Main Discussion Area > Primitive Skills

bow strings

<< < (2/3) > >>

coyote pup:
Stringman, I'm glad you say the stinging nettle works, because I have access to a bunch of it and it would be nice to know it is good for something besides stinging legs in the summer while trying to get to the edge of the creek  :D

How and when does one harvest the stingin nettle? And is it tough to keep them cared for once made (i.e. how do they fare with moisture and wear?)

Thanks,
C.P.

huntertrapper:
ive never made a bowstring, but that nettle is some strong stuff

Jmilbrandt:
Rawhide and sinew both make great strings. I'm no to sure about linen never tried it. But if the artificial sinew your talking about is nylon it will not make a good string. It is very strong but stretches and stretches and unlike natural string material it won't take a permenant stretch. Nylon makes a horrible bow string.

Hillbilly:
For a true primitive string for a replica or rendezvous, I think sinew, gut, or rawhide are the way to go-it's what was on the vast majority of Native American bows. Very few old bows have plant-fiber strings on them. I wouldn't consider linen to be a primitive string material unless you grow the flax and process/cord it yourself. If I'm gonna buy something on a spool from a factory, it'll be dacron or FF. I use B-50 dacron for most of my strings. Artificial sinew is just waxed nylon string, and it's very stretchy. I've made a few strings from it, but dacron is much better IMO. Strings are easy to make once you initially get it figured out. You don't need all the jigs and stuff to make Flemish strings, either. I like a Flemish string with a braided loop at one end and a timber hitch at the other.

jamie:
like hillbilly said.
and on a side note. stinging nettle is also very nutritious and delicious. gather the tops when young and they are great steamed. can also be dried and used for a great tea.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page