Stupid question. What is the purpose of a lanyard?

The only knives I use lanyards on are large choppers (wrist lanyard for retention) and small ~2.5-3" fixed blades (thing izula size) that I put my pinky and ring fingers threw to help hang onto it.
 
When you're in a crowd, it makes it really easy for any passing stranger to relieve you of your knife.
 
If it's a woods knife it's a good idea to put a bright colored lanyard on it so you can find it if it gets dropped. Other than that I can see it as a welcome addition if you have to use your knife on a boat. All the other uses I frankly see as aesthetic or accounting for bad knife design/technique.
 
breakdown52 said:
It's a stupid question
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Though I often give stupid answers, yours is not a stupid question.

The answer is:

1 - lanyards are blingy, and accentuate the visual appeal of knives - especially spendy knives, and
2 - they make it a little easier to extract the knife from your pocket.

I think its mostly #1, though. Boys (and cool chicks) loves their toys, and love to accessorize them.
 
I don't really use them ever but I always thought it was more for survival issues or emergency's you can undo the Para cord witch would have many uses in a number of situations.
 
I use a lanyard on my cold steel recon 1 so I can whip it around like its some sort of numchuk. Other than that, I have no use for them.
 
Sonnydaze said:
When you're in a crowd, it makes it really easy for any passing stranger to relieve you of your knife.
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I use lanyards on my spyderco manbug for the extra grip and one on my leatherman squirt PS4 to get it out I my pocket. But they aren't super long.
 
link2derek said:
Many purposes - here are a few off the top of my head:

(a) help retrieve from pocket (folders)
(b) add extra length to 3-finger handles (fixed or folder)
(c) wrap around wrist for control/retention (fixed or large folders)
(d) add ease of finding (bright/reflective material)
(e) add ease of identification (between several identical models)
(f) looks cool (purely aesthetic)

I'm sure there's more...
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:rolleyes: This question seems to come up over and over again. The best discussion I have seen is bill-hay.com/Lanyard.htm
I hope this works as a link. Bill Hay on Knife lanyards is a good article to see.
 
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9blades said:
They can make it easier to pull a knife out of your pocket, specifically with knives that have aggressive texturing on the handles or deep carry clips. It can help with smaller knives to give added grip (think spyderco dragonfly). sometimes it's just a cool way to show off a lanyard bead, who wants to let that $100+ Starlingear bead sit in a box?! Just my 2 cents. :)
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^^^^This pretty much matches my opinion. Pocket removal and additional grip on smaller knives works for me. I don't have them on all of my knives, but there are a few where a lanyard is helpful.
 
orixa said:
The REAL purpose: a place to attach your man-jewllery.
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That and I found once I reversed the clip on my XM-18s, it was not as quick out of the pocket as when tip down carry.
I guess the pocket lip is catching between the clip and LBS differently now. A pull on the lanyard makes for a quick removal.
 
Only use it on one of my knives. My dragonfly salt, it's a dull gray color (not there for aesthetics) short in length and I wrap it around my pinkie while in use so I don't lose my knife in the drink.
 
To get in the way, absorb dirt and moisture, destroy the aesthetics and ergonomics of your knife, get caught on stuff and get greasy/bloody/muddy/remain wet.
 
I love them. I make beads for them. Personally for me it's about adding something fun. I put them on the smallest knife and the biggest knife.
 
I use them on and off. Cold in North Dakota is 25 below not counting wind chill. When working outside in the winter season they're a huge benefit when it comes to retrieving my knife thru my Carhartt cold weather bibs wearing heavy gloves.

In the summertime not so much. I don't have to impress anyone so if they serve a purpose I use them. I adhere to the "smarter not harder" rule when it comes to working construction or any type of trade :thumbup:

Paul
 
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