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I'd like to bring shears with me (as in the smaller hair shears like you can get at a pharmacy) in my carry-on luggage on a flight. This is what the TSA website says about scissors:

If packed in carry-on, they must be less than 4 inches from the pivot point.

What is the "pivot point" when referring to luggage? This is what I have - the main compartment opens pretty much all the way around. So where can I pack my shears so that it would be allowed?

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    Might be easiest to pack your shears in your checked luggage, which goes in the hold. I can't imagine a reason you might need shears while in an aeroplane - if there's a medical need then the aircraft will have first aid kits with trauma shears.
    – Criggie
    Sep 8, 2017 at 22:24
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    @Criggie - Thanks, but I'm not going to need shears while on the plane (so I'm not packing them in my personal bag)...but I don't plan on checking any luggage so it's all carry-on.
    – Andy
    Sep 9, 2017 at 22:54

1 Answer 1

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As JonathanReez mentioned in a now-deleted comment, the pivot point is not in your suitcase; it's part of your scissors:

enter image description here

(source: Weebly)

An alternative phrasing could read:

If packed in carry-on, their blades must be less than 4 inches long.

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    Dear artist, the scissors you have designed are impossible to use because the "fingers (sic) holes" will overlap when the blades are closed. Also, when the blades are closed, the sharp edges of them will be exposed on the outside, leading to an all-around dangerous experience. Yours, David. Sep 8, 2017 at 13:57

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