Hi everybody,

I just got some orange paracord in the mail and decided to make my first fob/lanyards.

I am not looking to make anything fancy or requiring too much paracord (ex. : larger stitches like the King cobra), just simple fobs to personalize my knives and make them easier to spot on a campground table or a path.

I've already made two Chris Reeve coil knot fobs and i'm wondering if it would be better or more practical to tighten the noose or keep it loose to allow passing my hand through the loop to make the grip more secure. Which one do you prefer? (assume the end of the Delica's fob would be trimmed short). I think the large loop makes the lanyard more useful, but maybe too much cord gets in the way? I've never used them really so I don't know.

I tighten mine up pretty tight, SAR, but they're still loose enough to allow...well.....loosening For my tastes, I find I need nothing fancier than the coil knot. Some are longer - some are shorter.

My main experience with "lanyards," is the strap on the SAP I was issued as a young LEO. You did not put your whole hand thru the strap, if you did someone could grab the sap and swing you around until you puked. Instead, you put your strong hand thumb into the loop, then wrapped the strap around the back of your hand, with the sap (or knife in this case) ending up in your palm. Seems to make more sense to me, no matter what item is on the strap/lanyard...

As far as length goes, both of those in your picture are quite a bit too long.....for my tastes. If they work for you, then they're good. As you use them, you'll adjust the length to suit your tastes. Plus, they'll eventually wear a little around the lan-tube or they'll get dirty and when you replace them, you'll make the necessary corrections.

I make mine about the size of the one on your OHT. Except I do not have mine attached like yours. I complete the lanyard unattached then run the loop though the ring and the coiled noose through the loop. That way, I can remove it easily if I am using my knife in a more dirty fashion and my lanyard stays cleaner.

Also, I find having a little extra length to the lanyard is handy because I have actually used the cordage for various things including impromptu field repairs as well as for hanging a pinata at a child's party when the dad didn't have anything to hang it up with. When it is done. it is easy to put it back into a noose and back on the knife.

I thought of doing that aloha, however I felt the cord wouldn't wear as fast being free to move around the ring, but maybe not.

Thanks for your replies folks! :P

Aloha SARbound,

I have had my four foot length of 1/16 cord on my silver alox farmer for a couple of years now and has been my EDC for years. I have also unraveled it and re-knotted it several times. I also have a BSA hotspark threaded on the loop part too, before I run the noose through it. That effectively holds the hotspark in place but allows for easy removal and use. I have also removed the lanyard to use the hotspark with the SAK awl a number of times. The cord hasn't worn out yet. Although I will probably rotate out the cord when I receive the new cord that I ordered. I just ordered some 2mm and 3mm accessory cord and when a new stock of 1/16 cord arrives at the surplus store, I will pick up some of that too. I am planning on rotating out the 550 cord on my tarp with the thinner and lighter accessory cord.

When I received my new Fenix L0D Q4 and new red alox farmer, I reattached the lanyard to the Fenix lobster claw and clipped that to the farmer key ring. I love that L0D too. It gives me over eight hours of light at 11+ lumens and more than an hour at 75+ lumens. And now my EDC light and SAK are red. My old L0D with one setting at about 30 lumens will be retired to kit duty along with my silver farmer, as will my current lanyard when the new cord arrives. And it's been two years since I rotated out my disposable lighters, so I should do that tomorrow.

Good luck to you on configuring your lanyard.

And Hau`oli Makahiki Hou to you and all the other ETSers!

A great site for anybody interested in lanyards and doing interesting things with paracord is: http://stormdrane.blogspot.com/