Cheap sources of sinew for bow making ??

[katana]

Hi,
would anyone know of places I can obtain sinew. I would assume that cow/sheep and pig sinew is not as 'elastic' as fast sprinting animals such as deer. But would it be possible to use sinew from these animals to make bows, strings etc.
Thank you for your help

Regards David

 

[jojo]

oops mistake!!

 

[jojo]

Highland Horn have some here

 

[Chips]

I thought sinew was not meant to be elastic regardless of the animal?

 

[Mungo]

At a shop in Canada called 'Bulk Barn', they have a pet section for bulk foods, including kibble, milk bones, etc... they sell something called 'Golden Nibble's, which are simply achilles tendons and backstrap tendons / sinew from cows. They're dried. All you have to do is dampen them a bit, then hit them a bunch until they separate.

Hope that helps,

Mungo

 

[jojo]

I thought sinew was not meant to be elastic regardless of the animal?

It's not elastic from whatever animal it comes from.It seems there are differences between wild and domestic animals sinews if I remember correctly but probably not enough to made much of a difference.

A properly done sinew backing will reduce or even prevent string follow, and also increase the back tension as the mix of hide glue and sinew shrinks. It also prevents breakages. The sinew takes/reduces the tensile strain of the back of the bow, and prevents the splinters lifting off the back of the bow, thereby preventing the bow from breaking.

Volume one of the Traditional Bowyers Bible and American Indian Archery by Reg Laubin gives you al the info you need to on sinew backings.

Mind you, if you use a soft wood plank from the local DIY to make a bow and then sinew back it, it will still be a crappy bow, a mess of useless compressed wood with a very strong backing on it. So you can't make a poorly made bow and expect the sinew to make it good. The bow's got to be good in the first place, then a good sinew backing can make it even better. That does not necessarily work on a long bow though.