Lanyards - Why?

Ferret

Ferret

Joined
Jan 20, 2000
Messages
1,749
Like the bicycle to the fish, so is the lanyard to the knife. We have opposable thumbs to grip the handle and the motor skills to maintain that grip, so why complicate things with string? Am I wrong? Have I been online too much?
 
Originally posted by Ferret:
Am I wrong?
Click to expand...
In my opinion, <strong>no</strong>.



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Urban Fredriksson
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"Smooth and serrated blades cut in two entirely different fashions."
- The Teeth of the Tyrannosaurs, Scientific American, Sep 1999
 
I also dislike lanyards, they seem to get in the way and be a bit useless. However, I do use them on occasion.... example. if i’m rockclimbing, i’ll put a lanyard on any knives i’m carrying...If you drop a knife on the ground, no big deal. If you drop it 50 metres up when your rope is choking you.....
I can also see the need for specwar commnity... in their lives, they very often may have to let go of a knife, but still want it... so yeah, for normal use, I dislike them. However, in certin environments, they could be a good idea..... It has been prooved over and over again that s**t does in fact happen......

James


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The beast we are, lest the beast we become.
 
I tried it for awhile on my Military and while it looked purty a la Sebenza, it often made a one hand opener into a two handed fumble. I recall someone (a canoeist) saying how the last thing you wanted when upside down and drowning was a knife flailing about your bits and I imagine the same to be true in most circumstances e.g. running, fighting, jumping from plane, opening packages...
 
If you are working over water, or rock climbing, etc. the lanyard may seem like a pain in the ass but the rule is you will fumble your knife at the most inopportune time. Imagine fishing out of a boat and pulling your cool $200 "tactical knife" to cut some line, somehow loosing your grip, and watch it drop in slow motion (blade open--do I grab for it?) and then kerplunk into the drink.

I have another use for a lanyard. I use bright orange parachute cord on all my cool black knives. I have lost a Glock field knife, and do not intend to repeat that mistake. A bright yellow or orange lanyard helps me spot the knife should I lay it down in the midst of other things, or if it should somehow liberate itself from my belt as my Glock did.
 
Lanyards can be use to lengthen the grip of the knife for better chopping.

Lanyards are used to secure a knife over water or deep snow.

Lanyards are great when you don't want to lose a knife while traveling, say hiking. Your knife or compass could work it's way out of your pocket and you would never know, but with a lanyard...

My new Wenger Standard has a bail, to which I attached two feet of knotted para-cord, I can tuck the cord in my belt, and then my chances of having the knife on me are much better.

Big knife users use a lanyard to stabilize their grip.

The cool thing about lanyards is this, if you don't like them for most use, fine, but if you ever need one, just a bit of paracord and away you go.

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Thank you,
Marion David Poff aka Eye, Cd'A ID, USA mdpoff@hotmail.com

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ALL of the Above I guess!
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Purty is my number 1 reason though!
Been putting lanyards on my knives for years now, guess I'm use to them being there!

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" Knife Collectors Are Sharp People - Most of the time that is! "
 
I don't like lanyards on folders but I think they are essential for big or camp knives. First if you slide the lanyard way up your forearm you can really choke up on a big knife and use it accurately because all the weight is on your arm not between your fingers. Second if you drop the knife no biggie, same for if you want to let go of the knife for a minute without sheathing it, just let it dangle.

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"Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heav'n"
John Milton
There are only two types of people; those who understand this, and those who think they do.
 
With my advanced age and decripitude, I don't find myself hanging off tree limbs very often anymore, but would support the use of a lanyard if losing the knife would be dangerous.

One proviso: make the lanyard weak, otherwise you may end up hanging from it. For a long time. Paracord is not easy to climb up. Removing the center part of the paracord and heat sealing the ends is one method recommended. Walt
 
Yes, I learned the hard way. I was working on a buddy's boat, and my t-shirt got caught on the clip. Splash! I shrieked as my BM CQC7 slipped into 40 ft of murky water. Hope to dive for it this weekend.:-)

I will always use a lanyard when working around water, or heights.
 
Plus, you can tie'em to long sticks with the lanyard hole and use'em to fight off bears in those wilderness survival scenarios we all find ourselves in.
 
Right on, copper! I'll also mention that if the bear gives you a good mauling before you manage to dispatch it, the lanyard can be a handy tourniquet to stauch the otherwise fatal blood flow!
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T Clark, welcome to the forums.
 
I go fishing a lot, so I use a long piece of twine to tie my knife to my tacklebox. For that reason I like knives w/lanyard holes, but I cut the line when I'm done fishing.

Brandon

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I've got the schizophrenic blues
No I don't
Yes I do...
 
Commercial Divers call them 'Dummy Cords'
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...And we put them on everything! Working underwater (in the dark)it's a real drag to drop something, tool, knife etc...working with gloves on a 'wrist loop'can be a good deal!..I put climbers carabiners on the end of most dummy cords to clip them on to me or the job.
 
Yes, to me caribiners or snap hooks seem the smart option, esp. when pocket clip are ineffective - that is, when there's a chance of the clip snagging on things and being dragged out or, as has happened to me once
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, when you crouch down and the knife gets ejected by your zippo (or other junk in yer pocket). BTW, what's with the lanyards formed with a noose knot (but no loop) - do you wrap 'em round your fingers
 
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