Main Discussion Area > Primitive Skills
Your Favorite Natural Fibers?
Hillbilly:
--- Quote from: PrimitiveTim on August 14, 2013, 09:50:25 pm ---
--- Quote from: swamp monkey on August 14, 2013, 09:33:52 pm ---I would love to learn more about yucca fiber processing. I know nothing about it.
--- End quote ---
In my experience, yucca is a pain in the butt and agave is a breeze
--- End quote ---
Yucca is easy once you figure it out. I take fresh leaves, lay them on a smooth peeled log, and pound them lightly with a smooth stick. Then scrape them with a deer scapula or something similar. Scrape and wash under running water. You can peel a leaf in a couple minutes and be left with a bundle of clean, soft, white fibers.
PrimitiveTim:
Ugh, I've tried all this pounding and scraping business. I guess I just haven't figured it out.
richardzane:
yucca is strong ,but i've not enjoyed processing fine leaf western yucca and the fibers are fairly coarse.(will have to try "rotting" the leaves)
gotta say , dogbane is my favorite now, strong enough for a 50# bow and if the string weakens one can simply twist in new fiber after untwining.
so you can rebuild a functional bowstring in the field. can't do that with modern string material unless you carry it with you.
I've used elm bark for a lot of tying jobs and it holds up in weather for years, but its not strong a weight as dogbane can be.
There's a type of burdock that grows here in NE thats fiberous and is tempting me to try...
no nettles here.
Thesquirrelslinger:
jute is probably my fave... but yucca and nettle are close behind.
i like nettle's strength...
Jute is easy to get and cheap, and if i untwist, pull longest fibers, and retwist, quite strong.
Silver John:
I twisted up about 20 feet of mulberry bark cordage a week ago. As it dried I oiled it with linseed oil to maintain pliability.
But my favorite fiber is stinging nettles. I have a nettles cordage necklace I have been wearing continuously since last December. It never is taken off. It is still strong and pliable even though it has been soaked in the shower regularly as well as being soaked with sweat and body oils.
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