Lanyards for knife (plus a bit about mounting)

[spog]

I've just treated myself to a nice, shiny knife: a Tusa sheath.

It's a little on the large size, with a 5" blade, but not excessive. The sheath has a pretty good lock, but I'd hate to lose it, so I guess a lanyard is in order. My thought was a loop of para cord, with a clip at the end. Thus I can make a loop around the appropriate limb and when required, unsnap it and use the loop around my wrist. But any refinements or better solutions would be welcomed.

Also, I'm not sure about the best mounting place for it. I read the previous threads and see that a lot of you favour the calf, but that feels just a little too far from my hands to reassure me.

I use rental BCDs at this time, so I cannot really mount it there and I can't trust the mounting rings on them. The waist would be nice, except that means using my weight belt and that seems a bad idea.

I'm right-handed, so I was thinking about the upper part of my left arm (bicep area - if I had any!), with the handle downwards. Silly idea?

I don't plan to use the knife, it's for emergencies only, but I'd hate to carry it all the time and never be able to reach it when I actually need it.

ta

spog
PS getting some emt shears as well (so thanks to all those who recommended them)

 

[FredT]

Consider knives as disposable. Odds are good the lanyard will get in the way when you REALLY need to use the blade.

A good mounting location for occasional use is on the waist belt adjacent to the backpack but far enough out to reachable with both hands. It's out of the way, in the slipstream so no increased drag, shielded form most entanglement possibilities by the arm and not likely to get bumped loose. Hunters want them a lot closer to hand though.

Wherever you wear it it needs to be SHARP or you are just carrying a small club. Restoning after every dive day is not unreasonable.

BTW how big does a knife need to be before it's "excessive"? I've carried a 9" blade for decades, and have used the weight and extra sharp blade length to save my ass several times. Don't fall into a PC trap. Carry what tools you need to to handle what you MIGHT need to do with it. Size, appearance, etc are not important. What it can do when called upon is important. There are very few jobs in the water a big blade can't do that a small one can, the reverse is not true.

FT

 

[Charlie99]

Consider knives as disposable. Odds are good the lanyard will get in the way when you REALLY need to use the blade.

Please elaborate on this.

I DON'T want my knife to be disposable when I really need it, so I have a short lanyard, clipped off to a bungee loop inside my BC pocket. I slip the lanyard onto my wrist as I unclip it.

For ease of restowing the knife, I chose a lockback folding style.

 

[gfisher4792]

Please elaborate on this.

I DON'T want my knife to be disposable when I really need it, so I have a short lanyard, clipped off to a bungee loop inside my BC pocket. I slip the lanyard onto my wrist as I unclip it.

For ease of restowing the knife, I chose a lockback folding style.

No one wants their knife to be disposable, but you can lose it in many ways, typically when you need it most. In your case, it might happen as your trying to place the lanyard over your wrist. It happens. That's why you have backups, such as the shears you mentioned in your original post.

 

[FredT]

Please elaborate on this.

When you need a knife you need it NOW, not a few seconds from now. Futzing with a lanyard while entangled can kill you. While you need the knife it's in your hand, firmly gripped. If there is a chance the knife can be lost while you are gripping it get a knife that fits your hand better.

FT

 

[Charlie99]

When you need a knife you need it NOW, not a few seconds from now. Futzing with a lanyard while entangled can kill you. FT

Thanks for clarifying that your concern is more about the speed of deployment than the entanglement hazard of the lanyard/clip while using the knife.

So far, I've been operating under the premise that the best thing to do in case of entanglement is to immediately STOP ALL MOTION, sort things out, and then attack the problem --- probably by me or my buddy removing the entanglement.

Slashing away with a knife isn't my first reaction.

The biggest delay in deployment of my knife is that it's in a pocket, as are my shears. Both are clipped onto bungee loops inside the pocket.

I may be a bit slower at deploying my cutting gear, but in my risk analysis I placed less emphasis on speed, and more emphasis on making sure I retain the tool I need.

YMMV,

Charlie Allen

 

[FredT]

Speed counts when the entanglement is involved in something relativly mobile. That can be you in strong current with the entanglement tied to a rock, or fishing line attached to a large fish and/or a trolling sportfisher, or even a fool in a ski boat. Entanglements are not all static. Planning your gear layout as if they are is not a wise choice.

BTW all the above have happened to ME in the past 35 years. Be aware that it's really hard to futz with hardware when going through the water feet first at 3 to 5 knots with no mask from the slip stream vleocity and the water blowing up your nose from the dynamic head pressure hard enough you can't breathe without getting water. Directed slashing with a sharp blade works really well under those circumstances.

FT

 

[spog]

Some interesting replies - thanks guys.

FredT - just to clarify; you mean mount it on the weight belt? Or you have a separate belt (as well as a weigth belt?).

You guys have given me some more thoughts. My two concerns were the knife being lost out of the sheath and my dropping it while using it.

Now I'm wondering about the dangers of entanglement, a loose lanyard causing me to lose the knife while I hold it and ease of deployment.

Thinking out loud here.....perhaps a velcro loop around the handle will give backup to the lock on the sheath. Maybe I can forgore the lanyard - the specific reason I chose one this size is that it has a handle that fits my hand well, so I am less likely to drop it.

I tried it on last night, in front of the tv. Mounting above the elbow was uncomfortable, but putting it on my forearm was okay. Any downsides with that I haven't considered?


spog

 

[FredT]

Some interesting replies - thanks guys.

FredT - just to clarify; you mean mount it on the weight belt? Or you have a separate belt (as well as a weigth belt?).
spog

If the BC has a cumberbun you need a new BC, or at least a new harness system! You should have a belt as part of the BC assembly. Mountig the sheath on the belt and locking it in a comfortable place should be a no-brainer. Some newer "trendy" BCS now forgo the belt. This limits your choices a lot. I've seen knives on weight belts, but weight belts shift position so you don't ALWAYS know where to reach to grab the blade when you need it. The BC harness should be solid enough in it's placement it doesn't shift in any dirction throughout the dive. However you carry it the reach for the blade should be muscle memory, with no thought required beyond the "I need a blade now" one before it instantly appears in your hand ready for use.

FT

 

[Charlie99]

Speed counts when the entanglement is involved in something relativly mobile. That can be you in strong current with the entanglement tied to a rock, or fishing line attached to a large fish and/or a trolling sportfisher, or even a fool in a ski boat. Entanglements are not all static. Planning your gear layout as if they are is not a wise choice.

BTW all the above have happened to ME in the past 35 years. FT

Thanks for having the patience to explain in detail. Experience is a great teacher. When the experience isn't fun, it's even better when you learn from someone else's experience!

Charlie Allen