As the Ancestors had no paracord, I was wondering what cordage they might have used; did the Egyptians use flax, for example? Does anyone have experience of natural cordage, and if so which would you recommend?
natural bowdrill cordage
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Nettle Cordage? Also I dont know what linen is made from (linen maybe? 
) i dont know how to get linen but the egyptians used it to make cloth and surely you could make a rope for a bowdrill with a strip of cloth, so maybe search how linen is made?
) i dont know how to get linen but the egyptians used it to make cloth and surely you could make a rope for a bowdrill with a strip of cloth, so maybe search how linen is made?
Thanks, commandocal. Linen is made from flax. I've been looking up cordage in other posts and it would seem nettle would be the easiest indigenous source, or lime.
Nettle can manage but doesn't last well. Sinew is what you're after.
Good thread about it here:
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14807&highlight=sinew
Good thread about it here:
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14807&highlight=sinew
xylaria
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nettle Cordage? Also I dont know what linen is made from (linen maybe?
Linen
Buy flax seeds from health food shop
Throw on garden.
In spring spindly thin plants with little leaves sprout.
Then very delicate blue flowers appear.
When it turns to seed and the base of the plants turn yellow pull up plants.
Put bundle of plants in bucket of rain water
Wait until appaling smell permiates back garden then pull bundle of plants out then hang to dry.
When dry break the straw like peices away.
The linen fibres are the glossy silky looking fibres amongst straw.
Linen has been used for thousands of years in britain and ireland. There is alot of skill and knowledge has to go into the above process to get fibres strong enough and long enough to wieve or make cordage out of it. I made very brittle tinder.
The string for cattail root makes strong cordage, or there is horses tail hair.
I agree, but might I suggest that if you're doing it again, let the flax stems dry out before you rett; it seems to strengthen them and weaken the woody stuff that you don't want. Retting only needs to be to the point where the mass of fibres starts to seperate from the skin and core of the flax. Alternatively it's quite easy to do during a drizzly Autumn by laying the bundles out on the lawn for a few days, the only thing to watch out for is mildew and slugs...they don't eat the line but they hide amongst it and are generally awful to remove, leaving sticky bile coloured yuk on your hands. Let the bundles dry out again before you scutch them (break them apart) and you'll have good flax fibres.
The best natural cordage is the one you have at the time I've used nettle, flax, hemp, willow, honeysuckle, ivy and intestines on the bowdrill and they all work well, it's just some last longer than others. Horsehair might be very good though it's usually worked very finely and I don't think that'd last long....might be well worth trying a thicker plait though.
cheers,
Toddy
The best natural cordage is the one you have at the time
I've used nettle, flax, hemp, willow, honeysuckle, ivy and intestines on the bowdrill and they all work well, it's just some last longer than others. Horsehair might be very good though it's usually worked very finely and I don't think that'd last long....might be well worth trying a thicker plait though.cheers,
Toddy
Three rabbits spun and laid for cord. Not as good as sinew but it worked.
Rawhide rescued from dog chews works well too, but it needs to be soaked to soften it, then worked with loads of handcream or something else suitably oily/ greasy/ fatty as it dries. I watched PatrickM working rawhide using egg yolks and the skin was beautiful; don't know how that would do on the chew stuff. Needs lots of working but it makes a very good cord.
cheers,
Toddy
spun and laid for cord. Not as good as sinew but it worked.Rawhide rescued from dog chews works well too, but it needs to be soaked to soften it, then worked with loads of handcream or something else suitably oily/ greasy/ fatty as it dries. I watched PatrickM working rawhide using egg yolks and the skin was beautiful; don't know how that would do on the chew stuff. Needs lots of working but it makes a very good cord.
cheers,
Toddy
I found that the ornamental plant "phormium" is New Zealand Flax and is really good for making a natural cordage. With a careful technique I can now get many coals out of one cord from this. It helps to wax your cord (even with ivy leaves) to reduce it's risk of breaking up prematurely.
