All About Pocket Knives

Occasionally I see knives sporting a lanyard.
I know there are many out there that have a lanyard hole or a bail.
Some of you have a lanyard of your knife. Why?
I've never had one, nor have I ever thought I would need one.
But that's me.

How 'bout you?

Knives I take in the woods or camping get a bright paracord lanyard. Also helps find knife if dropped.

I like a Lanyard for pulling it out of my front or rear pocket makes it easy to access if it doesn't have a pocket clip .
I also have knives that I would not think of putting a lanyard on .

Depends on the knife, and what I plan to do with it. If it is a dark, subdued color (or white/silver--keep in mind, it IS winter!), I always affix a lanyard made from a loop of orange parachute cord so I don't lose the darned thing. Also, a shorter one, say six inches, makes the knife a lot easier to get out. Especially if it's a 4" or shorter traditional and I'm carrying it next to a checkbook in my left front pocket. I have made some long ones (2 feet or more) that I only use when I'm fishing or in the woods; so that the knife is always attached to a belt loop, or its sheath. Pretty much none of my fixed blades have lanyard holes. There is one old butcher knife I carry in the woods (good steel in that thing!) that's been in my family 80-odd years and was used for butchering hogs; and had been relegated by my grandmother to being a paint can opener and scraper; I got it and eventually resharpened it and put it to work. A butcher's knife is far superior to the Kabar for general field use--thinner and MUCH lighter. I did affix a scrap of parachute cord just long enough to form a wrist lanyard to it.

Multitools--never. It just gets in the way. SAKs, most of them.


I see people doing it to tactical knives, and don't get it. They have a clip, meaning it's already easy to access. The lanyards used are short, maybe an inch or two. Not really good at all for tying it off.

I like Lanyards more for their looks than for their funktion. Just seems like a special extra. Like sidepipes on a Corvette. You don't need em, it just looks good. That's how I look at it. And in many cases (like to keep you from losing your knife) they even do serve a purpose.

I see knives as my "jewelry". And lanyards as "jewelry for the jewelry".

Or as an accessory: "a thing which can be added to something else in order to make it more useful, versatile, or attractive".

I make my own out of different colors of paracord and use them on any knife that has a bail loop like SAK's and camper style knives. I loop the lanyard around the belt loop of the blue jeans and carry the knife in the watch pocket. I do some cutting with the knife still on the lanyard, but unclip when necessary to work at arms length.

In general I don't like lanyards but I do on these two. It makes them really fast and easy to grab and open and I like the way it looks for these particular knives.

I like to carry a large knife in the back pocket. With a short lanyard attached the knife can quickly be accessed without digging around in the pocket. Just reach around like you’re reaching for your wallet, grab the lanyard and pull. If the knife isn’t drilled for a lanyard or have a bail to which a lanyard can be attached, I don’t carry it in the back pocket.

Ken

Cool knife Ken. New to me.

Thanks Floyd, it’s one of my favorites. The gunstock profile allows easy one-hand opening - just pinch the blade between thumb and index finger and pop it open.

Here’s another with a lanyard, but a fixed blade with a sheath. I don’t carry it as often but as you can see it has a short lanyard that facilitates quick and easy access.

Ken

Ooooohhh... the old LANYARD vs FOB discussion

I voted "Sometimes yes..." because sometimes I do put a LANYARD on a knife. On specific types of knives used for specific purposes.

--- when chopping with a knife designed for chopping

and

--- on smaller knives when using a knife in an elevated location - on a roof, on a ladder, up a tree, up a ship's mast, etc.

I have never put a fob on a knife. They simply (IMO) add extra bulk in a pocket. I have a fob on my whistle to aid in pulling it from my pocket but since I always carry fixed blades, I don't need to "rapidly" dig one of my folders out of my pockets and as my hand is not very wide, I don't need a fob to provide additional grip area.

Mumbleypeg wrote: ↑Thu Dec 05, 2019 5:00 am Thanks Doug, it’s one of my favorites. The gunstock profile allows easy one-hand opening - just pinch the blade between thumb and index finger and pop it open.

Here’s another with a lanyard, but a fixed blade with a sheath. I don’t carry it as often but as you can see it has a short lanyard that facilitates quick and easy access.

Ken

I would term the one you pictured more as a wrist thong, to prevent the dropping of the knife by passing the hand thru the loop before gripping the handle. When I think of a lanyard, I immediately think of the British Army and their use on most of their service pistols such as the Webley and Enfield for example. One end of the lanyard would be attached to the body, and the other end to the pistol, which had a ring for this on the bottom of the grip. If one was on horseback, dropping your pistol would be disastrous in the thick of a battle. The dictionary also states as part of the definition a lanyard as a cord around the neck to retain a knife or whistle.

Here are some fobs made with Micro Cord.

Our buddy from down Fla. way sent a couple extra goodies with purchases I'd made, thanks again Scott. I bought some paracord at the dollar tree and thought I might learn to make them but ain't got around to it yet. Speaking of tacticals I seldom use the clip, I just put them in my pocket like any of my slip joints, do any of you not use the clips?

I don't use/carry knives with clips.
Working in a school, I don't want to draw any attention to the fact I'm carrying a knife.

This knife came this way. The handle is wrapped in paracord and it came with a nylon sheath.

Jtx wrote: ↑Thu Dec 05, 2019 3:12 pm Here are some fobs made with Micro Cord.

Wow! Those look awesome!!!
Wish I could make some like those. Guess I need to learn how. Just don't know when I'd find the time.

Here's a few lanyards my sister made for me. They do make knife retrieval much easier.

OLDE CUTLER wrote: ↑Thu Dec 05, 2019 2:21 pm I would term the one you pictured more as a wrist thong, to prevent the dropping of the knife by passing the hand thru the loop before gripping the handle. When I think of a lanyard, I immediately think of the British Army and their use on most of their service pistols such as the Webley and Enfield for example. One end of the lanyard would be attached to the body, and the other end to the pistol, which had a ring for this on the bottom of the grip. If one was on horseback, dropping your pistol would be disastrous in the thick of a battle. The dictionary also states as part of the definition a lanyard as a cord around the neck to retain a knife or whistle.

You’re technically correct on all counts. I probably should cease my mis-use of the term lanyard. What I use is more of a “fob” but when I think of fobs my mind goes to the fancy watch fobs of yesteryear. So I’ve usually referred to it as a “short lanyard” which is not correct either.

The “wrist thong” is also correct. It was attached to the knife when I obtained it and I’ve kept it there but rarely have used it as you describe. In fact I’ve considered replacing it with (or modifying to) a shorter “fob”. I like leather, but nylon paracord is probably more practical.

Ken

I put lanyards on some of my custom fixed blade knives but not all. I think it is up to the customer mostly. It adds a little "extra" to the knife appearance and in some cases if your working on something off the ground and don't want to drop the knife they come in handy. Terry

This lanyard came with the knife courtesy of Scott, Tripple F.

All this talk about lanyards & fob's got me all worked up & sence I got to buy myself a Christmas gift today, I just bought me this:
RR "Dog Bone Jack" muskrat knife with saw cut bone, lanyard, dog whistle & leather slip with a belt or pocket clip.
Just jumped out & bit me! Can't wait to get it.

TPK wrote: ↑Thu Dec 05, 2019 7:36 pm All this talk about lanyards & fob's got me all worked up & sence I got to buy myself a Christmas gift today, I just bought me this:
RR Dog bone jack with saw cut bone, lanyard, dog whistle & leather slip.
Just jumped out & bit me! Can't wait to get it.

That's pretty cool!

Let me know if the dog whistle works, I could use one at the farm.

1967redrider wrote: ↑Thu Dec 05, 2019 7:54 pm

TPK wrote: ↑Thu Dec 05, 2019 7:36 pm All this talk about lanyards & fob's got me all worked up & sence I got to buy myself a Christmas gift today, I just bought me this:
RR Dog bone jack with saw cut bone, lanyard, dog whistle & leather slip.
Just jumped out & bit me! Can't wait to get it.

That's pretty cool!

Let me know if the dog whistle works, I could use one at the farm.

Thanks John! I have to admit, the whistle is what got me too. Should have just bought a whistle but that wouldn't have been so cool.
I'll let ya know if it works.

1967redrider wrote: ↑Thu Dec 05, 2019 7:54 pm

TPK wrote: ↑Thu Dec 05, 2019 7:36 pm All this talk about lanyards & fob's got me all worked up & sence I got to buy myself a Christmas gift today, I just bought me this:
RR Dog bone jack with saw cut bone, lanyard, dog whistle & leather slip.
Just jumped out & bit me! Can't wait to get it.

That's pretty cool!

Let me know if the dog whistle works, I could use one at the farm.

Here is a YouTube review where you can hear the whistle.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=D7lIYs49ks0