[I am removing Politech from the dist. list. Cross-posting to mulitple lists is a terrible idea. Decide which list you want to talk on, then do it _there_.] On Thursday, September 13, 2001, at 08:48 AM, jamesd@echeque.com wrote:
-- On 12 Sep 2001, at 19:24, Steve Schear wrote:
The knife ban won't work against anyone with even a smidgen of metal detector knowledge. Anyone can purchase a razor sharp ceramic knife like this one http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:Rd6ExOvaDz8:www.smarthome. com/9126.html+ceramic+knife&hl=en
Better still, this lovely little ceramic knife http://www.argussupply.com/images/boker-2040.gif is street legal in California. Get one now!
I've had that exact Boker ceramic knife for about 5-7 years now. Of no use for bypassing metal scanners, as the case/handle is titanium. (Titanium is not ferromagnetic, but metal detectors work by inducing eddy currents, which is why aluminum is detected by metal scanners.) Furthermore, the blade is alumina (aluminum oxide, Al2O3) and should show up clearly on x-ray scans. So should the titanium. More interesting are the various plastic knives the CIA has used for many decades. Hard enough to cut flesh, but won't show up on either metal detectors or x-ray scans. (Sen. Feinswine: "We must put an end to the unauthorized use of plastic. We must enact a ban on discussion of these Undetectable Assault Knives. It's for the children!") The next set of hijackers will carry quick-acting cyanide solutions in aerosol spray bottles: spraying a couple of stewardesses will be as effective in terrifying the rest as stabbing them was in this recent attack. --Tim May