Fish Rib Bone Projects

  • Hey Guest, Early bird pricing on the Summer Moot (29th July - 10th August) available until April 6th, we'd love you to come. PLEASE CLICK HERE to early bird price and get more information.

East Scout

Tenderfoot
Jun 28, 2006
97
0
51
Alaska
www.hostingphpbb.com
I found some really hefty fish rib bones that end to a fine sharp point on the river bank yesturday..I was thinking of some projects like making sewing needles and fishing hooks out of them..Has anyone ever tried such projects and could you give some advice so I dont ruin my find.....Any hlep, even a few words would be great..Ide really like to have a go at working this for the best..

ES
 

leon-b

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
May 31, 2006
3,390
22
Who knows
if they already end in a sharp point
then all you have to do is clean them and the polish them and you have some really nice needles
 

leon-b

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
May 31, 2006
3,390
22
Who knows
i was going to say drill but if we are talking primitive ways then i am not sure sorry
im sure someone on here will know though
 

Longstrider

Settler
Sep 6, 2005
990
12
59
South Northants
Why not make the hole with a fine bow-drill set-up? You could make the drill (spindle) from any straight hard wood and tip it with a small shard of flint, chertz or quartz as a drill tip.
 
I've never heard of fish bones being consistently used for sewing in any of the cultures I visited. I don't say it cannot be done, but people clearly prefer other materials over fish bone for making needles.

Fish vertebrae (and certainly shark) have been used for making neklaces etc, but that's cosmetic. The Imraguen of Mauretania, who depend on fish for nearly anything, use the bones of the mullets (their staple fish) for fuel. There's no wood in the Sahara, so they brew their tea on fires from fishbones...
 

spamel

Banned
Feb 15, 2005
6,833
21
48
Silkstone, Blighty!
Look for a tutorial by PatrickM, he made a sewing needle from antler, but it shows the drill on there that he used to put the hole in the needle. Also, the fish hook can be made by using a wooden shaft carved to allow the bone to be lashed to the wood at an angle, you could use spruce root for a lashing, or nettle fibre. Ray mears made a fish hook on one of his extreme survival programmes that are readily available on DVD. The shape you are looking to carve into the wood is a straight shaft with a v shape on the end. I'll try and use text to roughly show you:

The line is tied to this end, this is the shank of the hook > ---/\ The bone will be lashed to the \ part of the carving and you wrap the cordage around in a special way to bind the bone to the wood. Not sure if that is clear, if it isn't, I'll try to show it tomorrow with a few pictures. Don't expect anything too great!!!
 

East Scout

Tenderfoot
Jun 28, 2006
97
0
51
Alaska
www.hostingphpbb.com
Ketchup said:
I've never heard of fish bones being consistently used for sewing in any of the cultures I visited. I don't say it cannot be done, but people clearly prefer other materials over fish bone for making needles.

Fish vertebrae (and certainly shark) have been used for making neklaces etc, but that's cosmetic. The Imraguen of Mauretania, who depend on fish for nearly anything, use the bones of the mullets (their staple fish) for fuel. There's no wood in the Sahara, so they brew their tea on fires from fishbones...

In one of my manuals I saw bone being used as a sewing needles..I figured these bones would make a great choice since they were strng and already pointy....

ES
 

spamel

Banned
Feb 15, 2005
6,833
21
48
Silkstone, Blighty!
Right then, this is by no means a master class tutorial, in fact, I forgot I was going to do this so I've just spent an hour whittling, taking photos and loading them onto Photobucket!! The work is shoddy, I make no excuses, this is not a touch on PatrickMs' tutorials!!

Are you still here? You must all be desperate! Let's get on with it then :D


First off, carve a bit of wood to look like this, and the pointy bit will be your fish bone. I used a sliver of wood because I'm all out of fish bones!!

a.jpg


Next, place the cordage you are using, it may be a split spruce root, on the shank of the hook. Hold the fish bone in place and you are ready to begin the tying up.

1.jpg


Take the cordage around the end of the shank and over the bone, then come back on yourself and you should be going in the opposite direction.

2.jpg


The cordage now goes around the back of the shank and you will be at the position you first started winding at.

3.jpg


Now you just go around again, following the last lay you put down.

5.jpg


Keep going!

6.jpg


More!

7.jpg


You basically wrap the cordage around the shank and bone. Each time it passes over the last piece of cordage, it locks itself in position.

8.jpg


After you have tied the bone onto the shank, wrap your cordage up the shank. Pop in a couple of half hitches and you can use all of your string to suspend the hook in the water, and you won't have to cut the line. If you used a spruce root, tidy the end away by tucking it under a turn, pulling it tight and trimming of any bits that stick out.

9.jpg


Job done! Sorry about the chocolate all over my hands, I'd just finished sharing a bar with my youngest girl. At least I haven't been biting my fingernails!!!
 

g4ghb

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 21, 2005
4,320
246
54
Wiltshire
shoddy is not a word I would use to describe your tutorial or your work - its great!


then again darn you! :nono: thats something else to add to my to try list! - i'ts growing faster than I can tick things off! (feels like being at work! :( )
 

East Scout

Tenderfoot
Jun 28, 2006
97
0
51
Alaska
www.hostingphpbb.com
Bleed'n WOW thats a great post....Thank you twice for taking the time to help out and post such a useful and such illustrated indepth post..Words dont convay the WOW i got seeing it..And sorry for the delay..I had a ****** night out last night...Hangover morning..

ES
 

BCUK Shop

We have a a number of knives, T-Shirts and other items for sale.

SHOP HERE