flying out of US with four (4) mechanical keyboards

I am flying out of the US (to a European destination) and I need to take four (4) mechanical keyboards (computer keyboards) to a destination with me.

Each of the mechanical keyboards has the size of a typical desktop keyboard but being mechanical they weigh a bit more than two pounds (a kilogram) each.

I intend to place them in my backpack which I will take into the cabin as my carry-on luggage. The reason is they are somewhat pricey (and brand new) and I would like to avoid having them being thrown around with the rest of the hold luggage.

Do you foresee me having any problems during baggage screening at the US airport ?

My only concern is that the TSA agents might find it odd that someone is travelling with so many keyboards, given also that they are rather unusual, i.e. heavy (compared to the vanilla keyboards the TSA might be more accustomed to seeing). Due to the mechanical switches they employ I also have no idea whether they appear "scary" under X-rays. I am worried that in the worst case scenario they might ask me to discard them (under some unknown rule, e.g. weird type of electronic equipment).

Should I be worried and is there anything I can do to make this as uneventful as possible ?

Best Answer

I do not fly with four keyboards but I always have one. And it's a split keyboard (which I actually use vertically) so it looks really weird to boot. What happens at security? I'd say about 3 in 4 cases no one gives a hoot, 1 in 4 cases they remove it from the bag to ask what the ... is that? And I tell them, it's a split keyboard. And that I work remotely, I am away for extended period of time, I need a good keyboard. This typically takes less than a minute and then they swab it and off we go.

So yeah, be ready with an explanation and you are good to go. Security is not customs or immigration to care whether you can import these things or whether you are allowed to work at the other end. It's not a weapon, it's not an explosive, everything is fine.