The last cruise I went on allowed pocketknives 2 1/2" or less. I only took qualifying knives. They did look at them, but they met their rules. First trip without my Bowie knife - when I can’t readily carry my EDC.
I lost a piece of my Liberty and Freedom as an American Citizen to the TSA. Does that count?
Only if you can prove that you had it before your encounter with TSA.
I had a little “knife” that folds into the size of a credit card taken on a recent trip. I usually mean to leave it home when flying, but I always forget, and it was never an issue on at least a dozen or so flights since I’ve had it, all of which I went through TSA Pre-check. However, this particular trip was booked last-minute due to a series of travel mishaps, on an airline I’d never flown before. We were in a hurry so I did not provide my trusted traveler info and had to go through regular security instead of pre-check. Can’t be certain that’s what made the difference but I suspect so.
My answer remains the same, and happened again yesterday.
Water
Unopened, sealed factory bottle, ironically purchased from another airport, past security, originally
My brother has to fly a lot for work. He uses his hiking day pack as a carry on bag and has forgotten to pull his Swiss Army knife out of it on more than an few occasions. He still has the knife.
When my son was very young we had to take a few flights. Got the full on terrorist treatment each time over his bottled breast milk or formula. Twice they tested it for explosives and let us through. Once they made us dump it all out without testing.
So we usually go before I retired, I had to fly to California for a continuing education course in dental implant technology. We were required to bring our own instruments and Stone models of teeth. I packed them all in my check on baggage with the letter from the course explaining the items I needed to bring. Not only were my instruments confiscated, but the stone teeth as well. Stupid thing was I declared these items when I checked the baggage and they were still gone when I got to my destination.
This is often the cause of my problems, as well. I keep a backpack ready with all the things I need for work, but there are a few items that I have to remove before I fly, and I sometimes forget.
My wife almost lost breast milk, once. She started transforming into She-Hulk, but luckily a supervisor intervened and said she could keep it. That would have been a very bad day, one way or another.
That’s crazy. They opened your checked baggage and took work related items? What’s the point of checking your baggage if they’re going to do that? And what possible threat did they think a set of teeth posed, anyway? Especially in checked baggage? Wow.
Ever since I can remember I have carried a Buck “Deuce” pen knife. Its two blades are 2" & 1 3/8" respectively. I remembered it when I was in the security checkin line, after dropping off my Ruger Red Label 12ga. at the firearm check point. I called the security guard over and showed him the Deuce and askedif it would make it through with me. He said, “no”. I asked if he would like to have it and he was all smiles. As I cleared security I noticed he was proudly showing it to some other guards. Oh well, I knew the rules and a $25 pen knife made a person happy.
I have on several occasions opened my checked bag to find a note saying that TSA had inspected the bag. On one occasion there was something missing but I’m not sure if it happened during the check or when the bag was in the hotel room the week before. But it would not surprise me based on other stories I have heard if more than a few things that get “confiscated” are “disposed of” personally by TSA or luggage handlers. Though I can’t imagine a big market for dental tools?
Yeah well you know how terrorists like to mess with people’s teeth. Remember Marathon Man with Dustin Hoffman?
I think I mentioned this on another thread a good way back. It was 1974 I was a new soldier. I stopped at the PX and saw something I thought my dad would like. It was a desktop cigarette lighter that was made to look like a full-size grenade that had been chromed of course. Flying home only thing I had was my AWOL bag and carried it on. I got pinned down thoroughly searched. But in the end, they gave me my property back and I went on my merry way slightly bruised though lol. 
It was in Atlanta
Flying Chicago to Sydney, Australia the Sunday after Sept. 11 was tense. At LAX they confiscated two nail clippers. On board they gave us metal silverware for the meals! One time I could not get through the metal detector. After several passes we discovered my metal frame sunglasses in the neck of my shirt under my beard which was quite long at the time.
Gotta love the security theater! The TSA is absolutely fixated on not letting nail clippers through but they have no issue with people getting on the plane with long, pointy metal knitting needles. Didn’t realize the knitting lobby had so much pull in DC!
I remember a story about them confiscating knitting needles. That was years ago. Perhaps there was enough uproar that they backed off. I still wonder what genuine terrorist threat is posed by nail clippers. 
I’ve also noticed that the TSA security theater model is being imitated in many other places. The rules and enforcement at different venues seems so completely random, I can’t help but think they’re just made up by rolling dice.
I have not had that happen to me in over 15 years, and it only happened on return trips from abroad, never on domestic flights.
This last trip my wife informed me she discovered a small repair kit in her toiletry bag that she forgot about. She had that in her carry-on for many years, going through TSA countless times. It contains a small knife, maybe one-inch long. Based on it’s shape, it likely is thought to be a nail file, not a knife. It was quite dull. I have now sharpened it, so it will likely get taken the next time. 
Oh my gosh! Everyone knows fishing plyers are the preferred tool of hijackers even more popular than a Suppressed Mac 11!
Exactly … an agent sees something they want, it becomes theirs.
Stealing/saving your dad’s quote. It’s profound. This should also go on the quote thread.
This seems like a similar concept to the “small man complex” where the little guy has to prove how big he is.