Tell me all about lanyards

R

ralphjuden

Joined
Dec 1, 2012
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I bought my first two real knives for christmas; My favorite being the Kershaw Zing Tanto Black and also an RJ-1. (just love the way RJ martin stuff looks, very classy.)
I am big on buying stuff on ebay, and I see a ton of knive lanyards on there with paracord. What are some of the real uses of these, and maybe you can recommend who makes the best ones, or who to support locally on the forums here that sells them, who has the best or what makes them the best ones etc.
Thanks in advance.
 
I have just recently started to put lanyards on my knives and have come to really appreciate them. What I find they are really good for is getting to your knife when you are sitting down or working on something that has you in a position other than standing straight up. Without a lanyard you have to kind of straighten your leg if sitting or shift around if working in order to get a pocket knife out even if you are using the clip. With a lanyard attatched all you have to do is grab the lanyard and pull, then walla you have your knife.

I would recommend that you just make the lanyard yourself. It is very simple to do and there are several videos on youtube that show you have to make one. It is better to do it yourself imho because then you can choose how long you want it and replace them as they get dirty. It's also a great way to have a few feet of paracord on you at all times.
 
That is excellent advice. It would be fun makin them but I'm just not skilled like that. a 5 year old boyscout could make a better one than me probably. Since i have the black on black zing, I guess I should probably stick with an all black one for the stealth look. No reputable makers on here?
 
I am not sure that anyone really specializes in lanyards since you usually have to have the knife in order to put the lanyard one. I am sure that you could make a loop and pull one through if the lanyard hole is big enough but they are usually something that will get worn out over time or dirty if you use your blade regularly. Here is a pic of a few lanyards that I have put on my knives recently. I am no master by any means and they are very simple but they are effective and you can make them in any color that paracord comes in. It took me all of 4 tries to get it right and after that it was a breeze. Just take maybe 30 minuted one day and try your hand at it. All it will cost you is 30 minutes and maybe $5 on paracord at your local army navy. Plus it's kinda fun to learn a new skill and personalize your blade.;)

IMAG0065_zps49dc9c9d.jpg
 
been alternately installing and removing lanyards on my knives. first, there's hardly any reason for putting one on a clipit, except to speed up one's access, or for times when you have to do un-clipped pocket carry. just don't ask me how many times i failed to open them correctly because the lanyard confused me, or somehow jammed the blade. second, a lanyard is bad when you do constant food prep (use, wash, use again, wash again.)

a lanyard is good for slip joints and locking knives that don't have pocket clips. i recommend a short lanyard with a prominent bead at the end. the bead will ride just outside your pocket and let you pull the knife out fast.

my wife's spyderco ladybug is permanently tied to the inside of her bag with a thin spiral phone wire (a self-winding spool will work better,) same with her LED flashlight. the arrangement is good for people who like to drop things in the dark.
 
Aside from the mentioned uses, lanyards just look cool :D

With the number of different paracord colors, you can make one that goes well with just about any handle.
 
As what's been said already, lanyards are great for quick and easy access to a knife since you just have to grab at the lanyard.

I like using a noose knot for my lanyard so I can tighten it around some fingers when I'm worried about slipping on heavier duty tasks.
 
I'll add a short lanyard to some of my smaller knives. It does facilitate drawing the knife from your pocket, but also gives you something to grip onto for smaller knives. While it doesn't really extend the handle, it does give you something to brace a finger to off the end of the handle (if you pull the lanyard taut).

Spyderco_Dragonfly_Ladybug_800x390.jpg
 
If you want to spend some money, go to knife art.com and search under damascus (one of the menu choices). Damascus bead lanyards pop up, 3 for whatever they charge. You are paying for the damascus lanyard beads, but they are ready-made.

I too am a klutz, so I bought some cheap zipper pulls on Amazon, mine have a yellow pull tab, and use those for simple lanyards. Cheap and easy to use until something else comes along.
 
Lanyards are good for pulling the knife out of your pocket easier, getting a better grip when you can't get a 4 finger grip, and if you put a long lanyard on your knife it's good for putting it around your wrist to help with having a good handle on the knife.

You can tie your own - which is pretty easy, you can find tutorials all over the web and paracord is relatively inexpensive.

The knife may be all black but could look good with a little color. Unless you're looking for a tactical look. If you are, Black, Coyote Tan, OD Green, or Woodland Camo may be your best bets.

It's really easier to tie the lanyard onto the knife rather than buy them separately, that way you can for sure get it through the lanyard hole.

If you're nervous and don't want to try and tie your own, I tie my own lanyards and would tie some up for you and send them on out for free. These won't include beads but I can tie you some lanyards if you want. Or if you wanted one on some specific knives and wanted someone to tie them onto the knives - I can do this as well. You could send them to me, tell me what kind of lanyard and color, and I would tie them on for you and send them on back.
 
Locutus D'Borg said:
If you want to spend some money, go to knife art.com and search under damascus (one of the menu choices). Damascus bead lanyards pop up, 3 for whatever they charge. You are paying for the damascus lanyard beads, but they are ready-made.
Click to expand...

Yikes! They are $120! That's expensive paracord!
 
ralphjuden said:
That is excellent advice. It would be fun makin them but I'm just not skilled like that. a 5 year old boyscout could make a better one than me probably. Since i have the black on black zing, I guess I should probably stick with an all black one for the stealth look. No reputable makers on here?
Click to expand...

It is best if made on the knife. It looks cleaner IMHO. Besides Its hard to loop a lanyard through some holes. I didn't think I could make my own, but I checked out some YT vids and started making zipper pulls for everybody using a cobra knot. Over,over,under, through. The more you make the easier it gets. Try it.

If you want to be stubborn :) shoot me a pm and tell me what you want. I'll try to make it and send it to you. I need the practice.
 
Just start off simple. A couple of overhand knots will work. IMO, they do look much nicer when tied directly on the knife. This one isn't even tied. It's held together with some coiled copper wire and a couple of aluminum spacers from ACE Hardware on the ends. No knots.
P1150026-1.jpg
 
Never cared for them. Even a para wrist loop, although functional, can be a pain in the hoop getting snagged on branches etc. If you like them, go for it and have fun.
 
hatchetjack said:
Just start off simple. A couple of overhand knots will work. IMO, they do look much nicer when tied directly on the knife. This one isn't even tied. It's held together with some coiled copper wire and a couple of aluminum spacers from ACE Hardware on the ends. No knots.
P1150026-1.jpg
Click to expand...

Love the modded lock bar stabilizer!
 
Sadly, soon, we will probably have to remove our knife clips & replace with para-cord, so all the anti-tool or anti-knife or anti-self preservationalists don't start to scream "he's got a knife !!!" . Sad but true. I went to Dicks Sporting goods today. NO AR-style ANYTHING on the racks. NO black shotguns either. Nothing with a pistol grip either, at least i didn't see any. When i mentioned it, a lady in the area said "Good, good for them." I said to punish the criminal/s who misuse them, NOT an inanimate object that is a tool. I also said to save the whole "it's for the children" garbage. More children are killed every year, by far, by automobiles, yet no one wants to ban those. I can think of 4 people off the top of my head that killed people with hammers, yet no one wants to ban those. SAD to blame the tool & not the criminal. Yes, i have 2 children too. It was a tragedy to be sure.

So, anyways, lanyards are just another useful accessory you can add to a small folder or large chopper fixed blade. I saw a good pic once showing how a lanyard on a large knife, could be used to actually help hold the knife, while the user used the front tip for skinning. He slid the lanyard down his arm to around the elbow area & pinched gripped the tip area. Not ideal, but it can be done in a pinch. :D
 
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