Lanyard pros and cons

[Sonnydaze]

I have more familiarity with revolvers and lanyards...than with knives and lanyards.
With a revolver, you can sleep in a tent at night, with the lanyard around your wrist, and the gun WILL BE THERE in the event you're attacked by a bear or...
With a folder on a pocket-clip, I've never seen the use for a lanyard, and have always been able to quickly get my knife from my pocket without grabbing onto a paracord and tugging. I've never dropped a knife or nearly lost a knife with a pocket-clip...ever. Until today.
When my Umnumzaan arrived a few months ago, the first thing I did, after admiring the knife, was to remove the lanyard.
My latest CRK, a used Sebbie, arrived last week with the lanyard attached. I left it on there and went with my wife to Mickey D's, with my Umnum in my right-hand jeans pocket and my Sebbie in the left front pocket. Better to be well-armed. Oh yeah, had my Walther PPS on my right hip. Who knows when the undead will attack?
Long story somewhat shorter...I retrieved my wife's sweater from the back seat of our car, and handed it to her and my "new-used" Sebbie hit the concrete parking lot. I heard it thunk and there it was at my feet...lanyard and all. There was (is) no visible damage, and I'm quite happy with that, but I will be removing the lanyard before I carry that knife again...anywhere.
Many posters here are quite happy with their lanyards, and that's fine, but not so in my case.
Sonnydaze

 

[Hauling]

why is the lanyard at fault in this tale? I missed it

regardless you have good problems lol

 

[Bigfattyt]

I have had a lanyard catch and pull fixed blades out of their sheath as well. Quite a few times, in fact. I still generally use them on some knives.

I also had a lanyard pull get caught and pull a knife from my hand while actually using it.

I was cutting fruit, went to set the knife down. The countertop was the exact right height that the lanyard stuck between my leg and the counter as I leaned to go set the knife down (out of reach of the kids I was cutting the apples and cheese for).

It was a painful experience. After a few hours at the ER to get my thumb stitched up. I was supposed to go get a nerve specalist set up a surgery, but never did. Half the thumb in my right hand (dominant) is still dead. Luckily I can still use it. It just took a couple of years. 6 years later, still pretty dead on the inside of the right thumb (which is where you need tactile sense to release the mag on your pistol!).

The offending knife, top one.

But, I still have lanyards on several of my knives.

 

[claymoore]

The real name for a lanyard is "dummy cord" if it is attached to you so you won't loose your weapon or equipment attached to your pack. People do dumb things (myself included) , especially when it's dark and your tired, water ect. But just to have it attached to the knife for edc i don't see a reason. IMHO.

 

[RiverRat84]

I never used lanyards, for the most part, until my first Sebenza. I think it just grew on me and since have kept the lanyards on my folders (now 99% Sebenzas). Same thing with the pocket clip. Until the Sebenza, I always took them off and carried my folders either loose in my pocket or in a leather belt pouch.

Anyway, glad your Sebenza was undamaged!:thumbup:

 

[Sonnydaze]

why is the lanyard at fault in this tale? I missed it
regardless you have good problems lol

My wife's sweater was about at my left beltline as I took it out of the passenger-side backseat of the car and shut the door. Apparently, the lanyard caught on the sweater "somehow" and jerked the knife out of my jeans pocket. I know this is weak, but that's the only variable and the sweater was in the right area. I've NEVER had a knife come out of my pocket when using a pocket clip in many yrs of carrying this way. I'm assuming that the lanyard was the culprit; that's all I got.

And yes, I'm also thankful that my Sebbie was undamaged. That's only the first or second time that it's left the house.

As an unrelated aside, I'm trying to figure out which knife I'll carry, the large Sebbie or my Umnum. Nice problem to have, as was mentioned above. Appreciate the nice remarks.
Sonny

 

[1SHOT1KILL]

I honestly think it was the pocket clip that caught the sweater (just my opinion) others here have had that problem as have I. My Umnumzaan has a slightly looser clip than my sebbie. I just received my Umnumzaan back from sharpening due to an incident like yours. (it fell onto concrete...landed open...and subsequntly dinged the blade)

 

[HuntBomb]

I use simple paracord lanyards on a bunch of my folders and fixed blades, but I have never had any problems.
I even have them on a few of my traditional slipjoints.
Somehow, that "lanyard" is the first thing I find when I reach into my pocket or pack, and they also give me something else to hold while cutting, whether it's needed or not.
However, I'd probably feel different if I nearly cut my thumb off because of it.

 

[The Logical One]

Pros = Easier to extract out of your pocket and with smaller knives like the small sebenza you can use the lanyard as an extra grip.

Cons = Ugly (on sebenzas) and it's less subtle if you have it clipped on your pocket.

 

[gdw]

This is a good thread. I just picked up my first Sebenza (Wison Combat Starbenza - Large) and am trying to decide if I like the lanyard. I typically have never used one. I find that, yes, I can take it out of the pocket quicker; however, I find it harder to deploy quickly simply because I have to switch grips to get to the knife handle. Did that make sense? With the lanyard missing, I actually grab the handle and ka-blamb, I can quickly open the blade.

 

[Mad_Maxx]

I often put my pinky through the lanyard so I that if the knife goes off my hand it's safe, doesn't drop and the tip is safe
plus, I like it actually, put it on most everything, nothing fancy, either a simple or coil knot (love it)

some examples

it's also good to take the knife out of the pocket when clipped, of to pull it out when in the pocket (in the sheath)
sometimes I grab it with the pinky without putting it through, makes me feel like it's harder to drop the knife, mostly when you're in a hurry, distracted or have wet-sweaty hands..if it falls your pinky holds the lanyard and hence the knife (and tip :thumbup: )
on fixed blades it's the same, pinky around or through, safety (wrist through) , control (to extract)

it's a matter of taste I think