You have everything packed. Trousers, toothbrush, passport. The plane tickets are in your bag, and you arrive at the airport, ready to check in. But how is it with your razor? Can you bring it along in your Carry On bag? Or do you have to check it in?
In fact, the answer is simple – but it also depends on the type of razor you’re using. So let’s just take a minute to recap what you can or cannot bring through the airport security.
Razors and blades
Cartridge Razors like the Gillette Fusion, Schick Hydro or any other safety razor, where the blade is mounted in the head and cannot be taken out easily ARE ACCEPTED as carry on luggage. Spare blades for this type of razor is accepted as well.
Safety razors, like Double Edge Razors and straight razors, where the blade is NOT fixed in the head are accepted, as long as it doesn’t contain a blade! But then again – why not just put it in the checked in luggage along with the blades.
Double Edge blades, Straight razor blades and similar, where the blade is NOT embedded in a cartridge ARE NOT ACCEPTED as carry on luggage. These must be checked in at all times.
So – for business travelers carrying only a small cabin bag and no checked in luggage, the best solution would be to bring a safety cartridge razor or disposable razor – and leave the DE razors at home.
Liquids
You should also remember the 100ml limitation on liquids that apply to all flights in US and Europe. Any containers of liquid that can hold more than 100ml can be rejected by the airport security and confiscated.
Having said all that – I wish you all a happy summer and a safe journey. And for myself? Well – I think I’ll just drive my way to Holland this summer! 😉
Why not just pack your favourite DE and pick up some blades when you reach your destination? One of the beauties of DE shaving is that the blades are so cheap that it doesn’t matter if you use the whole pack or not.
In response to Toby Masson’s comment, that depends on where your destination is. I use an ordinary Gillette Mach 3 Turbo but, last year in Nassau, Bahamas, I couldn’t find any blades to fit it at all – not even the non turbo variety. With Nassau being so close to Florida, and frequented by so many American tourists, I was very surprised at not being able to get any thing to fit what is possibly one of the most popular razors, worldwide. In the end I bought a local product which was agonizing to use. Needless to say, on my return to England, I was sporting a very respectable – if short – beard!
Erm, the Gillette Mach 3 is a cartridge razor, not a DE (double edged safety). I’m pretty sure that if I can find razor blades in Sri Lanka, you can find them in the Bahamas…
Been an on/off DE shaver for many years, and try to indulge myself during holidays abroad.
Having flown numerous times taking only carry on luggage with carriers such as Ryanair.
I’ve always taken my DE blades with me whilst in the plastic holder and have never been stopped by security even in places such as Manchester, Jersey and France.
If anything the security staff have starred at the images and needed educating as to the lack of a Gillette fusion in my luggage.
I’ve been putting a DE razor and blades in my carry on for years without a problem, but since early 2014 the blades are fairly systematically being removed by airport security across Europe and in the US. I’ve asked a few things what had changed and apparently the staff has been instructed to pay more attention to them due to some incidents.
I once forgot about liquids in my hand luggage and it was very frustrating to give them away recently purchased products… But at the end of the day I think it’s for our safety. Thank you article!
I’m assuming they won’t hassle you if you bring the DE razor WITHOUT the blades?
Correct. If I want to bring my DE in my carry-on, I always plan on buying blades when I arrive. Last time I went flying, I forgot to remove the blade – and it was caught by the scanner. I just made a surprised comment that I forgot to remove the blade from the razor, and they allowed be to get the blade out and move on with the empty razor.
Flying to Belfast in January. Is my ladies braun foilhead shaver allowed in hand luggage
How about the intuition shavers that have the soap around the shaver?