Goofy, but gotta ask: Are lanyards purely cosmetic?

Q

qqqqqqqman

Joined
Apr 1, 2005
Messages
70
It's kinda bugged me, nobody mentions it LOL :o ....but might as well get it out of the way in my first month of knifehood. What purpose(s) do lanyards serve? Cosmetic? Identification? Functional (do you use it to pull the knife or keep from dropping/throwing it)? Do some have wrist loops to keep the knife from falling into water or maybe off a mountain face? Or a carabiner-type clip on the end?

Just wondering....things that make you go "hmmmmm..." :confused:
 
When I go fishing, the lanyard on whatever folder I carried is untied and used as a tether a la neck knife. Not cosmetic at all...
 
I believe that some people use it as an easy way to carry fairly long (10 ft or so) pieces of paracord around for emergencies.
 
I like lanyards on my tip up knives,it helps to draw them from the pocket imho.
 
I consider them a safety feature on my knives. It's a standard for me to put a lanyard hole in the tang. The reason being, on my hunting knives I recommend to wrap the chute cord around your wrist while field dressing game so you do not drop the knife while your hands are slick with blood, fat and body fluids. On my large camp knives, they serve a secure grip while chopping or swinging the knife. It will keep it in your hand are not sailing through the air. :D
Scott
 
After seeing Sebenza after Sebenza with a lanyard, I went to the surplus store and got a few dozen feet of paracord and tied lanyards to all my knives.

I don't have a lanyard on any of my knives now. I'm thinking of doing it to my SPOT, for just a bit more grip area, but I found that I just don't have any use for them myself.
 
Your knife just isn't as BAD without skull beads.
:D
It's almost like having a sports car without spoiler.
:rolleyes: (or something like that)
 
I only tie them to tiny knives, as a kind of grip improvement. Everything the size of a BM 705 or smaller needs a lanyard IMO. Then again, I dont use clips on knife that size either, it looks akward when the clip is almost as big a the knife.

On camping knives I use a lanyard as well, to assist drawing it and as a security measure.

Keno
 
when working on the water, unless you don't care about losing your knife to the fishes, a lanyard is indespensable. Use a loop large enough to slip your wrist through, but never never never attach the lanyard to your body, belt, etc, and use the knife. I've seen enough people in a hurry or emergency try to cut something quickly that was just out of their reach, and pull the knife through their hand. ouch. i told you so. :(

Lanyards are great for pulling a knife from your pocket, whether clipped or not. I keep it tucked into my pocket, save for the knife-lanyard-knot, so it does not catch on every odd and end on the boat.

also, when I am wearing oilskins (foul weather gear) I can keep the knife hanging inside of them, easily accessable, but not exposed to the elements.
I just draw the knife, and with a twist of my wrist, I wrap the entire lanyard AROUND my hand, with my thumb through the loop, rather than put my entire hand through it, that way, in an emergency I can ditch the knife, rather than have it hanging from my wrist and swinging free to cut anyone nearby, esp. me.

well, I ramble.
cheers
Peter
 
I use a lanyard on duty because my (German) BDUs have a knife pocket inside the right leg pocket. The lanyard hanging out of this pocket makes drawing it much faster and easier.
 
What everybody above me said.

Keep from losing something, to carry extra paracord, retrieval from a pocket bottom, extra grip on a short object, and as a security aid I sometimes loop it through my beltloop. :cool: :D

click me

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In addition to the reasons mentioned above, I have found that a lanyard with a couple of bulky knots tied in it will keep small folders from falling out of dress pants with loose-fitting pockets (such as pleated pants).

I have a Benchmite which I EDC when in more "dressy" clothes, as it is so thin that it isn't noticeable. Without a lanyard, it would slip out of my pocket while I was in my car, or fall between couch cushions.
 
BOTH. It is a functional accessory, or it can simply be used for cosmetic purposes. When I tie a lanyard on a knife, especially a folder, I do so for the looks.
 
I use a lanyard wherever possible. One some of the smaller folders/fixed blades such as the Becker Necker, a knot in the correct place provides a bit more "handle". I've found on my fixed blades, the lanyard can also lead you to the handle so you can draw the knife without looking. Also handy on the deeper carry clipped folders.

- gord
 
I agree with Scott completely about the safety feature of a lanyard when field dressing game. In my own personal uses of knives I've only used lanyard straps on my fixed blades. I've never seen the need for one on my folders and never use them on the folders I own that have them.

A good case in point is the recent upgrade I just did to my Spyderco Salt 1 by rebuilding the body. I put a lanyard hole into the new titanium frame I built but never drilled it out through the scales. Chances are I'd never use it anyway.

On smaller folders they are nice for a key ring. On a larger folder that is a hunter or tactical I can see needing one but on an EDC for city or even rural life very little comes up that requires them IMO.
 
I always carry a big folder, currently and for the last couple years, a Sebenza, in my front waistband, just to the right. The paracord tied up lanyard then lays flat against my waistband and horizontaly for an easier draw with either hand. Its also an easy way to carry a couple feet of paracord with you and can be made into a loop when working around water. and...it looks good...to me anyway.
 
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