Willow cordage

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Robson Valley

Full Member
Nov 24, 2014
9,959
2,665
McBride, BC
Won't enjoy much public popularity but making cordage has to rank right up there with flint knapping and fire making.
Hand made, paleo goods. I salute your skills, sir. We carve some bone hooks and let's go halibut fishing!

A long cord of properly spaced knots can contain the entire plans for a trebuchet of any size in your pocket.

Is there a technical limit to the length of cordage that you could have made?
 

Kepis

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 17, 2005
6,705
2,155
Sussex
Is there a technical limit to the length of cordage that you could have made?

The limit i faced was running out of Willow bark, but in theory as long as you have materials, you can obviously make any length of cord you want or require, naturally, if i had made it thinner it would have been longer, ive masses of Aspen bark out in the shed and some lovely hemp fibre that a lovely lady of this parish sent to me, but I dont want to use all my materials at the moment as then i would have nothing to do in the deep dark days of winter
 
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Robson Valley

Full Member
Nov 24, 2014
9,959
2,665
McBride, BC
Thank you. Many of these paleo skills pique my curiosity. I'd like to be a fly on the wall and watch.
Coastal First Nations up here use spruce root and western red cedar bark for cordage.
Good enough for whaling.

My kids are sensitive to the salicylic acid in willow bark. Not so for you? Any washing involved?

I understand what you mean about dark winter. I'm at 53N, extraordinary day lengths in summer.
On the solstice in December, sunrise at my house will be 9:30 AM (1 hr mountain shadow)
and sunset will be 1:52 PM ( mountain shadow again).

I don't suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder.
But there are a few people in the village who are profoundly affected.
Very big, very bright lights for an artificial day length is a good cure.
Let us all light and heat our shops for a productive journey this winter.
 

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