FireSteel.com uses seven-strand 550 Paracord (Parachute Cord used by the US Military) for FireSteel lanyards and FireSteel Tube wrappings because of its great strength and versatility.  In fact, FireSteel puts endless miles of this cordage into our firesteel products because our customers demand the very best.

The US Military demands that its parachute cord be rated to a minimum breaking strength of 550 pounds, hence the name "550 paracord".  But there is more, much more.

Our paracord is composed of seven very strong inner strands all enclosed by an equally strong outer sheath.  Each of the seven inner strands can be further divided into 2 additional strands.

What this means is our paracord and paracord lanyards can be utilized for many tasks including shelter building, shoe laces, equipment repair, fishing line, snares, nets and the mending of clothing.  I am sure that you can think of many more uses for this great product; one customer even reported using 550 paracord for emergecy sutures in the field!

It's plain to see, your FireSteel.com FireSteel lanyard isn't an ordinary lanyard - it's a versitile tool in your survival kit!

FireSteel.com also offers hanks of genuine 550 parachute cord that are professionally wrapped by skilled workers here in the USA for easy storage and deployment.  This helps keep your paracord from becomming a tangled rats nest before you get a chance to use it!.  Looks great and fits into your pack or kit even better - not to mention completely made and assembled in the US, which is always a plus when 20% of Americans are unemployed or underemployed.