Page 215 - Adlard Coles "The Knot Bible"

Lanyard knot

Two types of lanyards were commonly used aboard ship: one purely KNOT SCORE
practical, the other increasingly decorative. The lanyard knot could be Strength
used for either. Nowadays, it can be combined with other knots to hold an Security
MP3 player, or it can be tied in a line to create a rope handrail for Diffi culty Tying
a staircase, or any other instance where a handgrip is needed. Diffi culty Untying
Usefulness

There are many things that sailors piece of hardware. Holed up aboard each shroud was terminated with a
and ships have contributed to ship for months on end, sailors soon deadeye, a round block of wood with
modern life, but one of the most developed ever-more complicated several holes drilled through it. This
ubiquitous is the humble lanyard. ways of making lanyards and was reeved by means of a suitable
Once the province of salty dogs decorating them with fancy knots line to another deadeye attached to
sailing the Seven Seas, it can now be – many of which are featured in the side of the ship. This line was
found on everything from cameras these pages. called a lanyard.
to mobile phones, MP3 players, key Lanyards soon migrated to shore, The lanyard knot was no doubt
rings and ID badges. where they were used to secure devised for this latter usage, in order
Lanyards were no doubt used long swords, pistols and whistles. In time, to stop the lanyard in one of the
before sailors discovered them, but they acquired a more symbolic role, holes in a deadeye. As such, it would
they did take them to a new level by and were used on military uniforms need to be extremely secure, as the
decorating them with elaborate to denote rank. ship’s rig was dependent on it. The
knotwork. The use of lanyards to But these lanyards were not the fact that it was decorative too, meant
hold knives and other tools freed only lanyards aboard ship. The term that it could also be used on the
sailors’ hands when they climbed also refers to a line used to attach other sort of lanyards as well, once
aloft – as well as saving the crew the rigging to the sides of the ship. again combining the practical with
below from being injured by a falling Before the invention of bottlescrews, the functional.

1 This knot is for four-strand rope, 2 Tie a wall knot (page 200) 3 Work the strands through in
or four lengths of thin line tied by passing each strand under an anticlockwise direction.
together with a whipping and a the standing part of the strand
seizing, as shown. If using three- immediately to its right.
strand rope, see page 198, Step 1.

214