What's there to talk about?

BEADS: Are they fashion or Function?

Beads are not a new idea but some folks think they come from the US Rangers. Rangers used them for keeping track of distance traveled. Say you have a piece of cord with 10 beads and you know that for every 1/10th of a mile you take 200 steps. So instead of counting to 2000 (about a mile) you just move a bead from one side of the lanyard to the other. Do this 10 times and you've walked a mile. There are plenty of other variations on this concept but you get the idea.

In the EDC world we use them in a very different way. Wether it's to add an accent/Bling OR to add quick grab functionality, the concept is as personal as the style to choose from. I personally prefer them on smaller knives and lights to add more purchase and grip but also the ability to retrieve a knife from your pocket with dirty hands and not smear a bunch of grease in your pocket. Think about cold weather. If you are wearing gloves it can be difficult to get those big mitts down in your pocket but with beads to grab onto you're slicing and dicing quicker than anyone else.

Do you like lanyard beads and if so what do you use them for?