Lanyards...?

[Nick jarvis]

I would be interested to hear your opinions on lanyards.
I tend to put them on smaller items that are stowed in packs or pockets, but have never liked or at least got on with them on fixed blades or the like. Do you use them ?. What sort do you use loops, plaits ect. What do you make them from ?.Do you use them to secure one thing to another ?.
Nick.

 

[Josh Feltman]

I put little coil knot lanyards on my SAK's because they usually sit in the bottom of my pocket, and it makes them easier to grab. I also put a loop lanyard on my MMHW bowie so that it doesn't fly out of my hand while chopping. Ted Frizzell's suggestion for fitting a lanyard is to loop the lanyard over your thumb with your hand extended vertically in front of you (like you were going to shake someone's hand) and the knife dangling point down below your hand. Rotate your hand down until you are comfortably grasping the handle of the knife. The lanyard should now be looped across the back of your hand as your are grasping the knife. This keeps the knife from flying out of your hand, and also keeps your hand from slipping forward onto the blade. I use paracord for all my lanyards, mostly because that is what I have laying around.
--Josh

 

[beezaur]

I use 1/8 inch braided nylon cord for all my lanyards. I try to use different colors when I can so that I know what thing it is I an grabbing when several items are in the same pouch. I have come up with three basic types of lanyard "implimentations":

Wrist lanyards are put on items that momentarily hang from my wrist while I do something else with my hands (e.g. flashlight). I make the lanyard long enough that the item hangs in a "grabbing" position when my arm is at my side. I keep the wrist loop small enough to not slip off by putting an overhand knot a few inches from the secured item.

Neck lanyards (e.g. compass) are long enough that I can put the item in a shirt pocket with the lanyard around my neck. Sometimes I loop the lanyard through the pocket's button hole instead of around my neck.

Other gear (e.g. field book), usually stuff that gets used over a flowing stream or some other drop-prone area , gets a very short lanyard permanently attached, just big enough to clip onto. When I use that item, I connect it to my pack or clothes with a longer lanyard that isn't "assigned" to any one piece of gear.

I also use the same material for boot laces. I had to sacrifice a lanyard once on the trail and was so happy with its durability that I never went back to regular laces.

Huh. I never realized I put so much thought into lanyards. . .

Scott

 

[Nathan S]

I never really trust clips to keep my folders secured when I'm in the woods, so, when hiking, I normally use a lanyard on my Sebenzas. I make my own lanyards, using a modified hangman's noose.

 

[longbow50]

I use the Reeve coil knot on everything that I put a lanyard strap on, which is mostly my knives. I have dropped a knife while doing some woodwork while extending over a cliff and that knife went a long ways down. Never did find it. Plus, I figure we can never have enough cordage, so I put a lanyard strap on my sheaths as well.

 

[Bill Siegle]

I like lanyards for outdoor use because nothing would bother me more than to lose a knife over water or deep snow. It would be bad enough to lose a tool to abuse or theft but to lose it for lack of string? I would want to kill myself for being that stupid. As to loosing a blade while chopping, I suppose it can happen but I prefer to overcome that problem with a better grip and stopping when fatigued. Even with a lanyard, if you lose control of a knife while chopping somebody will pay either someone in front of the chopper or the chopper when the lanyard recoils the blade back at you.

 

[hstdist]

Have to agree with Bill - knife&knife like implements lost in the field from over the years - Buck 110 - fell from pocket, Gerber EZ out
un clip from pocket,Gerber multitool - fell from pouch, beautiful custom finnish F/B hunter - sheath torn right off belt ( I get right into some real thick stuff chasing bruins )
Everything now has laynards attaching it to my main belt if possible and is constantlty double checked as a habit as I move through the bush so even if its droped its only 5 min. behind me. Been thinkink of using caribiners and laynards now instead of looping them around my belt. ANyone use that system?