Hi All

How do you make your own breakawy lanyards? I have lanyards with a cheap, metal section that will break first. How do you determine the correct tension, or breaking strength? Thanks.

First of all what have we got on a lanyard and where? If it is something carried around the neck (knife,compass,flashlight etc.) I would NEVER use any manner of cordage. I do carry my neck knives under clothing, so the possibility of hanging myself is reduced. That small diameter can inflict nasty tissue trauma even with a breakaway. I use LAMPWICKING, the cotten webbing used in oil and kerosene lamps. It is available in large rolls from www.sirmailorder.ca/ in Canada. I just put a few single stitches FLAT end to end and make sure it always rests anterior to my good looks <img src="images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />. Lampwicking has the additional happy quality of becoming tinder in emergencies.

not sure if i read this here or not. have you ever tied a double fishermans knot? its a bit like that. what you do is take a bight of string, then tie a double overhandd knot on that, by adjusting the tightness of the knot you can adjust the breakaway strain. its simple enough to draw, but i've no idea how to get the picture on here! will have a think about it!
steve

just sent you an email with a picture in for the lanyard
stevec

are you sure about that website chris?it looks like a computer/it website to me!
stevec

THanks for the e-mail. It explains it quite nice. I don't know how to put pictures on the net either. Could anyone explain how to do this?

Website corrected, and apologies for fatique and national hubris <img src="images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> Naturally they also don't have the lampwicking listed online apparently. I will have to dig out my hard copy ( back of a junk mail envelope wedged in one of 7 books I am reading <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> This is marvelous stuff. It is used for sled dog harness, traditional snowshoe bindings that humiliate all the new age stuff and as the knife hangers and emergency tinder I mentioned.