. Course this only works at your home airport. I carry an expensive knife but I'd throw it in the trash before I let TSA have it. If there is time I'd even find someone arriving that looks like they would appreciate it and give it to them Anyone but those thieving TSA agents.
If this many knives are taken routinely, you should be able to pick-up a knife at the other end of your trip. One identical, or at least similar. They could hand you a chit to be redeemed later.
At some point people need to realize that these are already run through. The sellers cherry pick the quality knives that make it out of the TSA workers hands. You will never get a high end knife in these packs.
This whole thing is a total scam I went looked up how many knives TSA confiscated and it is very short compared to the eBay and Amazon selling boxes of these things all day long as if they're confiscating millions of them
Maybe people who don't win their knives at a carnival just try really hard not to leave their knives in their pockets when approaching tsa. I know I'm always stressed about it.
I didn't know so many people carried such crappy knives. let tsa have them instead of dropping them in the trash on the way in. Some body has cherry picked that box before sale.
Was there really no brand stuff at all? Not a single genuine Victorinox, Gerber, Leatherman with blade,... Do they sell those seperately? I thought I had seen quite some 58mm vics. Have they all been knockoffs?
I always wondered about these knives you often see on ebay and ive always thought to myself "nah dude, that's a box full of trash", and i want to thank you because now i know it's a box full of trash. Bro i hope seriously so hope you get your money back at least. There are alot of knive noobs ou the there that might think theese are really cool. But i doubt it. You'll have to let us know
Thank you. Yes I have a positive ROI on this video even after shipping knives to people for free. It’s mostly split though, half say junk and other half want knives. I guess I need to do it again to give away more.
Clearly, if it weren't for the hypothesis that the best ones don't make the auction block, I would say that the Americans' taste in pocket knives is very bad. Another explanation is that if you were smart enough to choose a real Victorinox, then you are smart enough not to carry it at the TSA gate
I Found my lost leatherman MUT in my carry on on the way to a out of state field exercise, was super bummed out I had to give it up all blame on me though. Was super butthurt to give up my favorite multi tool
I ended up paying about $1 a knife. Been giving many of them away as first knife to kids, with parents permission of course. Kids always happy. So yeah, it was worth it. May do it again
3:01 gods i had one of those tiny Swiss army type knives with the little plastic toothpick slotted in the end and useless crappy sizers when i was a kid ^-^. Looked identical to that one