Straight On Holiday

[onotoman]

Hi Guys,

I'm off to Turkey (from UK) in a few weeks time for 2 weeks holiday Hooray!

We have a property there and I leave a few Safety Razors and some Shavette type razors there.

I'm toying with the idea of taking one of my vintage straights over but my thinking is:

(1) Surely I can live without them for 2 weeks or can I
(2) Will there be a risk of the razor being confiscated (even if packed in hold luggage)?
(3) I'll not be taking a hone but would need to take a strop
(4) If and when we can spend more time there, then take one or two or even get them sent there by courier?
(5) I'll get withdrawal symptoms if I can't use a strop every day (OK take a strop and pretend to strop a Shavette type - like a false cigarette)

I'm getting as bad as my wife in her deliberations on what clothes, handbags and shoes to take

 

[johnmrson]

I've travelled internationally a few times without a problem. I take one of Legions travel Roo strops rolled up in a nickel plated soap stick container. Obviously they need to travel in the hold of the plane so pack them well. Last year I went to Paris and London and took an antique French and English straight with me.

 

[jred]

Maybe get a GD and bang it around a bit so it looks old.

Whenever I worry about airport security, I just FedEx the item to myself at the destination.

 

[cj121]

I have travelled on holidays from home (UK) to a few Euro destinations and have no problems with safely packing my straights and associated kit in my main luggage which goes in the hold. I would advise using a rigid container of sorts, as being a traveller you will have the responsbility to ensure any luggage checks do not compromise staff safety. Obviously I cannot guarantee Turkish customs wouldn't want to have a peek, but you are travelling with a bone fide shaving article. If you are very anxious, take a razor of lesser worth?

 

[Woodash]

Important Safety Concern for Turkey: Stay out of the taxicabs....

(you're on your own with the razors)

 

[onotoman]

We don't have worries there - it's either friends cars or we just walk. We aren't in a large resort (like Marmaris) or large city like Istanbul it's a small town/village.

Have you had bad experiences in Taxis in Turkey?

Important Safety Concern for Turkey: Stay out of the taxicabs....

(you're on your own with the razors)

 

[onotoman]

Thanks guys,

I think I'll take a vintage Str8 and travel strop in a container as suggested.

Best Wishes

 

[Luc]

When I moved from Australia to Canada, I packed my straights, hone and strops in my luggage that goes under the plane. No issues except a bottle of Aftershave that leaked. The thing that you got to think about is the insurance on the luggage. Normally, on international flights, you get an insurance for you luggage under the plane in case it's lost or destroyed. Some are $100, $500 or $1000... It depends on your carrier, some don't offer it at all. It should be written with your plane ticket (there's a small print somewhere that says the conditions of the carrier to fly with them).

After that, if you imagine the scenario that your luggage is lost/destroyed, the insurance will ask for a proof as they won't hand out a $1000 note. So, if you can prove that your straight razor is really worth X (among all the other items that you got in there) you should be able to get some money back. There's a whole process to this (x time before the luggage is declared lost, time to process the insurance, etc...).

Long story short, check the straight in your luggage under the plane and you should be fine.

 

[Giant Kiwi]

I checked mine in the middle of my bag going to Spain earlier this year when I flew with Ryanair.
My kit came back intact even if my back and legs didn't.

 

[EL Alamein]

My own advice is never take anything you would regret losing if your luggage got lost permanently. Take only modern replaceable things and you'll never cry that your beloved vintage straight/strop/hone/etc was lost when the airline flew them to Timbuktu and lost them there instead of to their intended destination. This is exactly how I operate when I travel by air.

Just my 2 cents. Hope that helps.

Chris

 

[SliceOfLife]

Don't take anything of value with you in checked baggage ever.

I have had more **** blatantly stolen out of my bags by airport baggage handlers than I can even remember.

Cash, DVD's, Souvenirs of every shape and size, external drives.

Obviously not everyone who works for the airline is a thief... but I'd lay money that every airline has at least one thief working for them.]

I recall I was flying with Hotel Rwanda and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon dvd's, one time. They stole CTHD and left Hotel Rwanda. They had been rubber banded together in my bag under several layers of clothes.

 

[Slash McCoy]

Take a couple of cheap vintage straights and a strop you can afford to lose. Or fix up a couple of Gold Dollars. For honing take some lapping film and maybe a polished marble tile 3" x 12" for a lapping plate. Totally expendable and light to carry but will still hone a viciously sharp edge. Last but not least a pasted balsa in your carrying, protected from dents and dings. In fact with 1u diamond on one side and something finer on the other, you can go indefinitely without actually honing if your technique is good.

Basically there is no reason not to take your preferred method of shaving with you in checked luggage. Just don't pack anything you can't afford to lose. Maybe shipping an extra razor would be a good backup plan.