Lanyards but why?

[rebel]

I am about to buy some paracord and try making some lanyards because it looks like something fun to do but I can't really see the usefulness.

I see a lot of pictures on here of where people put a fob-type lanyard through their knife or tool and they look neat but what is the point? On a knife it looks like a real bad idea. On other stuff it looks decorative but not functional. About the only thing I can see using them for is a keychain.

What am I missing, guys?

[AimlessWanderer]

Others will disagree with me, but I share your feelings and don't use them. I don't fund them functional, and don't particularly find a clump of string dangling from a tool very aesthetic either.

The attachment points can be quite useful if working at heights or around water, with the other end of the cord attached to you or something else that won't take the plunge, but aside from that they're not for me

Oh, one other thing I sometimes use the attachment point for, is attaching a small flashlight or other small complimentary widget

[Etherealicer]

For small knifes like a Boker Gnome a good lanyard can improve grip.

[dks]

some like having some extra cord on them, and that is one way to have it.

[N_N_R]

I also hate lanyards and never use them. Whenever I used a tool with a lanyard, it got in the way. But lots of people find some practical applications like the tool being easy to take out or as already said above, people like having a "rope" thingie on them.

I find some of them quite pretty, but whenever I used one... I didn't like the feeling overall and the functionality totally lacks for me.

[Corwyn]

I use tiny lanyards on all my saks as it makes them easier to pull out of the pocket or sheath.

I bought a bigger paracord lanyard for the Dragonfly as I understood it greatly improves the grip:

Here are some examples of use for the Ladybug/Manbug I stole off the web:

[sawman]

I don't use them either but I do think they have their place. Corwyn shows a couple good examples.

[rebel]

some like having some extra cord on them, and that is one way to have it.

Yeah that is about the best reason I could think of but most of the stuff I have seen wouldn't even work for that. Probably on a big knife you can get enough cord to be useful. On anything else it doesn't look like it.

[Aloha]

I like them for decorative aspect.  On some tools it serves as a beacon,  I've dropped a BO tool in grass and believe when I say I had a heck of a time finding it  .

[Kampfer]

Others will disagree with me, but I share your feelings and don't use them. I don't fund them functional, and don't particularly find a clump of string dangling from a tool very aesthetic either.

The attachment points can be quite useful if working at heights or around water, with the other end of the cord attached to you or something else that won't take the plunge, but aside from that they're not for me

Oh, one other thing I sometimes use the attachment point for, is attaching a small flashlight or other small complimentary widget

Why am I agreeing with Al?   
When I go out to the field, I would attach the tool / knife to belt loop via a string so I won't lost it.
The string would be long enough for someone stand next to me using the tool, but not walk off with it.
Other than that I have no use for it.

[captain spaulding]

I personally do not like lanyard for the most part, but do occasionally use them.

As others have said they can improve grip for small knives giving something for your pinky to grab onto. Some use them in bright colors so if a knife is dropped you can locate it easily.

I personally only use them for extra grip on small knives (sometimes) and will occasionally put them on a SAK when it is carried in my pocket with keys and such so I can reach in and easily pull out the knife without fishing around.

[greenbear]

I prefer not to have a lanyard - the only exception being on my sailing knives (for obvious reasons).

I did however rethink this with regard to a folding saw.  A mate had a lanyard on his saw which he wraps round his hand to ensure his hand cannot slip onto the blade if the saw jams.  He arrived at that decision through painful experience.

[shibafu]

For me the main use of a lanyard is something easy to grab hold of, to pull the knife out of a pocket or pouch.  Especially useful if it's packed in alongside a bunch of other items.

I like a wrist lanyard on some things, like torches sometimes, because it allows you to quickly drop it and free up a hand without having to find somewhere to stow it.  That would be a bit hazardous with a knife though.

[TazzieRob]

I see the point of a lanyard on single use tools, like a knife or pliers or saw, but on SAKs and multis they just get in the way when using the tools on the lanyard end, and especially drivers where the tool is turned. The lanyard or fob just wraps around the tool or flaps around annoyingly.

[rebel]

I like them for decorative aspect.  On some tools it serves as a beacon,  I've dropped a BO tool in grass and believe when I say I had a heck of a time finding it  .

That is another good point. Losing a black or camo tool or flashlight is easy to do. Time for some glo-fobs!

[GoatDragon]

I like putting lanyards on my stuff.


Each one has a lanyard on it for a different reason.
The Huntsman on the left has ~2 feet of 550 cord wrapped up as compact as I could get it as a compliment for the hook it has. I figure it might come in handy some day, where I can tie the cord around something and use the hook to make a handle. The way it is tied to the SAK doesn't make it easily removable (I could change that if I wanted to), but it doesn't seem to get in the way for me.

The flashlight has a lanyard because it is just so small! With out the lanyard it is hard to hold on to. With the lanyard attached, I can get a comfortable full hand grip on it. I tied it in the same style as the Huntsman's lanyard, not so I could get a lot of cord on there, but so I could make it thicker to be a good grip.

The Tinker small and Spartan both have a different style of lanyard. Those are there because both SAKs frequently get thrown in my pocket and the lanyard makes it easier to fish out. Both are tied in such a way that the lanyard is easily removable should it ever get in the way of something am trying to do.

All the lanyards are also there because I like the way they look, but their practical purpose comes first. 

[cody6268]

I have the small Victorinox lanyards on my SAKs to facilitate removal from my pocket or sheath.  They're too short to get in the way, but I have cut them accidentally with the saw.

In most cases, I don't use lanyards.   I used to tie a couple feet of string to the lanyard bails of the pocketknives that had the large D-ring style bails on the back, but that just got in the way.   I stopped doing it several months ago.

Nowadays, I keep the knife/tool in a sheath. Right now, my Leatherman Super Tool and No. 6 are in my sheath on my belt.


I typically avoid knives/tools with earth tone or camo pattern scales as they're easily lost.  If I get one, which I do want to (I like the pattern, and several camo and olive drab SAKs are on my list), I'm tying a small brightly colored lanyard to it.

[Mattexian]

I've got a few with lanyards.  On the Ladybugs,  it's big enough to slip a finger thru to improve gripping, and on a SAK it's big enough to slip my hand thru,  giving it enough length to be tucked under my belt so the knife hangs vertical in my pocket.



Matt in Texas

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[SAK Guy]

I have RA, lanyards have become necessary some days. Like the way they look too.  I'm all in!!!!

[Aloha]

I like lanyards on my lights as well it adds grip much like Corwyn illustrated with his knives.  I also like them on my lights when I need hands free usage, I dont bite the metal I bite the lanyard. 

[zoidberg]

I've got a few with lanyards.  On the Ladybugs,  it's big enough to slip a finger thru to improve gripping, and on a SAK it's big enough to slip my hand thru,  giving it enough length to be tucked under my belt so the knife hangs vertical in my pocket.
(Image removed from quote.)
(Image removed from quote.)

Matt in Texas

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

I will be trying this, thank you. 

[Singh]

I've used danglers because it distributes the weight better and it keeps the SAK from falling out of my pocket and getting lost.  When you're carrying a custom made Titanium SAK, you don't want it falling out of your pocket and getting lost!

But nowadays I'm carrying my SAK and flashlight in a little nylon zip pouch thingy which keeps things lint free and secure in my pocket.

[tommywp]

I carry thin SAKs in my back pocket along with a folded bandana. Placing the lanyard in the fold keeps the knife in place much better. It definitely gets in the way when in use, though.

[aerojet]

Many pouches are a bit "tight" and getting your SAK out of it can be a dig. Put a short lanyard on the thing, and now you have a handle to grab and extract your SAK. Just my 2 cents worth....

[ironraven]

Most of my lanyards aren't braided, so they are flexible, and usually just a loop. That then can be attached to a clip on my belt or have a clip added and attached to a belt loop when not in use, or around my wrist while I'm using the tool. They are sometimes called dummy cords, but I find it to be the opposite- what makes you fell dumber, having the lanyard or reaching into your pocket for you knife and finding nothing after you just bulled your way through a hundred yards of brambles.

And as people have shown with the little Spyderco models, it makes a tiny grip into a big grip. I love the Folts/CRKT Minimalists, they work well outside their weight class because they have that pigtail.

[comis]

I personally don't use lanyard for my EDC, since I usually put my tool inside a small zipped mesh pocket bag, which rest in my front pocket.  The only time I use lanyard is for the really short handled folders, which is shown in pix earlier in thread.

But I do see a point in lanyard when it is hosted in a tight pouch or the lanyard hang outside your pocket, so you could easily pull the tool out quickly without fishing.  Also, I tend to attach tritium or really bright lanyard to a tool, if I am afraid to lose it outdoor at night or want to locate it easier.

[Noa Isumi]

I use basic loop type lanyards about 5in long with 2beads for cinching on both my Vic Trecker and my Streamlite 2l. They I use them constantly for both pocket retrieval and retention. They are both in bright colors for if I should drop them. The one on the flashlight is also handy because I can wrap it around the body of the light if I have to bite hold the light. That way I am not biting down on a piece of aluminum.

[rebel]

I actually carried a FourSevens Mini a couple times with a lanyard I made. I don't trust my pockets. They often rip and I lose change. Losing a good flashlight would be a lot worse. So I used one of my lanyards to make a pocket hanger. It actually rides very comfortably and secure hanging from my belt just inside the pocket. But I'm not sure how fast it would be to use if you needed it in a hurry.

I still think holsters are the best option but they aren't available for most lights and these are tiny anyway.

[gene stoner]

I'm prolanyard, for me it's very comforting knowing my knife or MT won't fall out of my pocket and not be there when I need it. It also makes it easy to pull my knife or MT out my pocket. I grab my lanyard and run my hand down it and my tool is in my hand(works really good on OHO knifes).

[rebel]

I'm givin ya a like for the Southern Pride