NetNews Usenet Archive 1993 #3/NN_1993_3.iso/spool/alt/archery/957

Internet Message Format | 1993-01-21 | 2.6 KB

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From: [e-mail] (Keith Hearn)
Newsgroups: alt.archery
Subject: Re: Traditional Archery
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Date: 22 Jan 93 00:04:29 GMT
References: <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]>
Sender: [e-mail]
Organization: Pyramid Technology Corporation, Mountain View
Lines: 45

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Paul Lalonde) writes:
>In <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (]ke Eldberg) writes:
>
>>A Fastflite string on a longbow? Sounds very strange to me.
>>I would suggest that the traditional dacron strings are the
>>best for longbows; they are enough elastic not to stop the
>>bow limbs in a destructive manner. FastFlite is so stiff
>>that I suspect it could damage the bow.
>
>Dacron!  On a traditional bow?   Well yes, I'm willing to admit most
>archers use it, but for the trully traditional archer you just can't
>beat linen or silk.  I've made a few linen strings (using 5lbs test
>cobler's thread, although something spun tighter would be better.  I had
>(until the post office lost them...) a few spools of a 7 1/2 lbs test
>linen that was thinner than the 5lb cobbler's thread) and find them
>every bit as durable as the dacron.  The biggest difficulty is in
>fitting arrow nocks to them - they tend to be about twice as thick as
>dacron.  My solution is just to use self-nocks.  I've also located a
>supply of relatively cheap single twist silk to try out, but that won't
>be until spring :-(
>
>    Paul

I know a guy that made a silk bowstring. We figured out how much silk
  he used, it came out something like a half a mile or a mile. Silk is
  *really* thin, and it takes a lot to build up a string thick enough
  to use.

If you're doing traditional, as in medieval or rennasance archery, you
  might also conider that silk was *very* expensive, since it was
  imported overland from china, so I expect that silk bowstrings were
  not much more common than hen's teeth.

I've heard (but not confirmed) that horse hair was also used in some
  cases for bowstrings. I'd think this was prolly for short bows, or
  else hair from very long manes and/or tails was used. I dunno, treat
  it as an unconfirmed rumor. :)

  Keith

--
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