Bowstring question from a person who wants to build a bow.

[Ncsnipe]

Has anyone made a useable bowstring from plant fibers? I am considering yucca leaf fibers and was wondering if this was feasable. Thanks for any info you can offer.

[Hillbilly]

I made one from dogbane, and it lasted awhile, but broke. For a primitive string, I highly recommend going animal instead of vegetable. Sinew or rawhide are much more durable. Nearly all the existing Native American bows have animal fiber strings, and it wasn't because they didn't know how to make good plant cordage.

[michbowguy]

very true words!

[Ncsnipe]

Does sinew need to be corded like plant fiber to make a bow string?

[Hillbilly]

Yep, same process. I believe there's a sinew string tutorial somewhere down in the "How-tos and Build-alongs" section.

[CraigMBeckett]

I know it was used by numerous native peoples throughout the world, however it did not seem to find favour in most of Europe where hemp, linen, and other plant fibres were preferred, isn't that because for all its toughness sinew makes for an elastic string which robs the bow of cast?

Craig.

[Hillbilly]

Most of those hemp and linen strings were made by a few professional string-makers, though-guys who learned their trade through generations and were set up in an almost "factory" situation. A sinew string may not have quite as much cast as a linen string, but a bow with a broken string has no cast. And a broken string often equals a broken bow. Even the modern linen I have tried isn't dependable enough to suit me. I've made a couple hemp strings, too-but they were very heavy and inefficient for their strength. Lots of people speak of linen thread as a "primitive" string material, but to me, if it comes off a spool from a factory, it's not primitive. I stick with B-50 for most strings, and if I want a true primitive string, I make it from sinew or rawhide.

[michbowguy]

http://good-times.webshots.com/slideshow/569258209VRzQBz

first, get your self some fox or large cold climate grey squirells...

skin them out.

scrape off all the fat/meat etc.

pin/nail out on a board.

work in coarse kosher/sea salt very good.

let stand until it looks and feels like cardboard, this will take about 2 weeks.

take out pins/nails,and scrape off salt.

cut in an ovular shape about the size of your hand.

start cutting twords the center of the skin in a pinwheel fashion until you run out of skin, cut your strips about 1/4 wide,no less,and as uniform as you can!

then soak the strip in warm water for about an hour.

i then take a stick about the size of the nock end of the bow i am making it for and even out the strips so that fur side is laying on the stick side.

i then tie a figure of eight knot at the end that has the two loose pcs.

take the stick and wedge it between two trees or two nails about as high as you can reach,and with another long and smooth"ish" stick slide in under the figure of eight knot.

start twisting slowly and gently pulling the lengths so the string id uniform.

now the string is getting tight you want to hand a weight to stretch out the skin fibers/and tendounus tissue by adding weight to the long stick and twist until it just starts to "kink" up or roll onto itself and then back it of a couple of turns...

now secure the weight so it doesnt slip or unravel on you when you leave it in a dry airy place,your rafters in an attic, a garage your home ,teepee, etc.
hahaha.

wait for about 4 days and you will have a tight "hairy string"....you can trim or leave it on for natural string silencers.

you will notice that the string diamater has shrunk about by a third!!!

now soak the knot end in some cold water to make plyable and make another figure of eight LOOP KNOT, IN IT THE LENGTH OF THE FINISHED STRING LENGTH.

enjoy your string.
jamie

[michbowguy]

the string on the left is waxed and used,the one pc of cordage on the right i did not twist up fully and i will just use for binding or handle wrap.

[Ncsnipe]

Great info everyone, I was really amazed at the one squirell skin bowstring. Thanks.

[CraigMBeckett]

Hi Hillbilly,

Most of those hemp and linen strings were made by a few professional string-makers, though-guys who learned their trade through generations and were set up in an almost "factory" situation.

While that comment is true of the middle to late middle ages it is not true of earlier times. For instance the string that Otzi had with him was made from I believe made from birch. There are other instances on the record of plant fibre strings.

With regard to your comments concerning the use of factory produced flax, I have read either on here or on other similar forums of people using retted flax,  (from which linen is made) and others using hemp fibre to make strings. So not all linen strings are made from the factory produced linen.

I however use 425X for pretty much the same reason you use sinew 

Craig.

[Jmilbrandt]

I have made strings out of yucca before. It works pretty good feels a little rough but lasts for a quite a while. It's tough stuff, but the continuous movement on the nocks eventually breaks the fibers even if they are protected and reinforced. If you make them well they will last quite a while though.

[Badger]

     I had a lady twist me up some dogbane that worked very well but didn't last all that long. I have had pretty good luck with factory spun linen thread until the last few years now that seems to break on me too quick. Yucca I have had no luck with and just a little better luck with hemp. Steve