The Official Lanyard Thread

[bflying]

On this particular small but useful knife, adding a fob made it possible to get a couple more fingers tensioned against the handle and keep it more stable.
View attachment 1418894

Most of my small handled knives have them for that very reason.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I am working on one for one of my smallest knives:
FA05F6B0-EA7F-4A23-B83C-899B788DAC1F by PheonixKingZ ., on Flickr

Just don’t know how to finish it, Aka tie it off.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I just started doing some chainmail stuff in silver and copper (have Ti wire also, but have not made rings yet). But hadn't thought of adding it to a knife. May now though.

Man, that’s cool! That would drive me crazy, can’t work on little things like that, for long periods of time.

 

[Dadpool]

Just don’t know how to finish it, Aka tie it off.

I generally tie off my snake knots (after making sure they're nice and tight) by trimming the two loose ends with a hobby knife, almost as close as possible to the knot. Then I melt those ends with a lighter, just like I would on any paracord project, except that as they "retreat" a little bit with the heat they will become more or less flush with the end of the knot.

For a small knife where 550 cord can look too large, you might consider thinner cord.

550 cord, snake knot, ends burned flush with knot

95 cord, snake knots, ends left loose

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Great, thanks!

(I now realize I didn’t tie the knots lose enough to the handle of the knife, now I have to start all over. )

 

[Dadpool]

My average knife fob takes me at least 2-3 tries to get right.

 

[bflying]

Man, that’s cool! That would drive me crazy, can’t work on little things like that, for long periods of time.

All hobbies take time. But some a little more tedious than others. The silver jump rings in the upper right and middle chain of my pic above, were made from investment bullion of bars and coin.

I melt the minted silver, and pour them into little half troy ounce bars. From that tiny bar, I can roll it into over three feet of wire. The wire is then coiled and cut into the jump rings used.

I'm not smart enough to just buy silver jump rings. I have to learn the process start to finish. And heck, why on earth would I ever want to buy something for $50, when I can make it for $2000?

 

[Kmikaz3]

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Perfection! (Sort of... )
113A7F3E-B425-4701-9058-0E0B4AA5F9E9 by PheonixKingZ ., on Flickr
Still looking for a bead... any brand/website suggestions?

 

[bflying]

Perfection! (Sort of... )
113A7F3E-B425-4701-9058-0E0B4AA5F9E9 by PheonixKingZ ., on Flickr
Still looking for a bead... any brand/website suggestions?

There are all kinds available, from bead looking beads, to skulls, to multi $1000 handcarved masterpieces. If you like skulls on a budget, search schmuckatelli beads. I've got many of them, most out of pewter. Also have a monster chunk of titanium from TiSurvival. Others can give you directions to specialty bead makers.

But most of mine are (you'll probably never guess)..... simple homemade wire coils. Silver, copper, titanium, etc. You can also comb through fasteners at your local home improvement store. I think a crowned nut in brass or copper would make a pretty cool bead.

Just comb through your home junk drawer or back of garage. You just may find something cool to use.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Great looking lanyards!

I found a Titanium Punisher bead on Amazon, for around $12. I assume it’s so expensive because it’s Titanium?

I think I’ll get that one, over the Spartan Helmet.

 

[Kmikaz3]

Great looking lanyards!

I found a Titanium Punisher bead on Amazon, for around $12. I assume it’s so expensive because it’s Titanium?

I think I’ll get that one, over the Spartan Helmet.

$12 isn’t so bad for a Ti bead. Most of mine costs around $30 onwards. Thing gets much more expensive if you go through exotic material such as Zirconium, Mokuti, Timascus/Damascus or Silver to name a few. Beads just add bling your knife. Just dont go overboard because the sky is the only limit same rule applies to knife when you purchase a new one.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I saw this one on BHQ that cost $60. $60, for one bead!

 

[r8shell]

Craft stores and hardware stores have lots of cheap and cool stuff.

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Lot of things out there that can be repurposed into beads for lanyards/fobs, see the beads I put on this folder, I used some rubberized cork wedged inside to prevent them from sliding off, which worked well. And as the leather comes out from the lanyard hole I made slits and braided the leather.

cutup by GaryWGraley, on Flickr

Now the beads are the tips of spark plugs left over that were not needed.
G2

 

[Kmikaz3]

 

[ChazzyP]

I posted these here three years ago and 24 pages back. They're from the lamp parts drawer at the local hardware store. The knurled bead is a single threaded connector while the lower one is three pieces--also a threaded with reducers both ends, adding an extra rib each.

I've also got beads at all price points from 5 for 6 bucks ferruled blue glass beads up to Shiro, Nazgul, Sinkevich pieces that retail for almost a hundred but were bought for less than half on the secondary market. The Big River Site has lots of stuff that starting under 10 bucks and going up from there. The Artsy/Craftsy Site has a lot of really nice individual, handmade beads starting around $20. The usual knife dealers have quite a variety, mostly in the $15 and up range. Hinderer beads are nice and not unreasonable, especially in SS. I've also found that I can use dealer reward points on new purchases for stuff like beads.

I figure if I'm spending several hundred and up on a knife, I don't want something that looks cheap, but that doesn't mean I have to spend a lot either. I can go this way with the aforementioned glass bead top or 2/$10 Ti bottom...

...or go all out with a Zoe Crist handmade Dama piece.

 

[Kmikaz3]

Most of mine also come from Artsy/Crafty Site. In my mind if i want something one of a kind i tend to go to that site

like this bead: Horde vs. Alliance Silver Sterling Pendant by Jewel Craft

or this bead: Ticreatures’ Zirconium Big Size bead

Hell you can even get oddities like this!

MorgansMutations’ Zippo OOAK

 

[ChazzyP]

I like those spare plug tips on leather, Gary W. Graley --I've sure discarded plenty of those over the course of a lifetime. Interesting idea wedging them on with rubberized cork. For this bead on blue thong I used SuperGlue, figuring I could always salvage the bead with acetone.

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Thanks and they are fairly heavy too
G2