The first reference to the neck strapcomes from France in the 15th century: the "lanière" was a strap or strap-on device. Boatswain whistles, Marlinspike, and small knives usually had straps consisting of loops of cord tied with a diamond knot. It helped safety against falling and gave an extended grip through a small handle. 

The French army used a lanyard to attach a pistol, sword, or whistle (for signaling) to the uniform semi-permanently. Lanyards were used by land cavalry and naval officers at sea. The pistol strap can be easily removed and reattached by the user, but remains attached to the pistol whether it is pulled out or holstered. In the army, straps in various color combinations and crochet patterns are worn on the shoulders of theuniform to indicate the wearer's qualifications or regimental affiliation. The horse regimentwore a lanyard on the left side to allowthe rider to pull a whistle from the left tunic pocket to maintain communication with the army. Members of the Royal Artillery of England wear straps that originally contained the key to install the HE Shell Fuse. branded lanyard

The style, design, or material used depends on the end use of the strap. Strap materials include polyester, nylon,satin, silk, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), braided leather, or braided paracord. Generalstyle 

· Polyester printlanyard 

· Nylon printlanyard 

· Tube embossed lanyard 

· Sublimated lanyard or full-color lanyard 

Certain straps, like straps and fourragère, are worn on uniforms as a decoration. Includes an orange strap of the Order of William of the Netherlandsand a badge of the Bundeswehrrifleman. The white strap has been part of the Royal Artillery (RA) uniform since the late 19th century. Originally it was a simple string with an ignition key,but the white braided strap became a mark for the shooter. The distinction was extended to women in the Auxiliary Territory Army who belonged to the RA unit during World War II. Certain battalions, descendants of the Durham Light Infantry Regiment, wore green straps to show their previous relationship with the regiment whose uniforms from 1903 faced dark green. Royal Naval Rating is No. Wear a white strap when wearing the uniform of 1. The origin of the strap was to carry a gunpowder pouch for the cannon. Read more...