Bowstrings; short version (was Re: LR- Thanks)

Sluggy slugmusk at linuxlegend.com
Fri Nov 3 00:00:48 PST 2000


Asa and all, be greeted!

1. I know how to make continuous loop bowstrings, which are the type that most
traditional bows (and compounds, for that matter) use. Piece of cake, really. It
is not entirely unlike making tassels. Really long tassels. I will shortly know
how to make a Flemish twist bowstring, which I gather is even more like making
tassels. Flemish twist strings are also a more period string and in my opinion
look better. If we really wanna have fun, we'll spin our own flax and raid our
favorite bee tree to make a string...

2. Most sporting goods places (Academy, Oshmans, Bass Pro Shops, etc) will
usually carry a good assortment of strings for compound bows, but not often for
traditional bows. The difference is in the length of the string. A typical
compound bowstring is only about 30-36 inches long. The typical recurve string is
about 45 inches. A longbow might have a string of 60 inches or more. Most modern
bows have their string size printed on them, often preceded with the letters
"AMO". I once knew what this acronym was and I will know it again soon, oh, yes,
I will.

3. The archery specific shops tend to carry much more traditional stuff. The
place in Weatherford that Mag D'Leigha found sounds like an ideal sort of place.
Smithfield Archery was a little better with Sam (neither Padraig nor Seward)
owned it because he is big into traditional archery. He made the red & black
Flemish twist string that is on my longbow. The new owners do still cater to the
traditional archer, though. Red Sand has a minimal amount of traditional
equipment.

4. We have a few loaner bows that have no markings on them, so we don't know the
proper length of string for them. It is fairly critical to use the right size,
but we can make a reasonable guess from the overall length of the bow. Basically,
you want the length of string that is short enough to produce a good brace height
(the distance between the handle and the string when the bow is not drawn) and
long enough to not overstress the limbs at full draw. Luckily, the brace height
is within an inch or two from just about any bow to any other. The string length
also has a direct effect on the draw weight of the bow, though this is more
apparent in longbows and compounds than in recurves.

Ok, ok, I said this was the short version.....

Sluggy!


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