woods knives-to lanyard or not to lanyard??

[mtnfolk mike]

i say i use a lanyard on about 70% of my working knives... small knives to big knives.. though i don't use them all the time, i noticed that if i am using a knife without a lanyard/lanyard hole, i eventually wish it had one... i think i just like the option of having one if needed...

a lanyard on a small knife can be slipped over the pinky finger or used as an extension of the handle to give the same feel of a bigger knife. it can also be used to help draw the knife from the sheath..

a bright lanyard can be used to locate the knife, if it was ever dropped in the field..


i would like to hear everyone's take on lanyards and lanyard hole's on knives.. pics are always good too...

cheers.. Mike

 

[BarberFobic1992]

I dont have one on most of my main users, and even on ones with lanyards, I really never use the lanyard. I tend to change grips so much that it becomes more of a burden.

 

[Sharp_newbie]

i find from personal experience i usually only use the lanyard to draw the knife out of the sheath when attached to a smaller knife . i find that they can be a nuisance and get in the way. (example: if your just doing a quick cut) on choppers where your whacking away with the knife they do come in handy, to keep the knife from slipping. but i tent to leave them off on smaller knives.
just my opinion

 

[mcjhrobinson]

i only have a lanyard on my SOD. it has a knot on each end and a metal/rubber to adjust the lanyard to be open or closed. its nice because you can close it when not in use so it doesnt snag. my bravo-1 has the same setup but with paracord for the washer.

i dont have any real dislikes or likes about lanyards. i have noticed that with gloves gripping can be tricky and would understand wanting it to be attached....i guess i just dont have much of a care either way

i am looking for some nice thin leather strips to make a lanyard for my Koyote.

 

[BlackHills]

I tend to put them on but only as an aid to help draw or locate them. The white flecks in the red cord on this one are reflective.

 

[Mentor]

My EDC has a little fob that extends the handle, helps me to draw it from my pocket, and can be curled around a finger to enhance the grip:

On larger knives, I'm neither a big proponent nor an opponent of lanyards. I often add one to my belt knife if I anticipate doing some chopping or dealing with wet conditions where I could benefit from the extra security. Here's a JK-AK with a black leather lanyard:

All the best,

- Mike

 

[wolfenhawk]

I have a full tang knife I just made today from a railroad spike that instead of putting a wood handle on it I just did a cobra weave of paracord in place of a handle with a long lanyard trailing. For me the purpose of the lanyard is if when i'm working with it it's not so easily dropped with the lanyard over my wrist. And of course the purpose of using paracord is so that i'll have paracord with me in the woods should I need it. I'm posting a pic but keep in mind I'm running on a shoestring and I'm having trouble with pitting and need a new belt sander belt to get a proper polish, so it's rough, arm hair shaving functional, but rough.

 

[wildmike]

I like Lanyards on knives. Since I prefer deep pouch sheaths they aid in drawing the knife. Plus they can be used to tie the knife into the sheath for safety's sake when descending in rough country or other times when it seems like a good idea. They can also act to effectively lengthen the grip on a knife increasing it's effective range.

Even with all the above I'm not 100% on using them.

 

[pitdog]

I hate not having a lanyard on, it just seems wrong !

 

[bushcraft]

I hate lanyards
1- They get dirty (bloody) etc.
2- When you wash the knife, They don't dry fast.
3- They get in my way
4- they snag and get tangled in stuff.

5-Unless you work on a boat or on a scaffold, They are just a fad.

My opinion only. (don't taze me bro)

 

[Masteroffajitas]

I like them on my knife handle regardless of whether I use one or not. I put one on as something to grab if I were to drop it while in a canoe. Orange, or some sort of reflecting cord usually.

 

[sizzler]

A lanyard hole is a must! Maybe not always used or needed, but I have way too many blades at the bottom of the bay to not use one.

Every knife I have has to have a hole for it.

Work over open shafts, the leading edge of towers, or water enough and you will find that lanyards will save your ass! I even have one for my hardhat and anything else that might fall.

 

[DOC-CANADA]

Sometimes I use them, sometimes knot .

The lanyard on the KAT knife (top one) is just a small loop through which I put my little finger. This gives me more control and if I'm working on a finicky project, I can drop the knife, make adjustments, and then swing the knife back into my hand.

The lower knife, has my 'Poser braid' (undoes similarly to a 'daisy chain'), also has the little finger loop but also a length of 550 available when needed. I also use this (without the finger loop) on my little Buck - I find this makes it easier to locate in my pocket, usually, by leaving the lanyard hanging out.

On my Machax, I use a lanyard to secure it while chopping.

And other times, I just don't use them.

Doc

 

[Robert.B]

i never used to be into them much, and in fact removed them if they came with them...lately though with some of the knots and such i been doing i've found them come in handly for quick draws from a sheath or locating my folder in my pocket quickly (since the knot of the lanyard hangs just outside my pocket.

it depends though, some knives just feel odd in hand with a lanyard so i leave them be but i like the option of being able to put one on if the need arose.

ps. on some knives it just for aesthetics.

 

[DWK2]

Where I use them most frequently:

(1) Wilderness raft or canoe trips, for obvious reasons;
(2) Ocean spearfishing trips, same general reason;
(3) Hunting trips to Montana where I'm likely to be working over snow. I've unloaded or reloaded my rifle over snow and dropped a couple 338WM cartridges in the snow. At a couple bucks each, they are worth looking for and it was a pain to find them. I don't want to drop a knife and have to search for something sharp in the snow.

DancesWithKnives

 

[myright]

I have tried them on many different knives over the years and could never get the hang of having one on my knife. I do like having a hole as an option though.

 

[Gossman Knives]

Even though I don't use them much, I prefer them to be there just in case it is needed. On a large chopper, the forward lanyard is the only way to go.
Scott

 

[WJC01]

I use a short one for easy retrieval from pocket sheath on my JK. The Bravo 1 has one occasionally.

 

[fishiker]

A small loop that I can hook a finger through helps when cleaning fish and game. A bright cord helped me find a knife that slipped out of its sheath when I slipped going downhill once. My girlfriend lost a knife while we were hiking a few weeks ago. It had a long loop and we hiked through some pretty thick brush. We doubled back but couldn't find it. The cord was black and it had a black whistle on it. I don't know if a bright cord would have helped but do believe that if the loop was shorter there would have been less chance of her losing it.

 

[RoyalM]

I use a lanyard on most of my knives, even the folders. Primarily it's for aiding in pulling them out my pocket/pack or sheath. I also like to use international orange to aid in my finding the knife in low light conditions and if I drop it while out.

Simple loop of 550 cord with a diamond (also known as a lanyard or Bosun's knot) knot. Sometimes I actually tie it through the hole in the knife or sometimes I loop it through and pull it tight so I can take the lanyard off without untying the knot.