A Leatherman with a blade cannot go through a TSA checkpoint in your carry-on or on your person. It can go in checked luggage. A bladeless multitool can go in carry-on, but the screener decides, and a tool with scissors under 4 inches or screwdrivers under 7 is technically permitted while a pair of pliers is at the officer's discretion. This guide covers the rules as they stand, what happens if you forget, and how to travel with a multitool without losing it.
The rules
- Any multitool with a knife blade: checked bags only.
- Bladeless multitools (Leatherman Style PS, Gerber MP600 Bladeless, Leatherman Curl): allowed in carry-on under TSA guidance for tools without blades, subject to the officer's judgment.
- Scissors with blades under 4 inches from the pivot: allowed in carry-on.
- Screwdrivers, wrenches, pliers under 7 inches: allowed in carry-on.
- International: rules vary and are often stricter. Check the destination.
If you forget
TSA will find it. Your options at the checkpoint are to go back and check it, hand it to someone not flying, mail it home from the airport kiosk if there is one, or surrender it. Surrendered Leathermans are the reason there is a market for used ones. Check the tool before you get in line.
How to travel with one
- Put it in checked luggage, in its sheath, in a side pocket you will remember.
- If you only carry on, take a bladeless tool. The MP600 Bladeless and the Leatherman Style PS are made for this.
- Know that the tool on your belt is the one you will forget. Move it to the bag the night before.
Frequently asked questions
Can I bring a Leatherman Wave on a plane?
In checked luggage, yes. In carry-on, no; it has blades.
Can I bring a bladeless multitool in carry-on?
TSA permits tools without blades in carry-on, at the officer's discretion.
Can I bring a Leatherman Skeletool on a plane?
Checked only. It has a knife.
What about a Leatherman Micra or Squirt?
Both have blades. Checked only.
Will TSA confiscate it?
They will offer you the chance to check it or hand it off. If you cannot, you surrender it.
The bottom line
Blade means checked. Put it in the bag in its sheath the night before and it will be there when you land.
Related reading
Gerber MP600 review (including the bladeless version)
What is a Leatherman?
How to carry a Leatherman
