Lanyards on your knife ...

Mark W Douglas

Mark W Douglas

Joined
Nov 16, 1998
Messages
1,345
I have a couple knives that came with lanyards attached to them. I stuck a multi-colored lanyard on my Gunsite Folder just now. I attached it the same way as the Sebenza and SOCOM lanyards are attached.

Kind of looks neat, gives the knife some color and more style I guess.

I can't see what purpose other than for looks that the lanyard would serve, since it is attached on the knife the way it is. If it were just tied on, I suppose you could use it to attach your knife to an object, but not the way these are attached on.

Any ideas for their purpose other than for looks?

Mark



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I think part of the thinking is to make it easier to dig the knife out of your pocket. I can also see some merit in having some cord handy. Next to a knife, rope is certainly one of man's handiest tools!

-Dan

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-DanV
 
I agree with you Dan somewhat.
That's good only if the lanyard is on the same end as the pocket clip is. If it is on the other end, the lanyard will be down at the bottom of the inside of your pocket. This idea works well with my Gunsite Folder because it is on the same end of the knife as the pocket clip, it is at the top of the pocket and actually out, too. Now on the other hand, my SOCOM has the lanyard on the butt end, not the pocket clip end of the knife. The lanyard is at the bottom of the pocket making it impossible to pull the knife out of the pocket.

The idea is good, but doesn't always work out.


Mark


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Hate to be a maven, but I think the length of cord you are referring to is a "fob" rather than a "lanyard." A fob is used to grab the knife for easy draw, whereas a lanyard loops around your wrist (or neck, or shoulder, like the ones British officers used to have attached to their Webleys) to prevent loss of the knife.

This is my understanding. Anyone have more info on this subject? Thanks.

Take care,

Clay

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Clay Fleischer
cdfleischer@yahoo.com

"10,000 Lemmings Can't Be Wrong!"
 
The lanyard is used to prevent accidental dropping of the knife during use. More so around water and heights.
Bob
 
Yea, now that is a use I haven't thought of. Good thought Strider
wink.gif


Clay, technically I think you are right ... but the knife companies that have them attached this way on their knives still refer to them as being lanyards.

I just got an email a few minutes ago and was told that if you pull on the lanyard when it is tied the way it is, one side is lose and should pull out allowing an opening in the cord which you can then put your wrist through. When done, just pull on the short end of the lanyard that's left out and it will snug up back to it's original state.

Let me try now while I think of it ............................................................ Hey, it does work! It will then loop around your wrist while you are holding the knife so you don't drop it!

THANKS
smile.gif


Mark



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I would like to add lanyards to some of my knifes. I like the looks of the ones on my Microtechs but I can't seem to locate any of this material. What is that stuff and where do you get it?
My thought was to get some in black then lace in a neon thread in it so it has a stripe.
 
clocker,

I bought mine lanyard cord at a backpackers shop. A wilderness store or mountain climbing store usually has various sizes and colors (solid or mult-colored patterns woven in the cord) to choose from. Lanyard Cord is what it is know as. Usually 3mm - 4mm is the standard thickness used on knives. It is normally sold by the foot and is realitively inexpensive. Make sure you melt the end of the cord so it doesn't unravel.

Mark

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[This message has been edited by Mark W Douglas (edited 16 February 1999).]
 
Another source for lanyard cord is standard Paracord, which most fabric stores carry. Hope this is helpful.

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KSwinamer
 
I may be able to shed some light on the lanyard question, and the employment of it. While I was still flying in ejection-seat equipped aircraft, I wanted a one hand opening knife available, and wanted it secured to my person (in case I was partially disable during an ejection). Using a length of cord, I tied a BM Eclipse to my flight suit, and kept the knife handy in one of the suits pockets. If needed, the cord could be found with either hand, and by extending the hand out away from my body, the knife would be pulled out of the pocket and into my hand. Worked great, at least on the ground. Never had to try it in the 'silk,' fortunately.
 
Well,

I have done quite a bit of thinking a bout lanyards, and here are the thoughts I recall right away....

Reeve and Microtech are the only people who pu t cord on a knife the way they do, to my knowlege.

Most other people keep a lnyard on there knife for use while the knife is in us to keep from losing it into deep snow or water.

British officers and others had a lanyard that went around there body to keep the knife to them.

I read a book about the SAS, that said that they use a lanyard around their waist to their machete in the jungle, they even bath with the lanyard and machete attached.

I read a survival manual that suggested having all essential items on lanyards around your neck to keep you from losing them. Knife, firestarter, etc

Hikers use a lanyard to tie essential gear to themselves, much like a survivaperson does. Compass, knife, etc

Some complain that if the knife is attached to your body then you either have a whole bunch of cord to deal with hanging around or you can't reach everything with your knife.
If you prefer the long cord design, bunch the cord up and put a constrictor knot on the bunch. If you prefer a hort cord, put a loop with a double fishermans knife on you knife and attach via a sheets bend to the waist lanyard.

Anyway, hope I am not boring you, I often come up with to much information.

I am going to put a site up with this kind of information sometime in the future.

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One may want to keep an Eye out for my review of the Bob Kasper designed, Kevin Gentile modified AFCK and interview of Bob Kasper.

Marion David Poff fka Eye, one can msg me at mdpoff@hotmail.com

Patiently waiting for the Spyderco SpydeRench, Lum Chinese Chopper Folder, Rolling Lock Martial Folder, Shabaria, JD Smith, Merlin 99, and Keating Chinook, heck if it is from Spyderco I'm anxious; REKAT Escalator; Benchmade Mel Pardue with Axis and M2 Axis AFCK.

"The victorious Warrior wins first and then goes to war, while the defeated Warrior goes to war and then seeks to win" Sun-Tzu






















 
Well,

I have done quite a bit of thinking about lanyards, and here are the thoughts I recall right away....

Reeve and Microtech are the only people who put cord on a knife the way they do, to my knowlege.

Most other people keep a lnyard on their knife for use while the knife is in use to keep from losing it into deep snow, litter, water.

British officers and others had a lanyard that went around their body to keep the tool to them.

I read a book about the SAS, that said that they use a lanyard around their waist to their machete in the jungle, they even bath with the lanyard and machete attached.

I read a survival manual that suggested having all essential items on lanyards around your neck to keep you from losing them. Knife, firestarter, etc

Hikers use a lanyard to tie essential gear to themselves, much like a person in a survival situation should. Compass, knife, etc

Some complain that if the knife is attached to your body then you either have a whole bunch of cord to deal with hanging around or if you are using a short cord you can't reach everything with your knife. If you prefer the long cord design, bunch the cord up and put a constrictor knot on the bunch. If you prefer a short cord, put a loop with a double fishermans knife on you knife and attach via a sheets bend to the waist lanyard.

Anyway, hope I am not boring you, I often come up with to much information.

I am going to put a site up with this kind of information sometime in the future.

------------------
One may want to keep an Eye out for my review of the Bob Kasper designed, Kevin Gentile modified AFCK and interview of Bob Kasper. Sorry about the wait, it should be online within two weeks, look for right it here at BladeForums.com.

Marion David Poff fka Eye, one can msg me at mdpoff@hotmail.com

Patiently waiting for the Spyderco SpydeRench, Lum Chinese Chopper Folder, Rolling Lock Martial Folder, Shabaria, JD Smith, Merlin 99, and Keating Chinook, heck if it is from Spyderco I'm anxious; REKAT Escalator; Benchmade Mel Pardue with Axis and M2 Axis AFCK.

"The victorious Warrior wins first and then goes to war, while the defeated Warrior goes to war and then seeks to win" Sun-Tzu



[This message has been edited by Marion David Poff (edited 16 February 1999).]
 
I put a lanyard/fob on those knives that I think will be used in any situation where I need added security for the knife ie over water or climbing. I tie the cord onto the knife with a knot called a "hangman's noose".
The benefit of this type is that it is relatively small and does not get in the way during normal use; but if you need an actual lanyard to go around your wrist, you unravel the knot and retie with a simple slipknot. The hangman's knot puts a lot of cord in a small expandable package.
 
For those of you who don't know how to tie a constrictor knot, good. This is a variation of the clove hitch, and usually needs to be cut to be loosened. Tying it around a number of lanyards seems to me to be asking for trouble.

Remember; the initial idea is to not drop a tool. That is a good idea. However, be sure that however you attach the tool to yourself, ask yourself what will happen if the tool and you are forcefully separated; say, it catches in a tree, and you fall from the tree. I believe that is the reason for tying the fob/lanyard in a hangman's noose; to remind you of the danger.

This has been discussed before, and the idea of removing the center of paracord for an inch or so from each end, then heat sealing the two covers (outside part of the paracord) together, to give a yield stength well short of paracord, is a very good idea.

Otherwise, you may find yourself in the most embarrassing position of hanging from a tree with your neck in a noose, and the knife you need to cut yourself free is high above you, caught in the tree. Walt
 
I agree with strider.
I also like a lanyard on a folder so that I can keep it around my neck while in a boat
 
I agree with strider.
I also like a lanyard on a folder so that I can keep it around my neck while in a boat

Sorry for the double post

[This message has been edited by Knifeslinger (edited 16 February 1999).]
 
Knifeslinger, make a careful note of what Walt said - you don't want accidently hang yourself with that lanyard. I would either stop carrying the knife around your neck, make sure you've got a second one somewhere easy to reach, or make doubly sure the cord will break _very_ easily.
It doesn't take a lot of force, or much time to strangle.
 
Thanks for all the ideas you all have given me as to uses for a lanyard. Some of them I never thought of.

I don't think I will be using the lanyard much for what it was designed for, but I will keep them on my knives. Kind of dresses up the knife somewhat, especially when using the multi-colored lanyards.

Thanks again for the tips! I'm not going to hang my self with it ... how would that look being killed by the knife's lanyard and not the blade
redface.gif


Mark
" Knife Collectors Are Sharp People ... Most Of The Time "
smile.gif




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If Mark is correct about how the Reeve and Microtech lanyards are intended to be used, that would imply a "hangman's knot" or something much like it as the knot in the lanyard. The pictures I have been able to see on various vendors' sites are not clear enough for me to see the details of the knot, but that does seem consistent. OTOH, being able to simply pull the loop open to slide your wrist through it would imply approximately a foot of loose cord beyond the knot to give enough room to put your hand through. None of the Microtech or Reeve pictures I have seen show anything like enough cord to make a loop that size.

Brian Lavin's idea of untying the hangman's knot to get a useful length seems more in line with the amount of cord shown, though it does seem like a clumsy way to carry a cord that you may need in an untied form. I sure would not want to be tying and untying a hangman's knot very often.



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Paul Neubauer
prn@bsu.edu
 
If you want something for you or your kids to do when confined for some time, get the 'Ashley book of Knots.' This is an amazing book, covering several thousand different knots, covering magic tricks, and different 'trick' ways to tie common knots. This book and some cord to tie with, will keep anyone occupied for hours.

Dr. Walt says, 'Two thumbs up, check it out'
 
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