How/What is the proper use for knife lanyards?

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obsessis

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How do you properly use a knife lanyard? Is it supposed to go around your wrist, like your hand through a large circle and then grip the handle?

I've seen people just put their pinky fingers through a very small hole, is that proper? I would think that would be to prevent your hand from slipping forward.

I read on a website that some people use long lanyards and wrap them around the hand and in between the handle somehow? to prevent the knife from slipping when wet, some extra grip/friction.


What I gather there are two different lanyard styles: Long/Around Wrist and Short/Around Pinky Finger. Is this accurate? What are the functional differences between them?
 
I think they're supposed to stick out of your pocket so that you can grab them and pull your knife out of the pocket.

I don't like them, though, so I don't use them; they get in my way.
 
I have no use for lanyards, they just get in the way for me. The only time I ever use a lanyard is with a big chopper, if I'm working outside, and will be using the knife for a long time doing heavy work. Then I wrap the lanyard around my wrist until it's semi-tight.
 
Kaizen1 said:
They're designed specifically to get in my way of using the knife. I don't like 'em.
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+1

THG said:
I think they're supposed to stick out of your pocket so that you can grab them and pull your knife out of the pocket.

I don't like them, though, so I don't use them; they get in my way.
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Tried this functionality but decided it didn't work for me. Pulling a folding knife out in this manner just gives me a flapping knife on the end of a lanyard. I prefer to have the knife in hand as it exits the pocket.

moonwilson said:
I have no use for lanyards, they just get in the way for me. The only time I ever use a lanyard is with a big chopper, if I'm working outside, and will be using the knife for a long time doing heavy work. Then I wrap the lanyard around my wrist until it's semi-tight.
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+1

Large knives with a loop type lanyard will benefit my safety and I can see using one on large knives.

When i learned to stitch/weave paracord, I made lanyards for all the knives I could (~8). It was cool for a while and showed off my paracord skills, but in actual use, the lanyards just get in the way for me. So i cut them all off and don't use them except for larger fixed blades.
 
Decortive or functional, your choice.

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Some people use them to assist drawing tip up folders, while others use it to add some length to short handled knives.
 
I find a short, thick lanyard useful on smaller knives, to use as a little extra handle length or to grab onto if it starts slipping. I never use one that can wrap around my wrist.
 
For tip up carry, it gives my ring and pinky something to grab onto when drawing it from my waist band. Only my 1st 2 fingers fit on the knife. I like short, stiff lanyards that stick straight up though, not long floppy ones, since it can get in the way of my shirt sometimes.
 
A lanyard is to prevent loss of the blade. Think of sailors working in rigging on old stick and cloth vessels. Or riggers working on cranes, scafolds, or hoisting gear.

If you can pick up your knife after dropping it, and not drop it on someone if you let it go, then you likely don't need a true lanyard.

And positioning of a lanyard, is a matter of pure personal preference, they can be made for neck wear, belt wear, wrist loop whatever accomplishes the goal of a lanyard's job. Typical examples are belt worn, or neck-tied.
 
Short lanyards that add decoration or a grip to pull a knife from your pocket are also called fobs. Longer lanyards will protect you from a heavy chopper flying out of your hand. Here's how:

Tie a loop of cord through the lanyard hole. Hang the knife by this lanyard from your thumb, thumb up, across the back of your hand. Rotate your hand palm down so you grip the handle. The lanyard is now wrapped around your hand and will keep it from slipping, even if you are sweaty or tired.

You will have to adjust the length of the lanyard for your hand size. Some people use a movable bead rather than a permanent knot so they can do this to fit each time, bare-handed or gloved, or for different users.
 
If I use a lanyard, then its purpose is to be able to pull out a knife out of my pocket. Usually the knife and lanyard are then connected by using a carabiner hook. Before using the knife, I disconnect it from the lanyard, because I don't like using a knife with a lanyard attached.
 
the only knives i put lanyards on are my small ones (ladybug, Jester, Chive) and those that are used in unusual situations( my SE harpy which is used in rock climbing has one, and im most likely going to put one on my Salt 1 my lanyards are all old camera lanyards which gives you several nice carry options. for example today i carried a Black FRN spyderco jester that i just placed in the watch pocket of my jeans with the lanyard hanging loose at my side, for deployment id just stick my ring finger in the loop and give the lanyard a quick spin around my index and pinky finger and it would put the jester in a nice very secure two finger grip with the lanyard backing it up for nice accurate slicing, then if need be you can switch it to a reverse grip by doing a little twirl around the hand putting it in an equally secure reverse grip
 
I use them on my SAKs to help me pull them from my pocket.

I use them on my fixed blades around my wrist so I don't drop the knife and lose it.

I do not use them at all on my folders - they get in the way and slow down blade deployment.

If you are a survivalist, they offer some length of cord to use for various field tasks.
 
A lanyard around my wrist has come in very handy a couple of times. It's not so easy to cut, chop and baton when your hands are cold and numb. A lanyard around your wrist, semi-tight, will make it MUCH easier to keep hold of your knife when your hands just don't want to do it.
 
THG said:
I think they're supposed to stick out of your pocket so that you can grab them and pull your knife out of the pocket.

I don't like them, though, so I don't use them; they get in my way.
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I have one folder with a rawhide loop for a lanyard. With the knife in my pocket, and the loop hanging out, I can put my hand down through the loop (still outside the pocket) and then when I pull my hand up, the knife comes out of the pocket and into my hand. It's more of a gimmick than a practical application, but it does make it possible to quickly have the knife out of the pocket, in the hand, and open without having to put your hand into the pocket.
 
I have a short lanyard on my Vic Farmer. I use it to loop through my belt loop and then put it in my left pocket. Since I cannot use my left arm/hand, this makes it easier to pull the knife out of my left pocket using my right hand. Other than that I don't really use them. All my other knives I carry in my right pocket do not have them.
 
Esav Benyamin said:
Short lanyards that add decoration or a grip to pull a knife from your pocket are also called fobs.

Longer lanyards will protect you from a heavy chopper flying out of your hand. Here's how:
Tie a loop of cord through the lanyard hole. Hang the knife by this lanyard from your thumb, thumb up, across the back of your hand. Rotate your hand palm down so you grip the handle. The lanyard is now wrapped around your hand and will keep it from slipping, even if you are sweaty or tired.

You will have to adjust the length of the lanyard for your hand size. Some people use a movable bead rather than a permanent knot so they can do this to fit each time, bare-handed or gloved, or for different users.
Click to expand...

A third use of a lanyard is to keep your knife (or pistol) attached to you so it you drop it you do not loose it. Seafarers, climbers, working from height.

Loop from the shoulder and epaulette to the knife. The length of the lanyard is the same lenght as your arm so you have full movement of your arm with the lanyard, this method keeps out the way as it is always close to your arm.
This method is better for a sheath knife.

Loop attached to your belt then to the knife. The lanyard is the length of your arm to give full movement of the knife. The lanyard remains in your pocket with the knife until use. This method is better for a pocket knife.
 
Lanyards have many theoretical and practical uses. Just like a pocket clip, you have to train with your lanyard and define exactly what you intend it to do. Here are some common ideas.

1) extraction from a pocket or other hard to reach space
2) attatchment, so you dont loose it in the woods, on a boat, et ctera.
3) visual aid -bright orange on a survival knife, so when lost it is easily found
4) exta grip when knife is in use. From the bottom of the knife over your hand, slip your thumb through the lanyard loop and tighten grip, the lanyard adds streangth to the grip
5) safety catch when using the knife. Not really for grip, but when the knife slips away from you it only dangles within your fingers rather than falling to the ground.
6) probably a lot more options for lanyard use.

I dont really like to use them on folding knives, unless there is no pocket clip. If the pocket clip sucks I will take it off and consider using a lanyard.

I usualy have them on fixed blade knives with blades longer than 4 inches. They dont get in my way for fixed blades.
 
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