The History Of The Lanyard

When people think of lanyards, they are usually inclined to think of cords displaying company logos and sometimes an ID badge, and now thanks to this article, duck calls. There is, in fact, quite an interesting story behind the history. Way before they became common as promotional devices for people to wear at work and at events, and centuries before people could buy online, these items were actually used on ships and in the military. Lanyards would be used to secure items such as pistols, and other valuable items on ships that could move around as the ship crossed the waves.

This proved to be very handy during storms or battles when there was such chaos and mayhem, that personal items could very easily get tossed about, lost, or swallowed by Neptune's seas. They also have appeared in history as having been used by military bands to support instruments like bugles. The British Royal Navy still uses lanyards today to secure items to the ship when out at sea.

Lanyards are generally worn on the shoulder, neck or wrist depending on their use. They can be used as decoration, for holding items and for rigging. The word lanyard comes from the French word “Lanière” meaning “lash” or “strap”. The earliest references to lanyards date from 15th century France. In the French military, these canvas straps were used by cavalry and naval officers at sea. They would use a lanyard to connect a pistol, sword or whistle to a uniform semi-permanently. A pistol lanyard can be easily removed and reattached by the user, but will stay connected to the pistol whether it is drawn or in a holster. Lanyards were also used by pirates in the early 1500s as a means to keep their weapons close at hand when climbing the rigging of their ships or engaging in combat or indeed a rum session on land.

In the military, they come in various colour combinations and braid patterns. While the casual onlooker might assume this is merely a dapper fashion statement, these styles and variations actually denote the wearer's qualification or regimental affiliation. They are usually worn on the shoulders of the uniform. Members of the British Royal Artillery wear a lanyard which originally held a key for modifying the fuses of explosive shells. In horse regiments, lanyards were worn on the left, enabling the rider to pull a whistle from the left top pocket and keep up communication with the rest of the troop. Through out World War II soldiers could be seen using lanyards to attach pistols to their uniform. As time went on, they were formulated with special attachments which made it easier to switch out weapons, tools and other objects making them functional in both military and civilian life. Certain militaries still use types of lanyards as decorations on their uniforms. A few of these examples include the orange lanyard in the William Order of the Netherlands military and the German Armed Forces Badge of Marksmanship.

Besides being functional, lanyards have also become decorative and have featured for a while as a craft. Dating back as far as the 1950s, lanyard weaving became popular for French and American children. It is a good exercise to hone those fine motor skills, as lanyard weaving teaches children how to create complex knots. There is the box knot, triangle knot, Chinese knot and butterfly knot, to name just a few. In America the craft became known as “boondoggle” and in France it was known as “scoubidou” which incidentally is where the lovable cartoon dog character gets his name from.