Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Arrows => Topic started by: tipi stuff on May 25, 2013, 01:16:13 pm
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I thought I might throw this on the site for those of you who may have heard of them, but never seen one. Many years ago I had read accounts of Plains Indians using sinew arrow points. In fact, I had read this from multiple sources. I've used sinew a lot, and for the life of me could not envision making a usable point out of it. Several of the accounts that I read described these as desirable because of their ablility to flex around bone, when shooting bison. About 10 years ago, we were butchering an 18 month old bison bull. While cutting the tendons out, I tossed the heavy neck tendons over to the side of our scrap pile. I had tried to use these things before, but they don't pound into fibers like the leg tendons do so I figured they were junk. After thinking about it a bit, I suddenly remebered the descriptions I had read, stating that the tendons came from the neck of a buffalo bull. I salvaged the tendon, dried it, and sure enough it will make a point; or should I say points. I can get about 6 or 7 out of tendon. I though I would post a photo of one, for those of you not familiar. I think I only have two of these left, but they are kinda neat just because they are so different.
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nice!
how sharp can you get them?
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What happens if they get wet? are they sort of hard, like bone, but more flexible?
Coolio. BTW neck tendons of an bovine supposedly make good catapult ropes.
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You can't get them as sharp as a good stone point or a metal point, but I would put them right up there with one made of bone. You do have to keep them dry. CC
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Always looking for more references to more historical data on archery equipment, can you provide them for us? I'd like to read up on those sinew points, it's something new and interesting to me.
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JW, the source that comes to mind immediately is from Reginald Laubin's book on American Indian Archery. I think it is in the arrow section, but I may be mistaken. Laubin's work has some flaws, but he also collected some pretty good information from older Lakota informants that had been born during their free roaming days. George Bird Grinnell mentions the use of "the sole of the hoof of the buffalo, cut off, paired down, and dried" from his Cheyenne informants in 1919. I have some hooves, but haven't tried any of these yet.
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I never would have guessed! I wonder if the edge could be hardened a bit with a little bit of heat, then sharpened?
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I think the heat would ruin it, but I don't know. Never tried it.
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Wouldn't take much heat at all I imagine. Don't know that it would work. I just remember seeing heat shrink and harden the ends of sinew strands when I decided to take the pitch sealer off of my first sinew backed bow.
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I would be interested in trading you for a few of those if you make a another batch. Or for some raw buffalo neck sinew.
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Melt down some straight pine pitch and then dip them in after being hafted and boom instant waterproofing.
Grady
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Awesome idea. I gotta keep watchin this one. I have had some of this sinew around a while and had originally thought I was getting sinew I could back a bow with but found it impossible and frustrating. I tried to twist and bend a long piece and it snapped into 3 and shot the middle chunk into the ceiling :o. M-P finally caught me up to speed that it was neck and not back sinew and I sent him some to try out for glue.
What did you use to cut them to shape?
Wouldn't take much heat at all I imagine. Don't know that it would work. I just remember seeing heat shrink and harden the ends of sinew strands when I decided to take the pitch sealer off of my first sinew backed bow.
Might work neatly to dip and then sharpen?
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Like you described, it is somewhat brittle. After breaking off a piece, it is fairly easy to split it into thinner pieces with a knife. Then it can be carved and shaped with a knife as well. You can shave it down by turning your blade at a right angle to it, just as you might shave down an arrow shaft. I shaped several on a belt sander too,,,,,, but don't tell anyone about that method! CC
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Maybe beeswax em for waterproofing?
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Decided to put one of my sinew points on a shaft today. Also made a bone pointed arrow. Both are on dogwood shafts.
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Have you given them a try? How you like them?
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I haven't shot them yet. I guess I need to shoot them into a hay bale. I've shot a lot of bone points and even more stone points, but i've never shot one of the sinew points. I guess i used to be less inhibited than i am now. I must have had a lot more free time to make these things.
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Just curious. I got a bit of that dred and think I am gonna have to try it someday. Of course I better just learn to make arrows first :o