Ok, bit of an odd question as I don't really want to trim my nails mid-flight 😉

but I was going to zip-tie my zips together on my check-in luggage and want to be able to cut them at the other end, so I thought small nail clippers … I know scissors and tools are banned so anything to cut the ties would have to be in my luggage anyway, it's the only thing I could think of, can't find nail clippers on the heathrow airport secutiry info website or any number to call to check? Don't really want to use padlocks, keys to lose, etc.

Or, any other suggestions?

Doubt it if they find them.

I'd personally use a combination lock if worried about losing keys.

If someone is going to rob your bags – a Tywrap isn't going to deter them

They usually just open the zip in the middle somewhere with a blunt blade

Why on earth do you need to zip tie the zips together in the first place?

It's going to make precisely bugger-all difference to anything!

On a more practical note – Get some reuseable cable ties that don't need cutting open!
🙂

Nope, my dad's had nail clippers confiscated before.

Snap off the nail file bit and you'll get them through fine.

These days, I think it is safe to assume that anything other than the clotes you are wearing is a no-no on a plane.

Friend of ours had his nail clippers confiscated – despite the fact that he is a copper himself.

Why on earth zip-ties? The security will just cut them, or ask you to cut them off when they scan it and want to look inside…

will you lose your house-keys? if not, then get a padlock and put the key with your housekeys?

Why on earth zip-ties? The security will just cut them, or ask you to cut them off when they scan it and want to look inside…

TBH – they don't physically look in many hold bags

Um… they looked in mine yesterday:0( Broke the lock off to have a nosey. Apparently you have more recourse if your bag gets pilfered than getting the airline to replace the lock they broke and kept:0( Not happy….
Funny but on the way out, nothing was checked, but on the way in both my hand luggage ( full of camera stuff so was expecting it..) and my hold luggage, full of the stuff it had on the way out were checked….

Last time I flew to the US – they left me a little note in my case to say they'd opened it

Don't take them on the flight. Many a highjack has been carried out by threatening to snip off the stewardesses' french manicure. You'll never get away with it!

I use a small combination padlock on the zips so no need for cable ties or padlock keys. It was only about £3 and does the job fine.

If it's flying to the US, you can buy padlocks with a customs/security master key to save them busting them open.

uplink – Member

TBH – they don't physically look in many hold bags

My girlfriends bag came out of the hold last time with both the padlocks missing and the bag had clearly been searched. Nothing missing though, she keeps everything valuable in her handluggage after having almost the entire contents of her bag pinched one time!

handluggage checks – last two times i flew, every 2nd person was searched..

why the hassle of the zip ties?

end of?

[chuckles at DezB]

Post the nail clippers to the British Consulate? 🙂

To answer the OP – not allowed.

BUT I carried a swiss army card around in my wallet in hand luggage not long after the scares in (I think) '06, got through gatwick, couple of internal flights in the states, wasn't until I got to the final check in LA on the way home that they saw/found it and took it away from me…

In my mind the authorities in the US actively target locked bags.
Last time I flew back from Orlando they cut the poxy little locks I had used and then taped the zip pullers back together.

I've had stuff pinched from hold baggage once before – so was trying to avoid a repeat.

You can take what you like if you can disguise it from the xray machine + you don't mind losing it if it is spotted.

I don't recommend try to take weapons, but I recently got one of these through in my hand luggage at Heathrow T5 – by accident mind:

It was end-on to the scanner and they missed it.

Why zip ties? – If security want to look in my bag they can cut the ties rather than destroy any padlocks or cut the bag open and they can easily be replaced, and it deters the opportunist thefts.

And I said nothing about doing this to my hand luggage – scotia 🙄

Thanks for the replies 🙂

Snap off the nail file bit and you'll get them through fine.

This is correct in my experience.