Any advice on natural bowstring and thread?

[Vaurnheart]

Hello everyone,
I'm making a paleolithic bow and arrow for a project in school, made entirely of natural materials, and I'm wondering on two things:

1) What fibres would you recommend for the bowstring, bearing in mind I don't have access to sinew? The bow will be about 20-30 pounds.
I've experimented with dried bramble fibres but I'm not sure it would hold up, and the willow bark cordage was too thick.

2) I'm also looking for a source of thin thread for fletching the arrows.

Any recommendations or advice would be great.
Thanks!

 

[Toddy]

Hello, and welcome

Linen was traditional, for both those uses, but though it's native, flax isn't found everywhere in the UK. I know folks who've made theirs from nettle, and plaited horsehair, and from hemp. Not sure how good they were though

Boatman's the fellow to answer your query I suspect
If he doesn't see this thread and join the conversation, pm him and ask.

atb,
Toddy

 

[boatman]

First off buy some artificial sinew and keep it handy so you can string and shoot the bow if the cordage fails. Let me get back after a think. What design of bow because it would be difficult, I think to get, say, a holmgaard light enough.

 

[boatman]

Gut is good because of the lengths of it. I have never done this but I wonder if it might be worth a punt because if it works it will be the quickest and in many ways most authentic string as perhaps used by the paleolithic hunter.

Natural sausage casings from pig guts. Should be nice and elastic reducing shock on the bow especially if you lay the string from three strands. Think how thin the joining bits are between sausages in a pack so three of those combined could be strong enough. Your string should be at least three times stronger than the bow poundage. If htis is no good or don't appeal you could go back to nettle fibre horsehair if you can get it.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sausage-Casings-Natural-Diameter-Quality/dp/B006ZLU5F8

 

[boatman]

Or natural catgut as used for fishing lines, Google, just needs combining into a string, check breaking strain.

If you use these materials do not allow them to dry out and wax well.

 

[Lizz]

Squirrel! I watched someone do this in the summer - skinned, all the hair removed, stretched On a frame, tanned and then made into long lengths.

 

[Lizz]

For fletchjng I've used both natural deer sinew and artificial sinew. I prefer the natural though it's hard to get it in longer lengths. But artificial will do the trick.

 

[Lizz]

And you can get nettle fibre yarn on etsy.

 

[tombear]

I bought a 1000m of 1mm natural linen thread/ twine a few years back like this,

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-000M-UN...ABBY-CHIC-VINTAGE-RUSTIC-THREAD-/271296706999

Its definitely been one of my best buys, run through a lump of wax I've sewn leather with it, used it as button thread, sewn clothes together, herselfs plaited it into thicker stuff for me, she's made me a couple of slings from it. We've made different thicknesses of wick. Very strong and if you shop around dirt cheap.

ATB

Tom

 

[boatman]

We use commercial nettle thread and linen. Nepalese source of the nettle thread.

 

[bobnewboy]

If you want a thin bowstring string, then use linen or hemp. You can make an animal based string (sinew, gut or hide), but they do tend to be thicker. In any case pay particular attention to the bow nock loops as they will always be the weakest point in the string, and it may take some experimentation to get a good smooth knot which doesnt compromise the string strength. Presumably your arrows will be self-nocked in any case, so you can adjust their size for the string? As mentioned, squirrel hide is very tough, and can be cut in a spiral to give a long length, even from a modest sized animal.

Sinew is your best friend for whipping on fletchings. Its doesnt need to be long lengths and chewing is the best preparation for it. If you simply cant get hold of any, again use linen or hemp based thread.

If you are really into primitive archery, I would happily recommend the US-based Primitive Archer website and magazine. Their forum is particualrly helpful, positive and supporting, and this kind of stuff is their day to day discussion.

 

[Robson Valley]

I suggest that you look into the large primitive archery section in the PaleoPlanet forums.

 

[boatman]

I suggest that you look into the large primitive archery section in the PaleoPlanet forums.

You'll find someone there who made a bowstring from sausage casings.

 

[Vaurnheart]

Thanks everyone for all the replies! I wasn't expecting so much help - this is a great community here on this site!
After investigating into all your suggestions I've decided that for the bowstring I'm going to make a three sample strings and test their strength, as part of the project:
out of dried nettle fibres, gut (sausage casings) and I'll buy some synthetic sinew for some sinew string (turns out to be cheaper than I thought).
This will be my first time using animal products for string, and I can't wait to get started.
For the fletching thread I'll use sinew as well.

The project will involve two bows - the main one is of ash, 20-30 pounds, and the other is a weak bow of hazel to demonstrate the difference that wood makes - I think I'll just make a nettle bowstring for this as it'll be only about 10 pounds.

Thanks for all the help everyone! When it's finished I'll try post a new thread with pictures to show how it went.

 

[promazine]

Sounds really good! Have you made the bows already? If so - get some pics up! If not, when your making them - get some pics up of the process!


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