Lanyards/Lanyard Holes -- What's the Big Deal?

First thing I do when I get a knife that comes with a lanyard is remove it.

I do like the "look" of a lanyard, but they serve no function for me.

As far as a lanyard hole, I guess it's there because many people do enjoy having a lanyard, whether it be for form or function..
 

I wouldn't swing this thing around without the security provided by a loop of paracord around my wrist. Also a handy way to hang the blade up when reapplying tuf glide.
 
I started putting fobs on knives when I got a Kershaw Cryo.
The clip is stout, deep carry style, add that to the slick scales, and that knife was almost useless to me.
I put a para-cord fob on it and it was transformed.
The fob really does allow just enough of my little finger to get a grip on it to draw it.
I've got a lot of folders w/ fobs now, some decorative some functional.
I personally like the look. It is a way to personalize a knife
 
Once it was popular to have a cord from knife to belt so it didn't get lost. As a young boy I did this Scout style.
They can be useful as a pull cord or tag. For pulling a folder out of a deep pocket or deep belt sheath.
Bushcrafters have found all sorts of ways to keep a big heavy blade in the hand when chopping. Think its the love of paracord.

I find lanyards a liability on the whole. When working they get in the way and are annoying and a distraction. Something to pick up dirt and germs too. Wet conditions they are just another wet thing, dry conditions not so bad. They catch on things and a fast way to lose a knife plucked from its place. No one puts a lanyard on a hatchet so why on a big knife? In truth I think long lanyards are an accident waiting to happen, and a quick way to get a finger ripped off from the cord catching on machinery. When a tree or branch is felled or cut anything can happen and kick back is a worry; don't want anything attached to the hand. Short stubby pulls aren't so bad. If I fell when using the knife I'd want to get away from the blade, not have it attached and follow me down. However, if working at height then no reason not to have a safety cord, but a temporary one can be done for that.
As for fixing a bright coloured flag then why not just get the handles bright, heck dip the end in bright paint. In deep snow there is some good argument to have a long ribbon, bit of a pain though if its going to be long enough to be of any help; resheath the knife instead which is what should be done.

Your call, but generally I don't use a lanyard. Nothing wrong with having the hole there if ever needed.
 
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I like lanyards. They add security to others near you when chopping with big knives as it keeps the blade close to the user if their grip slips. I've seen blades fly from the hands of people who did not use a lanyard. Also if you know how, a lanyard can add to the retention of a large knife so it never slips in the first place. When working around water or deep snow, a lanyard will keep your knife from disappearing forever. The beads and such I can do without myself as I find they tend to smack my hand when chopping. I do like some of the fancy tied knots though. They show a little skill of the person who tied them and are usually not enough weight to cause any slapping.
 
I made a fob for a SAK, about 3 feet of paracord in a sinnet. Came in handy when to repair someone's luggage handle that broke minutes before he had to leave.

I do like to have a fob on some of my knives, it makes it easier for me to remove from my pocket.

I also have made some short lanyards to attach to a belt loop to suspend the knife in the pocket. For these, I like to use one of the ITW Nexus snap hooks. They are inexpensive and seem to hold up really well.

Ric
 
i like a lanyard hole. all my lanyards are just a simple loop of rawhide. put hand through loop, drop knife, work with both hands, knife still at hand with out picking it up of the ground/ looking for it or reopening if a folder. in rough country i can slip the loop through my belt for added insurance from loss. not a deal breaker if it dont have it, but a point in its favor if im looking at two dif knives.
 
To the OP's question, I usually use a hybrid lanyard/fob hybrid. What I mean is that it is short and has multiple knots to provide a surface to pull the knife like a fob, but it has space to put the pinky finger in thus preventing the hand from accidentally moving forward into the blade.

It looks very similar to the one in this picture by The Peacent:
CAM02646_zpsjon2rgwu.jpg
 
Don't use a clipped knife that often, so a lanyard depends on the configuration of the clipped knife. I like a lanyard on a tip up folder; aids in a easy draw and positioning for opening the knife.
Just gets in the way for a tip down; usually won't carry tip down for that reason.
Lanyards for sheath carry don't work for me, only exception being the very short cord on CRK sebbies in the Geller belt pouch.
 
Its probably been stated already, but technically I use a fob vs. a lanyard. I appreciate a few inches of para-cord to help retrieve the knife from the bottom of the pocket or to help extract it in the event of a tight pocket-clip. It also helps aid in holding on to small knives that don't allow a full grip.
 
Totally agree with Greenjacket. More than once I've hooked a finger on a lanyarded knife on the table and sent it flying off the table, maybe just a personal problem though.
 
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