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how to tie on an arrowhead?

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JackCrafty:
Wow... now I get the questions!  You're writing an information piece.  I like it. :)

Some more things to think about:

Not all arrows were intended for hunting, of course.  Many were made for war, perhaps the majority.

Another reason for an arrowhead to remain in the wound would be to cause an infection that would eventually kill the target. Obviously, this is more desirable in war than in hunting.

Also, if a war arrowhead remains in the wound the arrow cannot be fired back (by the target) with the same potentially deadly effectiveness.

Arrowheads can also be made in a certain way in order to prove ownership.  If such an arrowhead remains in a wound and the target dies, the arrowhead can by used to identify the killer.

Other points:

Many Native American arrowheads were tied on with only diagonal lashings on the arrowhead.  This detail is often overlooked.

Fibers from various plants were used to tie on arrowheads whenever they were readily available.

iowabow:
ok his is a rewite of 1
1.   History/Purpose
 
One purpose of the arrowhead is to provide a way to put a hole into the target and cause bleeding and/or puncture trauma.  It only needs to work once, in this case.  Eventually, the archer gets to know what the minimum amount of wrapping/glue will allow the arrowhead to do its business. Not all arrows were intended for hunting, of course.  Many were made for war, perhaps the majority. (Jackcrafy)
The wrapping/tying is determined by the intended propose. Of course the intended purpose is to destroy the target but how and why can vary the attachment techniques. Wrapping an arrowhead then has two objectives: Objective 1: Point detaches and arrowhead remains in the target. Objective 2:  point remains attached to the arrow shaft.     
 Although the intended outcome of each objective will remain the same the reasons/benefits for the objective varies greatly.  Traditionally/Historically we see these techniques were used in both hunting and in warfare. Arrowheads that detach can have many benefits.  Arrowheads that remains in a wound can cause an infection that would eventually kill the target. Obviously, this is more desirable in war than in hunting.  (Jackcrafy)  A war arrowhead that remains in the wound destroys the arrow making it impossible to fired it back (by the target) with the same potentially deadly effectiveness. Arrowheads can also be made in a certain way in order to prove ownership.  If such an arrowhead remains in a wound and the target dies, the arrowhead can be used to identify the killer.
Also, there are descriptions in the old literature from the frontier that some arrowheads were tied on so that they would become loose in the wound and remain inside the wound or make it very painful to remove.  Some arrowheads have only one notch on one side, for example.  It was said that this made the arrowhead "turn" inside the wound if the arrow was pulled and caused "extra" misery to one's enemy.  So, there are sometimes reasons for an arrowhead to be "imperfectly" attached. (Jackcrafy)
Persistent hunting in an environment that lends itself to easy tracking, like snow, a hunter might find it beneficial to leave a point in an animal so injury to the animal continues until another arrow can be fired (not often a technique used by modern bow hunter).  (Iowabow)
 An arrowhead that remains attached keeps the wound open.  In warfare and in hunting the target will continues to bleed because the shaft keeps the wound open this making tracking easier. My first year hunting with a primitive bow was a very difficult transition. For 20 years I hunted with a compound bow and I was very successful I might add but primitive bow hunting is completely different. So my prospective is not from what the arrow does when it hits a target but what it does when it does not. I fired 20 times during my first season and hit only one deer. Although I was not successful at hitting my target I gained a lot of information about what an arrow does when it hits frozen dirt, trees, limbs, and rocks (rocks destroy arrowheads).  Hitting frozen dirt will not break an arrowhead every time or destroy the wrappings. Hitting limbs can remove an arrowhead from the pine pitch but if it is tied well it will remain somewhat attached. Shooting an arrow in the frozen ground is good way to lose an arrowhead if it is not tied on well. When you pull an arrow from the ground look closely at where you hit because the arrowhead may still be in the ground.
Another lesson came when I fired twice at two deer I hit one. I pulled the arrow from the ground and look at the arrow and noticed no arrowhead. Question where on the ground did I pull this from? I did manage to dig it from the dirt but it was 11 degrees outside and the ground was freezing as I dug. I did recover the arrowhead I was happy because it takes so long to make when you are a beginner. So I heated the pine pitch with my lighter and reset the point. Sounded like a good idea at the time. I thought this would give me an extra arrow if the deer was alive. After an hour I started tracking the deer, I found the arrow and the blood trail just stopped so I started looking everywhere in the thick brush for the deer. I my attempt to locate the deer in heavy brush, a vine or twig must have snagged my arrowhead and it was gone. So the sinew serves a very important function outside of firing an arrow, it also hold the point in place if you smack your arrow in a fall of snag them in heavy brush or fire them into the dirt 19 times. 
 (iowabow)
In the event that you hit a deer as I did so many times with my compound bow you may want the point to remain on the shaft. The shaft keeps the wound open and the deer continues to bleed. I have seen deer bite an arrow and remove the arrow with its teeth so is it better that the arrowhead to come out with the shaft? What if it was a bad hit? My option is twofold: if the injury was not lethal (bad hit to a shoulder or rump) I would not want the arrowhead to remain in the deer. I might get a chance to kill the deer at later date (I fired on the same deer 4 times this year and I named her lucky). Also if it takes me such a long time to make a good arrowhead I want to recover it from deer or dirt.

crooketarrow:
    When you get to the sinewing. I start by making a loop laying it up the shaft past where you want stop the sinew. To stop spliting. Leave the shot tag of sinew well past the head.. Start rapping at the end of your shaft. Rap up past the head as far up the shaft as you wish. Wend you get to the loop. 1/4 Inch past the head is what I do. This stops your shaft from spliting. Take the end of the sinew you've been rapping through the loop. Pull the short peice (tag) of sinew you left. Pull it with a pair of plyers and pull. This will pull your knot tight up under the sinew rap. Your knots tight and hiden. I soke in a cup of warm water a hour or so take out and put it in front of a heater for and hour or so. This draws the sinew  up so tight when it drys. I Cover (seal) it before it sucks up humity and softens some. It's rock hard.  I've never had a head turn when shot and Ive shot through a few shoulders INBEADED TWO IN SPINES i COULD'NT PULL OUT. Still have the spine cut outs With the arrows. Not sure of the name of the knot I'll have to look it up.

iowabow:
hey that sounds like great stuff can you post a couple of pic on how you do that?  I want to make sure I get the point. I can then draw a step by step of your technique.

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