| Knife and Keychain Lanyards |
The secret to a good lanyard for a knife or a keychain is that it should be long enough to be useful, but
short enough as not to get in the way when you're trying to work aloft. The last thing you need is a long
lanyard getting itself tangled in the rigging when you're up the mast. A good lanyard can help you obey
the rule of, "One Hand For The Ship And One Hand For Yourself." Also for that reason, you don't want a
lanyard which has a large fixed loop on the wrist end that could (should you come adrift your footing and
fall) keep you hung up by the wrist. All too many seamen walk around with various appendages missing,
and you don't really need to personally contribute to the "Cap'n Hook mystique"!
Therefore, my lanyards are built along the lines taught to me by Bos'un Cross when I was a small boy,
and which I again found in the most excellent book, "The Rigger's Apprentice" by Brian Toss. Brian is a
sailor and ship's rigger who lives in the Port Townsend, WA area and you may take his word as you
would Holy Writ in things seafaring and nautical.
The purpose of this lanyard is to provide a way to close-hold a tool aloft with the option of being able to
easily get your wrist out of the loop: this is accomplished by using a star-knot button and braided loop.
Under most circumstances, the star-knot button/loop combination is more than adequately secure for
working aloft and securing a knife, a marlingspike or any other tool you don't wish to drop, either on the
Skipper's unsuspecting head or over the side, with the added advantage that if YOU start downwards
toward the deck and the tool you have attached to the lanyard becomes somehow entangled, the
star-knot will let go BEFORE you resemble the aforementioned piratical amputee. Works for me!
Can be supplied with the long braided terminal loop for securing a knife or other tool which has at least
a 3/8" hole drilled thru it or which is provided with a bail, a short terminal loop for use with a split-ring
for attaching the above or a set of keys or made up directly to the bail of a halliard clip or seeing-eye
(thumb-type) clip to make it more readily interchangeable for tools. The halliard clip below is fairly hefty
and you might want to use a simple carabiner or "seeing-eye" clip in it's place. I now supply a
"seeing-eye" clip as standard unless otherwise instructed.
Materials available are #18 polished cotton white (this will get dirty quite quickly but may be washed
according to the directions at the link), #21 natural cotton (a sort of grey which shows dirt more slowly)
and #24 natural hard-laid cotton twine. This is now almost impossible to find and consequently carries a
surcharge. When it's gone, it's gone. (Added: #15 hard laid codline...makes a DYNAMITE lanyard!)
Lanyards can also be made up with all star-knots or a combination of star-knots and turksheads. All
star-knots is, of course, trickier, but you'll probably never see anyone else with one like it. Very
impressive.
short enough as not to get in the way when you're trying to work aloft. The last thing you need is a long
lanyard getting itself tangled in the rigging when you're up the mast. A good lanyard can help you obey
the rule of, "One Hand For The Ship And One Hand For Yourself." Also for that reason, you don't want a
lanyard which has a large fixed loop on the wrist end that could (should you come adrift your footing and
fall) keep you hung up by the wrist. All too many seamen walk around with various appendages missing,
and you don't really need to personally contribute to the "Cap'n Hook mystique"!
Therefore, my lanyards are built along the lines taught to me by Bos'un Cross when I was a small boy,
and which I again found in the most excellent book, "The Rigger's Apprentice" by Brian Toss. Brian is a
sailor and ship's rigger who lives in the Port Townsend, WA area and you may take his word as you
would Holy Writ in things seafaring and nautical.
The purpose of this lanyard is to provide a way to close-hold a tool aloft with the option of being able to
easily get your wrist out of the loop: this is accomplished by using a star-knot button and braided loop.
Under most circumstances, the star-knot button/loop combination is more than adequately secure for
working aloft and securing a knife, a marlingspike or any other tool you don't wish to drop, either on the
Skipper's unsuspecting head or over the side, with the added advantage that if YOU start downwards
toward the deck and the tool you have attached to the lanyard becomes somehow entangled, the
star-knot will let go BEFORE you resemble the aforementioned piratical amputee. Works for me!
Can be supplied with the long braided terminal loop for securing a knife or other tool which has at least
a 3/8" hole drilled thru it or which is provided with a bail, a short terminal loop for use with a split-ring
for attaching the above or a set of keys or made up directly to the bail of a halliard clip or seeing-eye
(thumb-type) clip to make it more readily interchangeable for tools. The halliard clip below is fairly hefty
and you might want to use a simple carabiner or "seeing-eye" clip in it's place. I now supply a
"seeing-eye" clip as standard unless otherwise instructed.
Materials available are #18 polished cotton white (this will get dirty quite quickly but may be washed
according to the directions at the link), #21 natural cotton (a sort of grey which shows dirt more slowly)
and #24 natural hard-laid cotton twine. This is now almost impossible to find and consequently carries a
surcharge. When it's gone, it's gone. (Added: #15 hard laid codline...makes a DYNAMITE lanyard!)
Lanyards can also be made up with all star-knots or a combination of star-knots and turksheads. All
star-knots is, of course, trickier, but you'll probably never see anyone else with one like it. Very
impressive.
Here's that lanyard made up to a clip.
This lanyard is of #21 natural colour medium -laid
cotton line and is the fancier of the ones I routinely
make.
It has a long braided terminal loop for attachment to
whatever tool you wish to use or you can simply reeve
a split- ring through it for holding keys or attaching a
knife's bail. (Halliard clip not included.)
(two day lead) $85.00 $70.00
35" special-order knife lanyard, all star knotted with
black star wrist button and contrasting knife loop.
Six-strand half-round sennits. Knife loop joined with
interlocking star knots. All #21 ga. line.
Ordered for presentation to BMCS John Lombard,
USN, upon his retirement.
Fair Winds and Following Seas, Chief!
(Special orders) $105.00
black star wrist button and contrasting knife loop.
Six-strand half-round sennits. Knife loop joined with
interlocking star knots. All #21 ga. line.
Ordered for presentation to BMCS John Lombard,
USN, upon his retirement.
Fair Winds and Following Seas, Chief!
(Special orders) $105.00
| Click any pic for a larger verzion |
Four examples of the key-style lanyard with a
"seeing-eye" snap-clip in chromed metal.
Note that all four are of slightly differing details,
although the general design is the same throughout.
(Let's face it.... I rarely do two things the same way!)
$65.00 $50.00 @, including clip. 2-day leadtime.
"seeing-eye" snap-clip in chromed metal.
Note that all four are of slightly differing details,
although the general design is the same throughout.
(Let's face it.... I rarely do two things the same way!)
$65.00 $50.00 @, including clip. 2-day leadtime.
These two lanyards are examples of the loop and button type:
The "brownish" lanyard is #21 "natural"
cotton line and sports a split-loop where
the frog of the star-knot is rove through, a
short bail braid to attach to the knot and
an unfinished tail as I'm waiting to find
another halliard clip (similar to the one
ion the lower (my personal) lanyard so
I can finish the bugger up.
The lower lanyard is a bit long and the
wrist-loop is a bit large for working aloft,
but it makes an easily used and most
impressive keychain lanyard. Made of
#18 white polished cotton line. (Halliard
clip not included.)
(two day lead) $65.00
The halliard clip is one I've had for
nearly forty years, since I was in the Navy.
I'd LOVE to find some more but they
ARE heavy! These were used for flag hoists and the "vee" jaw allowed one flag to be attached to the next quickly.
The "brownish" lanyard is #21 "natural"
cotton line and sports a split-loop where
the frog of the star-knot is rove through, a
short bail braid to attach to the knot and
an unfinished tail as I'm waiting to find
another halliard clip (similar to the one
ion the lower (my personal) lanyard so
I can finish the bugger up.
The lower lanyard is a bit long and the
wrist-loop is a bit large for working aloft,
but it makes an easily used and most
impressive keychain lanyard. Made of
#18 white polished cotton line. (Halliard
clip not included.)
(two day lead) $65.00
The halliard clip is one I've had for
nearly forty years, since I was in the Navy.
I'd LOVE to find some more but they
ARE heavy! These were used for flag hoists and the "vee" jaw allowed one flag to be attached to the next quickly.
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