Tried making nettle cordage.

[JonathanD]

I did a half a**ed tutorial a year or so back...

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=58951&highlight=

 

[outdoorpaddy]

something that I found to work (if you're wearing the right shoes) is to to step on the nettle so that the bridge of your shoe is on the nettle and then pull the nettle through, I found it worked for me and took most of the leaves off. If you can make any sense of what i've just said, i would be impressed.

outdoorpaddy

 

[Stew]

something that I found to work (if you're wearing the right shoes) is to to step on the nettle so that the bridge of your shoe is on the nettle and then pull the nettle through, I found it worked for me and took most of the leaves off. If you can make any sense of what i've just said, i would be impressed.

outdoorpaddy

Made sense to me andsounds like a good idea!

 

[merrygold85]

An easy way of not getting stung while removing the stings (which I got from a video) is to hold the nettle by pinching it with 2 twigs. Then with your free hand, pinch it with another 2 twigs and slide down the stem from top to bottom. Done.

 

[the interceptor boy]

the best way to get rid of sting is if you are brave, or a coward, just grab a few nettles leaves crushed them until you have a small amount of green nettles juice on rub on your hands to get rid of the stings. or and easy is to split a nettles branch I two's and rubbed the brown middle SAP or pith on your skin, do try it next time or any of the above, cheers the interceptor boy, keep drinking nettle tea, and soup for a few months and you won't gave a problem any more, I am talking from my very own experience here. very good for the soul. lol. ha-ha. time or any of the above, cheers the interceptor boy, keep drinking nettle tea, and soup for a few months and you won't gave a problem any more, I am talking from my very own experience here. very good for the soul. lol. ha-ha.

 

[Kepis]

You can remove the stings with bare hands without being stung it just needs bravery and experience but keep dockens to hand.

That's all i do, if you fanny around with a nettle it will sting you, if you are firm with it it wont, or at least the chances are very much reduced, i made 5ft of nettle cordage last week up the woods, all i did was grasp the nettle, pull the stem through your fingers as this both crushes the stings and strips the leaves off, then split the stem, remove the fibres as per normal and make your cordage.

Ive been stung so many times during my time that i think ive almost developed an immunity to the sting or at least they dont bother me that much any more, mind you i get get stung by these things nearly everyday anyway

 

[Kepis]

here you go, a vid i made a couple of years back now on making nettle cordgae, shows how I remove the leaves and stings without getting stung.

[video=youtube;zs745d_a0N0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs745d_a0N0[/video]

 

[Stringmaker]

I'm a bit confused.

In your early posts you refer to crushing the stems and then trying to twist them together?

Forgive me if I missed your point, but did you actually strip the outer fibres from the stem and use them for the cordage? If you didn't then you needed to; if you did then I'll shut up.

 

[redneck]

Here's some nettle cordage I made a couple of weeks back, about 40ft or so

 

[walshy155]

I'm getting the hang of it now, I've made a small strip of cord, but you guys are much better

 

[Scottishwanderer]

I'm getting the hang of it now, I've made a small strip of cord, but you guys are much better

Well done chief, once you've made 10 metres you should be an expert.

 

[walshy155]

Well done chief, once you've made 10 metres you should be an expert.

Thanks mate!

 

[21st century pict]

Hey guys
I’ve got to say I am most impressed with the cordage, never used the stuff before but it looks pretty good, What’s the braking strain like ? Would it be ok on a bow do you think? Any primitive archers on here?
Great work.

 

[Ben]

Here's a link to a 'Nettle Cordage' tutorial Lisa and myself wrote for a magazine quite a few years ago - Hope it is of some use.

Cheers, Ben

 

[bobstay]

I fell through a greenhouse roof once and landed in a forest of nettles

Which idiot was growing nettles in a greenhouse? They grow just fine anywhere outside!

And didn't the broken glass hurt more?

 

[Glydr]

Totally smother your hands in mud, this will provide some hand protection against stings in the absence of gloves
.

 

[BoonDoc]

Have you tried drying the nettle first. I find it easier to learn once it is dried.

 

[Stringmaker]

Hey guys
I’ve got to say I am most impressed with the cordage, never used the stuff before but it looks pretty good, What’s the braking strain like ? Would it be ok on a bow do you think? Any primitive archers on here?
Great work.

I would guess that it may not work on an archery bow, but it depends on how well the cordage was made and how tight it is. All I know is that the stuff I made was no good on a bow drill as it began to stretch.