“When I make my sinew strings, I soak the sinew strands, then chew it so it's really soft. Then I twist up the sinew into the string. You will have to add splices almost constantly. Then I stretch it, and while it's wet, I take a razor blade or a sharp flake of flint and cut off the splices that stick out of the string. Then I let it dry with a weight tied to one end so it get somewhat pre-stretched.”
I also would like to make a sinew bowstring. And this is the shortest and yet the best how-to description that I’ve seen so far. You also say: “I've had a few failures with sinew, but I'm trying to work out the bugs”.
Please allow me to ask some questions:
1. Don’t the different strands dry out before you have finished the string?
2. Did you find out why some of your sinew had failed?
3. When you twist up your sinew, do you do a reverse wrapped twist?
4. If so, of how many reverse wrapped strands is your string composed of?
1. Last week, this was definitely the case for me. I was however making the string outside in mid 90 degree temps and a slight breeze....and, I'm slower than grandma with 4 broken fingers. At any rate, I had to keep dipping the end of my string in water as the sinew was getting stiff (dry). When I finally got the string done, the end where I started from felt completely dry and I had to soak the entire string in a bucket of water for 10 mins before hanging and adding weight for the drying process. I haven't had this problem when working inside during the winter months though.
4. Like Jamie, I don't count the strands. Upon starting, I just keep adding sinew until it's the thickness I'm looking for. I then try to maintain that thickness by grabbing the piece of sinew I think will maintain that whether it be a bit thicker piece or a highly tapered and thin strand.
Though no expert on sinew strings, it has been my experience with plant-fiber cordage that many small strands makes for a smoother, better looking and stronger string than does a string consisting of fewer and larger strands. It's more work but you get what you put in to it.
Lastly, I have soaked then chewed the sinew prior to twisting as well as simply soaked. Chewing makes sense to me....especially if it might mean the difference between eating or not...but psychologically, I find it a tad troubling for some reason.
