I'm surprised no-one here has suggested grass cordage.
Not as strong as some things but it's plentiful and really easy to work with.
Not as strong as some things but it's plentiful and really easy to work with.
Best cordage material
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You need fairly long grass of course but then you twist a few stalks and then keep adding more stalks into the twist as you go.
Sounds complicated but it's really simple to do.
Sounds complicated but it's really simple to do.
It's a funny question really... Firstly because it depends what sort of cordage you want to make: for example, rosebay willowherb makes a very nice, fine, flexible cordage, but it's not that strong. Good for some things, not for others. Secondly, and I dunno about anybody else here, it's not like I plan on making cordage in advance so I can carefully select materials - I go with what I've got.
TBH, it's not often that I find I need it. Withies are usually a stronger, quicker alternative, unless you need something really flexible.
TBH, it's not often that I find I need it. Withies are usually a stronger, quicker alternative, unless you need something really flexible.
I've never had much luck with nettle cord I always end up with 1ft lengths of fairly strong cord with really week bits in-between. I did fined Rosebay Willowherb made very good cord but the basic material was so fragile before I twisted it that it kept braking 
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The best and simplest cord I've ever made is plaited rush cored, it comes together so quickly and is surprisingly strong and flexible.
I also agree that grass cord and rope is very good if you wont something fairly thick, the only thing you need to look out for is using the rite kind of grass. I cant tell you which kind is which but I just know that some grass makes grate cord and some grass just doesn't make cord at all, so always try a bit out will your gathering it to make shore you've got the rite stuff.
As for different kinds of nettle in the uk I can find four in my wild flower book, it doesn't give much info on them but they are Annual, Common, Stinging and Stingless nettle. I don't know whether they are all as good as stinging nettle, but frankly if you can find somewhere in the uk where you cant find stinging nettles then I would be very surprised
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.The best and simplest cord I've ever made is plaited rush cored, it comes together so quickly and is surprisingly strong and flexible.
I also agree that grass cord and rope is very good if you wont something fairly thick, the only thing you need to look out for is using the rite kind of grass. I cant tell you which kind is which but I just know that some grass makes grate cord and some grass just doesn't make cord at all, so always try a bit out will your gathering it to make shore you've got the rite stuff.
As for different kinds of nettle in the uk I can find four in my wild flower book, it doesn't give much info on them but they are Annual, Common, Stinging and Stingless nettle. I don't know whether they are all as good as stinging nettle, but frankly if you can find somewhere in the uk where you cant find stinging nettles then I would be very surprised
.Anyone know what will make the strongest cordage out of things found in the UK countryside.......?
There are only two members of the nettle family (urticaceae)WhichDoctor said:As for different kinds of nettle in the uk I can find four in my wild flower book, it doesn't give much info on them but they are Annual, Common, Stinging and Stingless nettle. I don't know whether they are all as good as stinging nettle, but frankly if you can find somewhere in the uk where you cant find stinging nettles then I would be very surprised
Urtica dioica.. Nettle, or The Common Nettle...This is the one that grows tall..
Urtica urens.. Annual Nettle. This is the shorter one, but has a more powerful sting than the other.
They are both called stinging nettles.
Stingless nettles, like Red dead nettle, common hemp nettle, white dead nettle etc, are all members of the Labiate family...
Lime bark is the best cordage material i have used in the UK to date.
if I had a choice of any tree in the world however, there is a tree in borneo whos bark required no preperation other than seperating the outer bark form the inner by hand and in my examination was as strong as paracord of identical diameter
if I had a choice of any tree in the world however, there is a tree in borneo whos bark required no preperation other than seperating the outer bark form the inner by hand and in my examination was as strong as paracord of identical diameter
Apart from the small problem that i wouldn't know a lime tree if it fell on my head .......are we talking about fallen trees to collect the bark?
I always thought that substantial removal of bark killed the tree?
.......are we talking about fallen trees to collect the bark?I always thought that substantial removal of bark killed the tree?
Here's a list of what I have used in no particular order.....
Inner stem of Stinging Nettle (Ooooops.....that should read outer stem)
Blunt flowered Rush leaves
Grass stems and leaves
Bindweed
Inner bark of Lime
Inner bark of Willow
Reed Mace leaves
Outer stem of Rhubarb (you get a really nice red and white pattern, and it's strong)
Outer bark of Clematis and Honeysuckle
Inner bark of Elm and Wych Elm
outer stem of Willow herb
Western Red-wood Cedar
Pig intestines
Inner stem of Stinging Nettle (Ooooops.....that should read outer stem)
Blunt flowered Rush leaves
Grass stems and leaves
Bindweed
Inner bark of Lime
Inner bark of Willow
Reed Mace leaves
Outer stem of Rhubarb (you get a really nice red and white pattern, and it's strong)
Outer bark of Clematis and Honeysuckle
Inner bark of Elm and Wych Elm
outer stem of Willow herb
Western Red-wood Cedar
Pig intestines
Wayland said:
Hi Wayland, Thanks for resurrecting this topic, it's great to see some bushcraft being discussed! and this is something of interest to me.
It seems until today, no one has posted on it for nearly three years. So hats off to you for bringing back. :notworthy
Would you reccommend any varieties of grasses Wayland? Also in your experience what do you think would be the strongest? Do you think its possible to braid with grasses to add strength?
I am no expert by any means but I have tried long bracketed sedge, Timothy grass and meadow fox-tail. I have found these to have poor strength.
I have access to a nice patch of Marram grass which I hope to experiment with soon.
Personally, I think there are better alternatives to grass for cordage, unless you can reccommend a stronger variety?
Cheers
Grass doesn't win much on strength but it's great for availability. It's everywhere.
I've used whatever was close to hand and it's ok for light bindings but any cordage can be twined or trebled for greater strength.
There are rope bridges in many parts of the World made with grass ropes you just have to have enough of the stuff.
I've used whatever was close to hand and it's ok for light bindings but any cordage can be twined or trebled for greater strength.
There are rope bridges in many parts of the World made with grass ropes you just have to have enough of the stuff.
This topic comes up, in many guises, fairly frequently, but it is good to see it revived.
The strongest natural rope/cordage from indigenous British plants is from the inner bark of small leaved lime.
&, as I've said before, there's a reason that the traditional cordage fibres are flax, hemp and nettle; they are very, very good
I try my hand at most things that look fibrous. I made good cord from the withered leaves of flag iris last month, rushes are always available and make a fine naturally waxed cord, mallow is very good, willow is excellent, honeysuckle and bramble are surprisingly strong, vetch can be good, and I'm reliably informed that dog rose is really something special
If you can't get to somewhere where you can gather easily, then grow some flax in a pot (Shadow57 did a tutorial on prep for flax) and try that. The garden supplies all sorts of usefuls, border mallows are really good, the little lobelia is actually a member of the flax family and makes a brilliant strong rope, ivy makes a kind of fragile cord but is excellent for basketry, blackcurrant bushes will give a few stems without suffering too much, and loganberry (if you can get it safely dethorned) makes a very strong fine cordage. If you have a hedge of leylandii or beech then the roots will be through the lawn and flowerbeds, have a try with a fork and see what you can get
Has anyone tried hops? I want a go with that next year.
Easiest to get and well worth the effort? Nettles. Any variety will work, they're ubiquitous and even now, with the leaves down the fibres are good and strong.
Cheers,
Toddy
The strongest natural rope/cordage from indigenous British plants is from the inner bark of small leaved lime.
&, as I've said before, there's a reason that the traditional cordage fibres are flax, hemp and nettle; they are very, very good
I try my hand at most things that look fibrous. I made good cord from the withered leaves of flag iris last month, rushes are always available and make a fine naturally waxed cord, mallow is very good, willow is excellent, honeysuckle and bramble are surprisingly strong, vetch can be good, and I'm reliably informed that dog rose is really something special
If you can't get to somewhere where you can gather easily, then grow some flax in a pot (Shadow57 did a tutorial on prep for flax) and try that. The garden supplies all sorts of usefuls, border mallows are really good, the little lobelia is actually a member of the flax family and makes a brilliant strong rope, ivy makes a kind of fragile cord but is excellent for basketry, blackcurrant bushes will give a few stems without suffering too much, and loganberry (if you can get it safely dethorned) makes a very strong fine cordage. If you have a hedge of leylandii or beech then the roots will be through the lawn and flowerbeds, have a try with a fork and see what you can get
Has anyone tried hops? I want a go with that next year.
Easiest to get and well worth the effort? Nettles. Any variety will work, they're ubiquitous and even now, with the leaves down the fibres are good and strong.
Cheers,
Toddy
Fenlander said:
Nice list there fenlander, I'm curious to how you make cordage from the inner stem of nettle. I thought it was just the outer layer that you used.
Nettle is my prefered as it's easy to come by, stores well and requires little prep and is stong.
I've tried willow which was good and various roots (can't remember the tree types )
Would like to try Lime and (great idea Fenlander) Rhubarb as it's always growing in the garden.
david
I've tried willow which was good and various roots (can't remember the tree types
)Would like to try Lime and (great idea Fenlander) Rhubarb as it's always growing in the garden.
david
