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I received my first custom knife a few weeks ago, and I decided to remove the leather lanyard before putting the knife in my daypack for deer season. I never used a lanyard on a knife before, and it just looked like something that would get in the way and covered with blood (hopefully ).

I did a quick search on the Internet to try and figure out whether I might be missing something, and I came across this article about a type of knife lanyard preferred by the author and why he likes it. I was hoping that the experienced knife owners here might give me their opinions on the likes/dislikes of lanyards, how to use them properly, and whether the type of lanyard in the link below makes good sense.

We have a member here who crafts paracord lanyards, bracelets, belts, etc., and I was thinking of contacting him and asking him to make a lanyard like the one in the article for me. Thoughts?

Article - "Why Such a Long Lanyard?"

I've made and carried lanyards of every variation at some point or another. I personally prefer a shortened up lanyard that I loop my little finger thru. It allows me to have just a bit of extra control on the knife while working a deer over. Let's me drop the knife to dangle if I need to without losing it on the ground, prevents slipping on the blade a little bit and doesn't strap the damned thing to my wrist. Vince posted a number of lanyard options a while back that showed various carry options including a number of diff ties to prevent you from losing the knife, some of those are demonstrated in your article. If you want one that's really cool, check out some of Vince's lanyard nuggets and associated threads. The braided lanyards tend to be sort of bulky to me, although I've used a ton of 'em. These days I tend to lean more toward a simple paracord lanyard with a short tie.

I was doing a little rearranging of a "drawer" and have over 3 dozen fixed blades lying on my pool table right now.

Only 5 have paracord/synthetic lanyards on them. And these are all recently done. Rest are all rawhide/leather.

I have always steered away from paracord just because I always figured it would stain and/or soak up blood. Rawhide is easier/cheaper to replace and lasts plenty long. I have many more knives also, but believe all have rawhide lanyards. I have always considered rawhide to be more traditional looking, so I've used it on most knives which have natural materials for scales. On micarta and such, I find paracord to be more in order.

I have since come to decide that I will use some paracord lanyards. I have an awful habit of throwing my knife down (while field dressing)and losing it. I have lost 2 permanently. Rest I have managed to find, but what a PITA. I may start putting bright orange paracord on knives I plan to take out in field, I can always remove it later, if wanted.........

Thanks for the replies. I tried to mitigate the "losing the knife on the ground" issue by ordering it with orange G10 scales.

I just about drove myself crazy with my last deer. I don't know how many times I put the old stacked leather handled knife down in the leaves and couldn't find it. That was one of the reasons I decided to buy a new knife and in any other color but brown.

I know EXACTLY where you are coming from Done more times than I care to admit. I know better, and still did it on 2 different deer this year.

I used this old Schrade 160 OT (one of my favorite patterns) on 3 whitetail this month. Put it down, and it's "gone".

I had a lanyard "ONE" time.
Skin a few Coyotes with one attached and see if you can get that stench out reguardless of material.

Never had problem loosing a knife when field dressing but if I wanted to try one I'd just buy some cheap cord so I could throw it away if/when it starts to stink.

JMO

I've been hunting for 32 years and never had a knife with a lanyard...now all of a sudden I think I might be missing something.

On my last deer two years ago, I had my son along with me for the first time. As I was gutting the deer, I was also trying to show him what I was doing in a step-by-step manner. For whatever reason, I was putting the knife down way more often than I usually do.

I think my son thought I was just about senile by the time I lost the knife for the umpteenth time....

I like my knives made with a lanyard hole in the handle. Some of them wind up with a bit of leather or paracord through the hold. Some Don't.
Depends in how I am going to use the knife, but I want the option.

Had been wondering about these myself.
Tried one.
I'll be putting on more, shorties.

You aren't missing anything. I've got lots of knives that came with lanyards and the first thing I do is take them off and throw them away. I did try leaving them on years ago but they always get all bloodied up, stiff and stinkin' in no time. I personally haven't had any trouble with putting a knife down and losing it so I have no use for a lanyard.

Agreed,,, I like the option as well as the way they look even though I never use em.

I prefer a knife with a large handle, then you won't need one. miles

Here is a crappy cell phone pic of the knife that I have been using since I began hunting at the age of twelve.

When it comes to finding it in the leaf litter, the brown leather handle is bad enough, but the stained blade doesn't help either.



Edited to add:
My dad found this knife in the woods while deer hunting before I was old enough to hunt. He saved it and gave it to me years later, already in poor condition. The sheath says Kabar, but if I remember correctly, he only found the knife and came up with the sheath from somewhere else. The name is worn off the blade. I believe it might be either a Kabar or a Case knife. Can anyone tell for sure?

I really think that the best use of lanyards are to assist in drawing the knife out of your pocket or sheath possibly in a difficult situation or when your attention is elsewhere and you need to draw your knife. It makes the knife easier to see at night if you accidentally drop it in deep grass or place it somewhere where you cant find it. (Dont ask me how I know that) Also, of course, some folks just like the looks of them as they have gotten kinda fancy and dressed up.

I don't know 10% of what most of these guys know around here, but my guess is Case. Seems to me the Kabars are built a little thicker...maybe this will show how little I actually know! I can make it sharp though!

Larry

The only hole I want on the handle of my sheath knives is the one used by Puma to retain the knife in the sheath, and my pocket knives ride in my pocket...sans lanyard.
Lanyards on knives annoy the living [bleep] out of me.


ps, on the other hand, a Gerber Infinity LED torch is useless without a lanyard.

I normally make knives with lanyard holes for the users option to use or not.
When gutting or skinning, I like to have a lanyard over the wrist. That way I can release the knife breifly when need to grasp with both hands and pop it back into the palm when ready to cut again.
When breaking down or working up meat, I do not like a lanyard.

Paracord is not expensive. I think a "stained from use" look in a lanyard is kinda cool, and can be tossed if no longer wanted. Carry a spare if you feel the need to have a clean one when done gutting.

I have cut myself many, many times in making and useing knives, but never while having a lanyard around my wrist.

jmho
Tim

I'll keep a knife on a tether - they seem inclined to stray.

I can make that for you...

Speak of the devil.... After looking at the pics in the article again, it appears that the author must put the cord through the lanyard tube first and then weave the lanyard, finishing with the knot at the end. Do you agree?

If so, do you think there can be a way to do it without having the knife? I wouldn't mind sending my knife to you, but I'm not sure that I would like the lanyard to be permanently attached in case I don't like it, or if it like it for some things but not others.