Do you use the lanyard hole on your lights?

paulr

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And how do you use it? On which lights?

I have a BP Mini-clip on my Arc AAA, and clip it to my keychain sometimes. I also have a Photon II on my keychain, and another one on an actual lanyard. I have wrist lanyards on a couple of other small lights, and neck lanyards on one or two. But for the most part, except for keychain lights, I don't use the lanyards much, especially on EDC lights. If I want to take a CMG Ultra somewhere, I just drop it in my pocket.

I'm wondering this because I was just eying my Arc AA, which also has a mini-clip on the split ring. But I never clip it to my keys. So I was thinking of removing the split ring altogether, to make the tail-stand feature a little easier to use (otherwise you have to flip the split ring out of the way, which can be fiddly in the dark). Of course I can always put it back on, but at first thought, the notion of the light with no split ring just doesn't seem right.
 

Hoghead

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I have a ARC AAA and a red Photon II on my key ring.

I use a ARC AAA with a red LED on a neck lanyard around the house at night.

I have another ARC AAA with white LED and a neck lanyard, but I don't use it much.

I have a wrist lanyard on a L6 that I use at work. I had to work on an engine on a trestle one night and I was concerned about dropping my A2 in the Mississippi river so when I set up my L6 for work I added the lanyard. I rarely use the lanyard and it's mostly in the way, but I leave it on just in case I need it.

I have a Tec 40 with a carabiner that I keep for loaning to co-workers.

I use Ultra-Gs clipped to the zippers on my grips (luggage) so I can see in my bags.

I didn't realize how much I used the lanyard holes until I replied to your post /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif
 

cy

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I use the lanyard hole on all my lights as I prefer to EDC by neck lanyard. For a ultra secure pocket carry attach to belt loop and drop in pocket.

Firefly and TNC N-cell is what I EDC currently. I find a lanyard hole necessary for a safe carry. Especially if you are EDC a high end light and don't really want to scratch it.

My X3T PR w/E2E body was a safe queen until I stuck on a 1x 123 mclux pack. The difference was Mclux pack had all sorts of lanyard holes. I could EDC via neck lanyard and not worry about damaging the light.

What good is a super cool LED light, if you cannot EDC it? For me a lanyard hole is a must. I've almost stopped carrying my Arc 4+ because it has no good lanyard hole option.(the hole in clip is awful) I'm afraid of dropping my light during use.
 

KevinL

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Virtually everybody here owns a cellphone and quite a number of people wear their cellphones on a lanyard, apparently it seems to be some kind of status symbol. I wonder what the reaction would be if I wore a SF M6 on a lanyard. Probably just a sore neck, but back on topic..

This has resulted in a lot of places selling all kinds of unimaginably garish but cheap $0.50 lanyards. I try to get them in flat black, with the quick-detach clip. You press the sides and the clip just slides out. Very useful, I can't live without the clip. The other end is a thin loop designed to thread through the even smaller lanyard holes of cellphones, so it fits the SFs, no problem. The quick detach enables me to remove the light from the lanyard completely without having to take the whole thing off.

The shorter wrist lanyard which is only about 3-4 inches long is perfect if you're the kind who can't sleep at night without a light tied to you - tie a Photon around your wrist so you can find your larger lights in the middle of the night /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif and since it's so short, there's virtually no risk of choking yourself to death (as there is with a neck lanyard at night - NOT recommended!)

But the nicest lanyard (IMO) that I own was one I received free at a trade show, it has a flip-open clip that goes perfectly with a Sandwich Shoppe split ring. I'll probably use that for my C2 when I ever find enough money to buy it.
 

capnal

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On my little small pocket lights that are being described here, I have a few on key chains, but I usually don't have laynards. Exception would be the wife's Dorcy AAA. However, on just about everything else I have, if it has a hole or a ring to attach a laynard, I have one one there. I make most of my own laynards with 550 paracord. Different colors, black, red, blue, and of course olive drab.

I am a fan of using the laynard, but I would have to say I don't like having a laynard on a small, fit in your pocket EDC. I also have not begun the practice of around-my-neck carry. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 

Stanley

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My most used light on a lanyard is my Ultra G on my neck for my evening hikes/runs. Apart from that, my Arc AAA is attached to a clip similar to a BP clip and that goes on my car keys. My UKE 2L has a shorter wrist lanyard for night hikes so I won't accidentally drop it while its off, and spend half the night looking for it! So my answer is yes, one way or another it gets used! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 

FluffyGrunt

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No lanyards here, they seem to get in the way more often then not for me. I'd rather use a holster.
 

tankahn

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I use paracord as lanyards for my surefires e1e and e2e. The inside strands are removed to keep the lanyard as flat as possible and for it to be threaded through the tiny clip eyelet. When unused the lanyard is coiled around the body and the end tucked under the clip.
 

Sub_Umbra

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Not any more. When I was at sea, and in other, more hazardous environs, always. I have never used a neck lanyard because of the great hazard around machinery. I have always preferred a wrist lanyard with a SS QD key chain device attached to my belt. This is very secure and still doesn't get caught on much.

EDIT: Upon closer examination I see that the QD key chain devices referred to above are not stainless steel, but are chrome plated brass. Sorry.

When using a wrist lanyard I also rarely slip the lanyard onto my wrist. For safety reasons it is nearly always better to grip the light with the doubled lanyard wrapped around the back of your hand and only actually looped around your thumb. The advantage of this method is that you can nearly always let go of it, instead of being sucked into a machine or left dangling from an overhead. Remember, if something has got hold of your lanyard/light it may have grabbed enough of it that you may no longer be able to slip your hand out. With practice you can train yourself to retain the lanyard with your thumb and the light will be quite secure.

While on this subject it should also be noted that in most environments if you are using any type of lanyard in any manner, you should probably have a knife on your person, ready for instant use.

<RANT>
I should mention that my above comments do not include many new lights which seem to use the same way too thin lanyard, which is very much in fashion at this time. The issue with the too thin lanyards is not that they are not strong enough; it's that they are so thin that they may be too damaged to be effective before you even notice the damage. Even if noticed in time to fix, the user is severely limited in materials that may be used for repairs. There is something really creepy about the idea of having to fix the lanyard on an $80 light with a paperclip because nothing else will fit. Of course, that's only if you're lucky enough to have a paperclip. If you are 'in back of beyond' when these lanyards need fixing, (and they will) you will just be out of luck. No replacing these new lanyards with a piece of para-cord or a spare shoelace. These ultra thin lanyards so popular today would have automatically disqualified many otherwise fine lights for use when I was far more active and adventurous. These new lanyards also fall way short in that they are one size fits all and cannot be fitted to the user. They are lanyards in name only.

INOVA and TEKTITE, among others, have a very good understanding of what lanyards are all about, IMO.
</RANT>
 

Sub_Umbra

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[ QUOTE ]
tankahn said:
I use paracord as lanyards for my surefires e1e and e2e. The inside strands are removed to keep the lanyard as flat as possible and for it to be threaded through the tiny clip eyelet. When unused the lanyard is coiled around the body and the end tucked under the clip.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's a clever idea. I've also melted the end of the paracord into a long, tapered point and then pulled it through with pliers on some lights/knives, but only with mixed results.

While it doesn't sound very appealing, for medium sized holes I use round, braided shoelaces as sold for dress shoes. (New, of course.) They have some compelling advantages. They will fit in many lights where paracord won't. (I've also used the above melting trick with laces.) They are braided and are of very high quality. They are very strong and they may be had in various lengths. They may be had in black. They are inexpensive and there is no minimum purchase. They may be purchased in any city or town.

Take a close look at a new, round, braided lace. It's actually kind of impressive, when you're looking for short pieces of high quality cordage.
 

nirad

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Who sells quality lanyards?? I would like to have one for my ARC AAA for around the home.
 

gadgetgeekman

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I use the lanyard that came with my A2 when out around the house in the evening . I find it very handy and could get to my light much faster than if it was in a holster. Wish more lights had this provision. Lou
 

StuU

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I use the Infinity white with its lanyard for night navigating around the house.

Just the last week, I made wrist loops out of paracord for my ArcAA and Inova X5T and am finding that these are very useful and comfortable- as well as less tangling than the neck lanyard. The X5T is naturally slippery in the hand and the wrist loop makes for much better gripping.

Sub Umbra makes some excellent points about the safety issues with lanyards & wrist loops.
 

SJACKAL

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[ QUOTE ]
Sub_Umbra said:
Not any more. When I was at sea, and in other, more hazardous environs, always. I have never used a neck lanyard because of the great hazard around machinery. I have always preferred a wrist lanyard with a SS QD key chain device attached to my belt. This is very secure and still doesn't get caught on much.

When using a wrist lanyard I also rarely slip the lanyard onto my wrist. For safety reasons it is nearly always better to grip the light with the doubled lanyard wrapped around the back of your hand and only actually looped around your thumb. The advantage of this method is that you can nearly always let go of it, instead of being sucked into a machine or left dangling from an overhead. Remember, if something has got hold of your lanyard/light it may have grabbed enough of it that you may no longer be able to slip your hand out. With practice you can train yourself to retain the lanyard with your thumb and the light will be quite secure.

While on this subject it should also be noted that in most environments if you are using any type of lanyard in any manner, you should probably have a knife on your person, ready for instant use.

<RANT>
I should mention that my above comments do not include many new lights which seem to use the same way too thin lanyard, which is very much in fashion at this time. The issue with the too thin lanyards is not that they are not strong enough; it's that they are so thin that they may be too damaged to be effective before you even notice the damage. Even if noticed in time to fix, the user is severely limited in materials that may be used for repairs. There is something really creepy about the idea of having to fix the lanyard on an $80 light with a paperclip because nothing else will fit. Of course, that's only if you're lucky enough to have a paperclip. If you are 'in back of beyond' when these lanyards need fixing, (and they will) you will just be out of luck. No replacing these new lanyards with a piece of para-cord or a spare shoelace. These ultra thin lanyards so popular today would have automatically disqualified many otherwise fine lights for use when I was far more active and adventurous. These new lanyards also fall way short in that they are one size fits all and cannot be fitted to the user. They are lanyards in name only.

INOVA and TEKTITE, among others, have a very good understanding of what lanyards are all about, IMO.
</RANT>

[/ QUOTE ]

Right I agreed /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 

chmsam

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I have many lanyards, and the only one I bought that's really worth anything at all is the SF one on my G2. The ones I make are far better than the others I paid for.

Paracord is great stuff and durable. I'm getting real interested in some BP clips, too.

I carry way too many keys and knives, and never enough lights. Why haven't I got a Fatboy yet?

-(a different) Craig
 

nekomane

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I found some 1.5mm (thats about 1/16 inches) kevlar string which claims to have a 'break point' of 148kg (67 pounds). The shop clerk warned that I should not expect it to actually hold that much weight in real life applications, but nonetheless it is impressive for such thinness. Unfortunately it was rather brittle, easily bending out of shape.

Sub Umbra, I doubt that I will be in any life or death situations as you have refered to, but will take your advice and stay away from thin lanyards just not to lose any of my lights /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Back on topic, I use a wrist lanyard for small lights. You can dangle it from your finger when not in use and just flip it into your hand when needed. Will prevent dropping from clumsy hands too. Not necessary for the bigger ones though.
 

SJACKAL

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Can use it as a frail also if needed.

And, does anyone have a Streamlight TL3? How do you guys attach that lanyard, or dont use it at all?
 

nekomane

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Hi SJACKAL,
What's a 'frail' /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 

nekomane

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Ohhh like Jackie Chan..
Thanks jdriller /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
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