Have Chatsworth Will Travel

Thoughts and input on anything related to wet shaving or men's grooming.
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Dapper Dad
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Have Chatsworth Will Travel

Post by Dapper Dad »

I'm hoping to get some feedback regarding carry on luggage. I'm traveling light to Seattle soon and want to make sure that my prize razor will not get confiscated.

Obviously there will be NO BLADES in my carry on (I mailed those to my destination before hand).

Does anyone have any recent experience in this department? If the razor is at risk I will bring a less expensive alternative, or purchase one in Seattle. A vacation wouldn't be very relaxing if I had to shave with a cartridge razor. :wink:

Thanks to all those more "well traveled" than I.
Eric
a-cut-above
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Post by a-cut-above »

I mail blades ahead like you or put them in a checked if there is one. The razor stays with me in my carry on. I carry a tolerable (for me) disposable razor in case I forget to mail blades ahead.
Dave

"Sanity is a madness put to good use." - George Santayana (…like a wet shaver with an acquisition disorder.)
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ateace
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Post by ateace »

I would not take a prized razor with me for travel, by air or otherwise.

Heck, I usually don't take a prized anything with me on the road.

Your Chatsworth most likely has the Muhle/EJ head on it. If it is older, it has a Merkur head on it.

You can find a much less expensive razor with either head that you can keep for travel and be able to shrug it off if its lost or confiscated.

Safe travels.
a-cut-above
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Post by a-cut-above »

I didn't think my empty Merkur Travel Razor would be confiscated. Am I being naive?
(Stolen from the hotel room is a risk, I guess.)
Dave

"Sanity is a madness put to good use." - George Santayana (…like a wet shaver with an acquisition disorder.)
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jww
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Post by jww »

If you take it fully apart to be sure, you should have no problems whatsoever. I have only had blades themselves confiscated at airport security -- and that was due to my own hubris of not checking my kit bag before I closed up my carry-on.
Wendell

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Post by Gene »

jww wrote:If you take it fully apart to be sure, you should have no problems whatsoever. I have only had blades themselves confiscated at airport security -- and that was due to my own hubris of not checking my kit bag before I closed up my carry-on.
Agreed...I take razors that come apart, and therefore don't look like razors when scanned.

I have had luggage gone through, the TSA type looked at my red tip pretty close, but with no blade in it the let it pass.

But - all airports are different! What goes at the airports I use can be vastly different at your home airport.
Gene

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jww
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Post by jww »

Gene wrote:...
But - all airports are different! What goes at the airports I use can be vastly different at your home airport.
Exactly -- I have had blades pass through unbeknownst to me when leaving on a trip (see my reference to hubris in an earlier post to this thread) only to find that coming home on the return leg a blade was already in my kit bag and the security folks went a bit -- well not entirely nuts, but they didn't take my trying to bring a blade along in the cabin lightly - even if it was an honest mistake on my part. Full body scanner warmed up and away we go ... at least I didn't get invited into one of "those" rooms for the full monty. :shock:
Wendell

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Post by Rambler »

I wouldn't take it with me. These days I don't fly much, but the last time I did I ended up just taking a Mach 3 disposable in my carry on. I do take some overnight car trips, and that's when I usually take my HD. That razor is a spare as my Muhle always stays home in the medicine cabinet.
--Greg
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Post by a-cut-above »

Greg is probably right in his caution, but shaving with my back-up disposable is like having a peanut butter sandwich for dinner. It gets the job done but that's all. I guess I have been lucky so far. My travel razor hasn't been confiscated and I haven't accidentally left a blade in it.....yet. But I can sympathize with Wendell. A while back, my bag got pulled after gong through the x-ray machine and the TSA agents started going through everything. They found nothing and put it back in the X-ray machine and had the supervisor look at it. The second time through they found a little pocket knife I had left in a back pocket when I put the pants away. I didn't check the pocket when I pulled them out of the closet and put them in the suit case. Serious dirty looks from the TSA crew and the supervisor despite my attempts to apologize. Fortunately, it wasn't the nice one my Dad had given me. No detailed exam in "one of those rooms" for me either.
Dave

"Sanity is a madness put to good use." - George Santayana (…like a wet shaver with an acquisition disorder.)
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Dapper Dad
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Post by Dapper Dad »

Appreciate the good advice gentlemen. I'll leave the Chatsworth at home and take a different razor. I never would have thought to break it down to avoid hassle.

Who would have thought that YMMV would apply to airports?
Eric
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Post by brothers »

I bought a cheap bag of disposables for a trip, and after two trips, I'm changing to a Gillette Guard for the next trip. I'm hoping it will represent an improvement. Last time I took my BK4 and a tube of TOBS cream. It was better, but the lousy disposables just aren't any good. Peanut butter sandwich for supper is a good example! :lol:
Gary

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Post by Rambler »

Dave is right. I sort of regretted the decision to bring a disposable. The first shave was just okay, but each subsequent morning was worse and worse. I may start risking taking the HD with me; however, as others have said it's more of a hassle. I didn't think of it that way, but I really just didn't want to take something like that in a nice case that may require them digging around and checking it out. I wouldn't like that. The other option I would consider is a cheaper DE that wouldn't bother me if inspected/confiscated. The razor you have is too nice to have something happen to it.
--Greg
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Post by jww »

brothers wrote:I bought cheap bag of disposables for a trip, ...
Ever used Bic Sensitives? They really are quite good -- if not an outstanding deal. Bic Metals are very good as well. Since most of my business trips run 4-5 days, I always have two in my kit bag - and I simply replenish after I get home.
Wendell

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Post by a-cut-above »

Rambler wrote:......The other option I would consider is a cheaper DE that wouldn't bother me if inspected/confiscated. The razor you have is too nice to have something happen to it.
Good idea. Lord, Weishii, Parker, and probably others make inexpensive DE's that wouldn't cause any anxiety if confiscated, lost, or stolen from the hotel room.

(Lord makes a copy of the Tech with a longer handle and Weishii makes a well reviewed one-piece TTO Gillette knock off. Don't know about the Parkers.)
Dave

"Sanity is a madness put to good use." - George Santayana (…like a wet shaver with an acquisition disorder.)
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Post by dosco »

jww wrote:
brothers wrote:I bought cheap bag of disposables for a trip, ...
Ever used Bic Sensitives? They really are quite good -- if not an outstanding deal.
+1
brothers
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Post by brothers »

I was wishing I had bought something other than he one I did buy. I think the Guard will carry me through this time.
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
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Post by Dapper Dad »

a-cut-above wrote:
Rambler wrote:......The other option I would consider is a cheaper DE that wouldn't bother me if inspected/confiscated. The razor you have is too nice to have something happen to it.
Good idea. Lord, Weishii, Parker, and probably others make inexpensive DE's that wouldn't cause any anxiety if confiscated, lost, or stolen from the hotel room.

(Lord makes a copy of the Tech with a longer handle and Weishii makes a well reviewed one-piece TTO Gillette knock off. Don't know about the Parkers.)
Yes sir. I'm taking an inexpensive Parker DE that I first bought to "see if I liked DE shaving." Also bringing a stick of Palmolive. Wanted to bring the Tabac, but it's over 3 oz. I'll pick up some witch hazel at a local drugstore to use as an aftershave.

I believe the travel kit still adds up to a "Peanut Butter sandwich"....with some jelly too. :D
Eric
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Post by Squire »

As a general rule I don't fly with anything I would hate to lose.
Regards,
Squire
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Post by jss »

+1 Squire..

Not contradicting anyone's post just sharing my experiences..I usually fly with disassembled three-piece razors and I've never had a problem....

Best,
Julian
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Post by Rambler »

Dapper Dad wrote:
a-cut-above wrote:
Rambler wrote:......The other option I would consider is a cheaper DE that wouldn't bother me if inspected/confiscated. The razor you have is too nice to have something happen to it.
Good idea. Lord, Weishii, Parker, and probably others make inexpensive DE's that wouldn't cause any anxiety if confiscated, lost, or stolen from the hotel room.

(Lord makes a copy of the Tech with a longer handle and Weishii makes a well reviewed one-piece TTO Gillette knock off. Don't know about the Parkers.)
Yes sir. I'm taking an inexpensive Parker DE that I first bought to "see if I liked DE shaving." Also bringing a stick of Palmolive. Wanted to bring the Tabac, but it's over 3 oz. I'll pick up some witch hazel at a local drugstore to use as an aftershave.

I believe the travel kit still adds up to a "Peanut Butter sandwich"....with some jelly too. :D
Good call. While not inexpensive I stick to usually using my HD. It's not something I'd look to get rid of from my stash, but if something happened to it I wouldn't be bothered about it for terribly long. Then, I'd pick up one of those more inexpensive DE's as a back up/travel razor.

I'd much prefer this 'peanut butter shave' as opposed to some plain 'dry toast scraping' that could be attributed to a cartridge/foam shave (not that there's anything wrong with that).
--Greg
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