Golden Treasure Series: Bowstrings

Description

This book is a collection of selected articles describing the materials used, the processing of those materials, and the craft of making and caring for a variety of bowstrings. BOWSTRINGS is packed with articles on collecting and processing sinew, flax and other materials used in making bowstrings as well as the step by step procedures in making a number of different types of strings such as The Flemish Splice String, a Primitive Flax Bowstring, The Dogbane Bowstring and The Mary Rose Bowstring. This is the second of a series of such collections compiled toto books and volumes that will comprise the “Primitive Archer Golden Treasure Series”.

“As I looked at my hunting gear, something seemed out of place—the string! Everything else was natural, but the black and white Dacron Flemish string, which looked great on laminated longbows, was totally out of place with this equipment…The next logical step in my pursuit of primitive archery was natural string making.” Author Mike Bare

“Before you begin to make a bowstring, the first thing you need to know is the breaking strength of your string material. I use a scale for this test. Your bowstring has to be 4 times stronger than your bow. If you have a 50 lb. and your string snaps at 30 lbs., you will need seven strands (=240 lbs.) You need this strength to resist the vibrations that occur when the string is drawn, released and suddenly stops at brace height. This is also why a minimum of stretch is desirable in string material.” Author Duane Spangler