Pelican box! Expensive but worth it for piece of mind. I bought one of the pelican air luggage type as I traveled from Australia. I wrapped my knives and taped them up with Duct tape. Customs opened my bag for inspection but luckily did not unwrap the knives.

Thanks- so you just checked them and no problem?

Yes just checked them all the way from Australia with TSA locks on the case. The bag was opened by customs in San Francisco and again in Atlanta but the knives were still wrapped up.

The particular case is foam padded, rate to 750 pounds force and water proof to 1 meter.

I also use a Pelican case for air travel with my knives. I add one more layer of protection though..... I place a small handgun in the case, and declare it at check-in. With a handgun in the case, it is REQUIRED to have two NON-TSA padlocks on it, only you have the keys, and the case is hand carried from the counter, to the plane, then again from the plane, to where it's picked up. Most airports have a "special" baggage area for these type of bags, where you are required to show ID in order to pick it up.

I've been doing it this way ever since 9/11, and have had no problems to date.

While living in Minnesota and flying to shows I also did what Ed suggests - a case with a gun. That way only YOU have access to the contents.

Ed and Karl have said it.

The investment in a Pelican case is well worth it and I use my own non-PSA lock. I have asked for a private screening of the case but they have merely X-rayed it and gave me the thumbs up. No problems.

A gun case alone is enough. I like my firearms and want to keep them, I also want to arrive at my destination with as little hassle as possible without a goon squad meeting me at the door, depending upon where I land. Since late September 2001 I have locked all of my knives, and swords, in a hard-sided gun case. They will often start to put the firearms tag on the case and I will simply tell them what is inside and why it is locked. For many years this then required a hand inspection, where I handed the inspectors the key and they checked inside while I watched. This was never a problem and I often handed out business cards when they saw what I had made. But for the last several years all I have to do is wait with the keys near the X-Ray until they give me the thumbs up and I am on my way. The only place I have had issues was landing in certain California destinations where the gun case earned me a bit of questioning.

What you don’t want to do is put it in your carry-on. Now I know everybody knows that, but I mention it because several years ago I heat treated a large bowie blade at the Ashokan seminar 36 hours before my wife and I were leaving for Ireland. When I got home I simply dumped my Ashokan clothes out and threw my Ireland clothes back in… without TOTALLY emptying the suitcase. The TSA at Detroit Metro were not amused when I they scanned my carry-on. But they lightened up when I told them to keep it because I had a plane to catch.

Thank you all!

Good luck with your testing!