Air Travel & Hair Sticks

[hennalove]

I checked through the archives and am looking for a bit more current info. Has anyone recently travelled by air and either worn a hair stick or had one or more in their carry-on? We won't have a checked bag for the first flight. I see both knitting needles and crochet hooks are allowed so at least I can take my crochet. My hair sticks would be about the length of a crochet hook. TIA

[Zesty]

When I flew frequently I had no trouble. I didn't wear them because I'm paranoid, but I would (sneakily?) put them with any writing implements I was carrying on.

[Covet]

I absolutely fly wearing my hairsticks (and with a few scattered in my carry on luggage for the inevitable loss of one of them). I have never encountered any problems with them and they're wood or plastic sticks. If they were metal sticks then it might be a problem but I've never been stopped. Also flown with knitting needles and knitted on the flight. No problem for me! :)

[HaMalka]

I don't fly with hair sticks in my hair for comfort rather than security reasons. Because of this I don't think I've ever had them in my carry on. I have had some issues with my u-pins because the amount of metal in my hair was setting off the metal detector so I would not recommend a metal hair stick as that seems highly likely to be problematic.

[CopperButterfly]

I just flew this summer with both a hair stick in my hair, and some in my carryon. The TSA did not say anything about them.

[Reyn127]

I have flown with hair sticks many times with very few problems. I make sure to never bring metal hair sticks, only wood or resin. Sometimes the security people do an extra scan on my bun because it is so big and solid, but the stick itself has never ever been a problem for me.

[Seeshami]

The TSA has never said anything about my hair uping tools, but they have always asked me to take it down. Probably sometime around classic on is when it started. But it might have been sooner.

[lithostoic]

I wear them and bring in my carry on. I have a small bun so they never ask for me to take it down.

[Chromis]

I like using a fairly blunt larger diameter hairstick, nothing stabby looking. Sometimes I use a Ficcare in a braided bun, but then I take the clip out in security and put it in the bin.

[DweamGoiL]

This past Summer I was asked to take down my hair and had a WEII in it. They said it was too pointy and wanted to confiscate it. I refused to leave it at that. Long story short, after they made me wait for like 10 minutes, the TSA officer got impatient because the workaround was to recall my luggage so I can check it into the baggage so she just gave me the hairstick back and asked me to go away quickly. Whatever! But next time, no wearing hairsticks on the plane for me. I will wear my plastic claw and be happy.

[Kalamazoo]

This past Summer I was asked to take down my hair and had a WEII in it. They said it was too pointy and wanted to confiscate it. I refused to leave it at that. Long story short, after they made me wait for like 10 minutes, the TSA officer got impatient because the workaround was to recall my luggage so I can check it into the baggage so she just gave me the hairstick back and asked me to go away quickly. Whatever! But next time, no wearing hairsticks on the plane for me. I will wear my plastic claw and be happy.

What's a WEII? Wikipedia says it's a radio station?

"WEII*(96.3*FM, "SportsRadio 96.3") is a*radio station*in*Dennis, Massachusetts. The station airs a*sports radio*format from Boston-based*WEEI-FM. It is owned by*iHeartMedia."

[Haven]

I happen to have flown internationally today with a wooden hair fork in - nobody mentioned it :)

[HaMalka]

What's a WEII? Wikipedia says it's a radio station?

"WEII*(96.3*FM, "SportsRadio 96.3") is a*radio station*in*Dennis, Massachusetts. The station airs a*sports radio*format from Boston-based*WEEI-FM. It is owned by*iHeartMedia."


I think its WoodEverIImagine shop on Etsy.

[cjk]

Some hairsticks look innocent, some look more aggressive. Somewhere around here is a thread about hair-swords including letter openers and katana.

Those might raise a red flag.

Anything more innocent looking is unlikely to be an issue, despite being strong and pointy.

[Ylva]

I recently flew from Manchester to Stockholm and from Stockholm to Helsingfors wearing a flexi-8 with metal bits without issues. I even asked a security person about it and he said it would not be a problem, and it wasn't.

[hennalove]

The TSA has never said anything about my hair uping tools, but they have always asked me to take it down. Probably sometime around classic on is when it started. But it might have been sooner.

That's good to know! Thanks :) I will leave it down in a braid going through security then put it back up into a bun after clearing.

[hennalove]

I like using a fairly blunt larger diameter hairstick, nothing stabby looking. Sometimes I use a Ficcare in a braided bun, but then I take the clip out in security and put it in the bin.

Good to know. I have a Ficcare so that might be the easiest solution for travel day.

[hennalove]

This past Summer I was asked to take down my hair and had a WEII in it. They said it was too pointy and wanted to confiscate it. I refused to leave it at that. Long story short, after they made me wait for like 10 minutes, the TSA officer got impatient because the workaround was to recall my luggage so I can check it into the baggage so she just gave me the hairstick back and asked me to go away quickly. Whatever! But next time, no wearing hairsticks on the plane for me. I will wear my plastic claw and be happy.

Having my hair sticks confiscated is my main concern especially when I will need them while away for a month. We won't have checked baggage either so I don't have that option. I checked Amazon and a brick/mortar store so know I can get replacements if necessary fairly quickly. I definitely won't be bringing a hair stick I'm really attached to!

[hennalove]

Thanks everyone! I very much appreciate it. We have 2 return flights left this year and the one going down we don't have checked baggage but I need hair sticks while on the first leg of the journey. That return flight isn't a problem as we're heading home so no checked baggage. The second return flight, we will have a checked bag. It's that first leg that is the real concern since I wear hair sticks daily.

[Chromis]

I almost never check bags. For carry-on wearing a Ficcare and taking it off in the security line is easiest for me because they sometimes get confused by them on the x-ray. Blunter forks are also a great option to travel with.

[Amelia777]

I know this thread is old, but we are planning to visit Cambodia when the situation is stabilized (fortunately, we haven't applied for evisa as I found out on https://evisa.express (https://evisa.express) that it is valid only for 90 days). I'm glad that I've found all your suggestions. I haven't travelled by air since my hair grew back, so your experience is very useful for me. Thanks! I do hope, we all will be able to travel safely again soon.

[Entangled]

I always store my hair sticks right next to my crochet hooks and pencil case. So far, no problem. I usually wear blunter sticks and have't had anyone complain. Large airports are usually less picky in my experience than smaller ones, since they're just trying to get as many people through as possible, whereas small airports are more finicky since they don't have to deal with long lines.

[SleepyTangles]

My only advice Is don't choose anything you are emotionally attached to, or expensive. I remember Reading a post from lady Igor (from Igor's Bell Tower blog), in which she had to leave her quattro pin: the flight security apparently thought It was dangerous... :confused: