Silk Flemish Twist String

[Ol Man]

OK Deb.

I have a link to a website for you - hemp and Irish Linen - Irish linen has the best tensile strength of any other linens out there.

http://www.bookmakerscatalog.com/catalog/Threads/threadandtape/thread.htm

[Deb]

Wow, there is a lot of choices on there. I wouldn't know what to buy.

[Ol Man]

The 4 ply Irish linen is the one that I would suggest.

[Deb]

The 4 ply Irish linen is the one that I would suggest.

Do you have any idea how this would compare to the artificial sinew as far as stretching goes?

[Savage]

Deb, can't they get real sinew and make authentic strings?

[Deb]

Deb, can't they get real sinew and make authentic strings?

Lord, I sure hope not.

[Mike Javi Cooper]

I sure hope not.

why not?

[Deb]

Because I'm trying to improve the preformance of their equipment without interfering overmuch with the authinticity issue. The artificial sinew stretches so much that maintaining brace height is a problem. I can't speak from experience, but I imagine that real sinew may be even worse. I have some real potiential here as far as archers are concerned, but I want them to reach their FULL potiential as archers. I want them to have the best equipment available, and imo, artificial sinew dosen't cut it.

[Ol Man]

Deb,
I don't believe it will stretch an awful lot! Linen will in most cases break before it stetches a lot. Waxing it heavily will help the strands lock up tighter. Sinew wasn't used much by English archers as it was far to hard to keep dry. Linen and hemp were used as Hemp is very water resistant and linen is very strong. Artificial sinew is a polyester material - polyester (remember the old polyester suits) stretches forever in my opinion - have made several hundred out of this material - looks cool but, sucks as a string material.

[Deb]

Ok, then. 4 ply Irish linen. Would we use the same amount of strands/bundles? What about serving material and string nocks?

[Deb]

Surely living in the Austin area you know of someone growing some select female hemp plants... tell them you'd like to have all the stalks...

WISE advice as always, Javi, but I'll pass on that one as I don't know how to "carefully pick and choose" for bowstrings.

[DaltonLegacy]

Im one of the renn fair guy and I wanted to thank every body for helping deb with this one

[fletcherfor2]

WISE advice as always, Javi, but I'll pass on that one as I don't know how to "carefully pick and choose" for bowstrings.

LOL...Cyrus looks as though he might have had some expertise with this in the '60s or '70s.

[Mike Javi Cooper]

Ok, then. 4 ply Irish linen. Would we use the same amount of strands/bundles? What about serving material and string nocks?

I would think that experimentation is going to prove out the number of strands needed to fit the nocks (I assume self nocks). As for serving and authenticity; did they center serve or just shoot from the string..

[Deb]

I think they will need to center serve in order to get a good fit on the string with the self nocks. Imo, a sloppy fitting nock is dangerous. I am firm about safety before historical correctness. Doug, you are the string guru, what say you? Sum it up for us, please. Also, what do you think a string like this might cost?