Undetectable weapons passing through metal detectors have long been a problem in the security industry. Despite 3D printing experiments, usable non-metallic firearms remain a pipe dream for the average criminal. “Plastic Glocks” caused a gust of panic in the late 80s: the Austrian manufacturer developed a pistol, significant parts of which were made from non-ferrous polymers; although the barrel, slide, and other parts were still made of metal, public perception soon distorted the weapon into a plastic weapon that was not detectable by metal detectors. This version of the Glock was notably portrayed in Die Hard II. However, fears of a plastic pistol were found to be largely unfounded: as already mentioned, the actual weapon at the basis of the controversy had several metal parts, and security checkpoints equipped with metal detectors were unsuccessful. trouble finding them.
Cold weapons are a different story. With no moving parts and the need to contain explosive propellant, these are much easier to make from non-metallic materials. “Grivory” is one such material.
Grivory is the most common trade name for a polymer called polyphthalamide, which is a synthetic resin related to nylon. It exhibits heat resistance and hardness that make it a suitable replacement for metal in a number of roles, such as high-temperature auto parts.
Grivory has also found some use in knife making. Cold Steel, a California-based manufacturer of bladed weapons, uses it in several of their lines. Primarily the material is used in knife handles, because it is lightweight and strong, but some knives also have Grivory blades. Most of these are fixed blade knives, which means that they cannot be folded and the blade extends into the handle.
The questions with Grivory knives are whether they are truly undetectable and whether they constitute dangerous weapons.
There is a popular perception that all knives must have metal parts in order for them to be detectable for safety. This is comforting but false in any meaningful sense.
Unsurprisingly, many jurisdictions prohibit the manufacture or sale of stealth weapons; for example, California Penal Code section 12001.1.(a) prohibits the manufacture or importation of any “undetectable knife,” defined as “a knife or other instrument with or without a forend that may readily be used as a stabbing weapon that may inflict serious bodily injury or death that is commercially manufactured for use as a weapon and that is not detectable by a metal detector or magnetometer, whether handheld or otherwise, that is established in standard calibration.”
However, we were able to easily find Grivory fixed-blade knives for sale online that only had one metal part: a key-chain-like loop. This ring can be removed with hardly any effort, making the knife truly invisible to metal detectors, which is exactly how this product was advertised (and yes, they do ship to California).
The performance of the Grivory rackets is another matter. For what it’s worth, these knives aren’t known for their strength or ability to hold an edge—some users report the tips breaking off when cutting through boxes, while another called them “as dangerous as a credit card.” Sharpening them is a risky proposition, some users say it can’t be done, while others recommend doing it carefully with a file or sandpaper. Knife aficionados report that Grivory and other polymers are pretty useless when it comes to cutting, though they are somewhat effective for stabbing.
All told, a Grivory knife can do some injury, but it’s pretty ineffective and fragile as a combat weapon – your staff or night stick has much better range and can do a lot more damage in most cases.
It’s no coincidence that Grivory knives (and other non-metallic knives) don’t seem to have great appeal among criminals, especially since their properties are useless when it comes to eluding X-ray scanners. Law enforcement practice hasn’t seen much criminal use. of these knives in routine civilian life; it seems that they are simply not used as often to commit crimes.
In conclusion, it is true that you can buy undetectable non-metallic knives for a fairly low price and smuggle them through metal detectors. However, as a security guard, the chance of running into one of them is very low, and you should be more concerned with other weapons that are frequently used to commit crimes, such as good metal firearms.
