Bails and or lanyard holes

Hickory n steel

Hickory n steel

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How do you feel about bails and lanyard holes , or bails vs lanyard holes ?
For me I'd say it just depends on the knife and how / where I'm going to carry it whether I like one or the other or want one at all.
A lanyard hole is just something that's always there if you need it, but while they could potentially get in the way I do prefer bails and really find them a nice touch even if I never use it on the particular knife.
They just appeal to me for some reason, probably because they're less common these days.

Having a lanyard pull does help draw the knife out of my pocket when Carried in my watch pocket or in some kind of organizer, but doesn't really come into play for a knife carried loose in my left front pocket.
Bails really come in handy on more substantial knives like electricians and scouts, or a smaller knife I wanna just clip to a belt loop.
This week my traditional folder is a little Gerber LST, and I've found having a lanyard pull on it makes it drawing it from the front mesh pocket of the Maxpedition micro organizer very easy and convenient.
I'd kind of have dig for one of my other little lockbacks or remove the whole thing while a the lanyard pull on the little LST makes drawing it much easier.
 
I like bails (with a lanyard (not a fob) attached) on knives where they make sense, such as a 4 blade Scout/Camp/Utility knife or a SAK.

On most of my knives, (Stockman, Canoe, Trapper, Barlow, etc.)
a lanyard hole or bail would not be practical, and truth to tell, would just look "wrong" to my ancient vintage antique 6 eyes. (I wear bifocals)

In nigh on 49 years, I've not needed such on my Buck or Old Timer lockbacks. However, I do have an (old USA made) Old Timer 6OT with a lanyard hole, should I ever change my mind about needing a lanyard (not a fob) on my lockback.
(of course I'd need to get a small shackle to attach a lanyard on that 6OT)
 
afishhunter said:
I like bails (with a lanyard (not a fob) attached) on knives where they make sense, such as a 4 blade Scout/Camp/Utility knife or a SAK.

On most of my knives, (Stockman, Canoe, Trapper, Barlow, etc.)
a lanyard hole or bail would not be practical, and truth to tell, would just look "wrong" to my ancient vintage antique 6 eyes. (I wear bifocals)

In nigh on 49 years, I've not needed such on my Buck or Old Timer lockbacks. However, I do have an (old USA made) Old Timer 6OT with a lanyard hole, should I ever change my mind about needing a lanyard (not a fob) on my lockback.
(of course I'd need to get a small shackle to attach a lanyard on that 6OT)
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Never felt the need for a lanyard on my 110 either, and haven't even thought to put one on the LT.

It would definitely look weird on a stockman, beyond a scout type they do seem odd on anything that's not a 1-2 blade Jack pattern.
 
I find bails just get in the way, and they can ruin a nice sharpening job real quick, if they get flipped the wrong way, while closing the knife. I don't trust a bail as a way to carry a knife. It always seemed to me to be a good way to loose a knife when the bail broke. Maybe that comes from me growing up in the sixties, when shell knives were king, and the bail attachment on then was not very secure. I have one or two old scout knives with bails, that I want to keep original. However I don't use those knives. If I did carry them every day, I would probably decide the bail had to come off.

I don't use a lanyard or fob either. But I don't mind a lanyard hole. I have even put them in on a couple of knives I put handles on. They don't get in the way of anything, and if I pass the knife along to someone that likes a lanyard, they would have that option.

O.B.
 
Hickory n steel said:
Never felt the need for a lanyard on my 110 either, and haven't even thought to put one on the LT.

It would definitely look weird on a stockman, beyond a scout type they do seem odd on anything that's not a 1-2 blade Jack pattern.
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By Golly, You're right!
I forgot or ignored that the LT has a lanyard hole.

I don't think (some who ain't nice would say "That's your main problem!") that I will put a shackle and lanyard on my LT's either.
 
Yes! I'm no fan of bails. I cut them off my Vics, on a Douk Douk I'll pien the bail pin to hold the bail fast, completely out of the way of the blade.

I always wonder, when I see lanyards and fobs o_O, why anyone would want one. We all like what we like though. I don't need to know why, I can accept it. They're not my knives. :)
 
I generally dislike bails, and would never carry a knife with one on it. They might have some usefulness to hang a knife on a tool bench for easy access. I normally even remove the split rings from SAKs if they are to be carried. I have found a fob to be useful when a knife sits so low in a sheath that drawing it becomes difficult without the protruding fob. This is true of both fixed and folding knives. My lionSTEEL drop point is a good example, especially as it has a hidden attachment for the fob, very sleek. I carry this in a slip which rides vertically in the watch pocket of jeans or painter's pants with only the last eighth inch of the handle and the fob sticking out. It can be drawn easily even when sitting, very handy.

jwznHMP.jpg


I've never used a lanyard on any knife; not sure why I ever would.
 
Not a fan of bails. If the knife is large and needs a little help pulling out of a tight sheath, I’ll throw a little leather through the lanyard hole to grab.
 
On some knives I do like to have some means of attaching a lanyard. In my former life living Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay, I spent a lot of time on some sort of small boars. Sail boats, Jon boats, canoes, kayaks, crabbing boats. A lanyard keeps a knife from joining Davy Jones's locker.

I find the keyring that SAK's have to be handy. My old war horse, the Wenger SI that has been an outdoor companion for decades, has an old fashioned bail that has a lanyard attached. All the TL-29's, M-L-K- issue knives had a bail, and they called them 'dummy cords' and they probably kept more young GI's from loosing their pocket knife than we can ever estimate.

BUT...the lanyard has to git the pattern. A lanyard on a stockman would just look silly, while a lanyard hole on a sodbuster would look okay. The Douk-Douk and Mercator look natural with the bail, but a muskrat wouldn't. Large single blade jacks would be okay with a lanyard hole.

I guess it depends on the pattern.
 
Well, for working on the water... Yeah, a tether sure makes sense. :thumbsup:

Edited to remove the term 'dummy cord' in my post.. It sounded to me like a put down.
 
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I don't use fobs or lanyards.
Lanyard holes are fine with me.
I don't really care for bails though.
 
I personally like both, but I like to tie a short cord to a knife with a carabiner on the other end I attach to my belt loop. I started doing that when my pocket clips kept snagging on stuff resulting in the knife being pulled from my pocket. It also serves the purpose of keeping the knife upright, and allows for me to draw it while sitting or from behind my climbing saddle (I've only needed to do the latter once but I was glad I could when I needed to.).View attachment 1258970 just imagine it slipped in my pocket...
 
black mamba said:
I generally dislike bails, and would never carry a knife with one on it. They might have some usefulness to hang a knife on a tool bench for easy access. I normally even remove the split rings from SAKs if they are to be carried. I have found a fob to be useful when a knife sits so low in a sheath that drawing it becomes difficult without the protruding fob. This is true of both fixed and folding knives. My lionSTEEL drop point is a good example, especially as it has a hidden attachment for the fob, very sleek. I carry this in a slip which rides vertically in the watch pocket of jeans or painter's pants with only the last eighth inch of the handle and the fob sticking out. It can be drawn easily even when sitting, very handy.

jwznHMP.jpg


I've never used a lanyard on any knife; not sure why I ever would.
Click to expand...

Agree, got a skeleton knife that looks Trad (but has certain features..;)) one of which is a concealed lanyard hole drilled through the end pin . Just want to say that Lionsteel is a tremendous knife, been after one like that with Drop-Point and DARK RAM for ages, it's like Jason hunting The GoldenFleece:cool:
 
Frankly, can't STAND bails/shackles:D They get in the way, look like an eyesore, mess up the bolster, get caught in closing a blade, don't want to carry any folding knife on my belt and a knife with one in the pocket is a Mare:D OK if you want to hang em on a nail, but that's not too mobile:rolleyes:

OK prejudicial rant/ measured evaluation over:)

Lanyard ? Not so bad but often wrecks a fine bit of scale material by having a holed drilled through. Don't use them and rather suspect they are on a pocket-knife, for those who have not yet cut the chord from Moderns and secretly hanker after some clip type of thing uh uh...;):D

Here's a bail I fixed up with a pin. The chip is why it's a second and I think greatly adds to the character:thumbsup: Free from chains and the slavery of shackles :cool:

L8X0KSA.jpg
 
jackknife said:
BUT...the lanyard has to git the pattern. A lanyard on a stockman would just look silly, while a lanyard hole on a sodbuster would look okay. The Douk-Douk and Mercator look natural with the bail, but a muskrat wouldn't. Large single blade jacks would be okay with a lanyard hole.
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That exactly. I do have knives that don't have one. They go in a tethered pouch, I used to use my watch pocket, but they're all worn out on my current wardrobe and the shorts I wear in summer don't have them. I agree that the lanyard/fob works best on a larger single bladed folder. I can't imagine a stockman with one either.
 
I’ll echo what some others have said. A scout knife or SAK that has them I can live with. I don’t use the bail, or key ring for a lanyard typically. The exception is when I’m in my Kayak, I usually take a SAK with me and then I’ll “dummy cord” it to my shorts or pants. I lost an Old Timer when I was in the Marines, it was my only pocket knife I had with me at my duty station so I didn’t want to lose the next one. I bought a small Tinker and grabbed some 550 cord and made a lanyard. The other time I could see using a lanyard would possibly be in the woods hunting. My wool pants have some large and deep pockets, but they are also easily accessed because of the looser fit. But that would be a Scout or SAK. I don’t think I’d care for a bail or lanyard hole on a stockman pattern. I know some people use a short lanyard to aid in pulling a knife out, or keeping it position upright in their pockets. I just prefer my knife rides at the bottom.
 
I like lanyard holes, more so on traditional knives than any other. Which makes the fact that most traditionally don’t have one all the more frustrating. There are a couple practical reasons for this that have nothing to do with looks.

First reason is that I carry pretty much any folding knife in the pocket. If I am going to carry a sheath it will be with a fixed blade in it. A fob allows a very quick retrieval in the correct orientation. Not for tactical applications, just a convenience.

Second reason is that if you have larger hands a small fob can add a place for your last finger on a smaller knife. It just makes for better control without much added length.

Lastly, and most importantly a fob allows for emergency one handed opening. Again, not a tactical thing, I’m talking about legitimately only having one hand available and only a slip-joint knife. Just put the fob between your teeth and open with the available hand. This mostly works better with pinchable blades, but can be done with others too.

I think these are legit reasons that can actually increase the practicality of any knife, especially slip-joints. As a matter of fact, I would say that the lack of lanyard holes on traditional knives is purely a cosmetic issue and nothing to do with the idea that they aren’t needed.
 
jstrange said:
I like lanyard holes, more so on traditional knives than any other. Which makes the fact that most traditionally don’t have one all the more frustrating. There are a couple practical reasons for this that have nothing to do with looks.

First reason is that I carry pretty much any folding knife in the pocket. If I am going to carry a sheath it will be with a fixed blade in it. A fob allows a very quick retrieval in the correct orientation. Not for tactical applications, just a convenience.

Second reason is that if you have larger hands a small fob can add a place for your last finger on a smaller knife. It just makes for better control without much added length.

Lastly, and most importantly a fob allows for emergency one handed opening. Again, not a tactical thing, I’m talking about legitimately only having one hand available and only a slip-joint knife. Just put the fob between your teeth and open with the available hand. This mostly works better with pinchable blades, but can be done with others too.

I think these are legit reasons that actually increase the practicality if any knife, especially slip-joints. As a matter of fact, I would say that the lack of lanyard holes on traditional knives is purely a cosmetic issue and nothing to do with the idea that they aren’t needed.
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So glad I'm not the only one. I do something similar if need be with one handing my douk douk, just leave it clipped to my belt loop. I usually have a short fixed blade with me, but it's nice to know I can do it if I have to.
 
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