Alfred's (Carlyle) Patent lanyard photo essay

[Robert of Canterbury]

It is so simple I defy anyone to get it wrong...

NB I live in the UK so if you screw up and kill someone with a dangerously insecure botched lanyard, You'll be a long time sueing me

A Votre service

Robert

Cut a strip of leather with a slit in each end, (making two end loops)

[img]http://home.armourarchive.org/members/robertdc/Lanyard%20003.jpg[/img]

Loop it around your basket or hilt and thread one end through one slit

[img]http://home.armourarchive.org/members/robertdc/Lanyard%20004.jpg[/img]

Pull it tight

[img]http://home.armourarchive.org/members/robertdc/Lanyard%20005.jpg[/img]

Pass the middle of the strap through the other end loop

[img]http://home.armourarchive.org/members/robertdc/Lanyard%20006.jpg[/img]

[img]http://home.armourarchive.org/members/robertdc/Lanyard%20007.jpg[/img]

[img]http://home.armourarchive.org/members/robertdc/Lanyard%20008.jpg[/img]

[img]http://home.armourarchive.org/members/robertdc/Lanyard%20009.jpg[/img]

Insert your hand at eyewatering speed!

[img]http://home.armourarchive.org/members/robertdc/Lanyard%20010.jpg[/img]


Catch your breath,

[img]http://home.armourarchive.org/members/robertdc/Lanyard%20011.jpg[/img]

Pick up sword

[img]http://home.armourarchive.org/members/robertdc/Lanyard%20012.jpg[/img]

done!

[mordreth]

It's a good system, I use a similar one but I attach it to the front of the basket, with very little "excess" leather hanging around my wrist

[carlyle]

You beat me to it, Robert! I was about to do the exact same thing. Thanks!!

One small difference is that I turn the open end (the one that makes the loop for the wrist) "inside out" before stuffing the "bend" through the slit (picture #3 in Robert's essay). This takes out the little half-twist out of the resulting slip knot. Probably doesn't affect the performance one bit, but I'm pretty anal about this sort of thing and I think it looks "cleaner".

I also punch small holes at either end of the slit as a strain relief to keep the leather from tearing (actually, I punch the holes first, then connect them with the slit). Finally, I have always used fairly substantial latigo (belt weight, or close to it). These tend to last forever (or until you give it away).

I use cup hilt style baskets (Illusion), so I just loop it around the grip below my hand.

And there certainly is no patent. It's a trick just about any leatherworker will know (or Boy Scout with a Leatherworking merit badge). I just had this strap in my hand one day, and my sword in the other, and... well, necessity gave birth to invention.

With regards... AoC

[Richard Blackmoore]

My lanyards are almost identical. The only difference is that I create a small loop at each end using a rivet or thread, as I did not trust slit leather not to rip over time.