On on of those internet blurbs they were advertising the new CRKT Parascale, first folding knife with a useable cord handle. Has a 4' piece of cord that can be detached for survival type situations. Common on some survival fixed blade knives, but folders supposedly the first.
Has anybody ever actually needed or used cord from a knife handle?

Nope.

I've never bought into the "but what if you were lost in the woods with only a knife??!!!!1" marketing hype.

So I don't need a firestarter, compass, sawblade, fish hooks, or cordage on a knife.

Why would want anything on your knife that would get soaked with anything, water, juices, blood?

That doesn't make much sense to me. I have a lot of fixed blades with cord wrapped handles but they're all epoxied. In my pack I do have 20-30 ft of paracord, mainly to lower the pack in a tight place or off a ledge.