any ideas, how to make string in field

T

takao

Joined
Jul 1, 1999
Messages
406
I was wondering how to make string from items that you find in the field, and if it would be strong enough to lash with.
 
I don't know where you live but here in New Mexico, i know that you can braid yucca leaves together and make rope
 
I live in hawaii, never seen a yucca plant, thank you for the information.
 
takao, What type of fiberous plants, trees, roots, etc. do you have on your island. Give us a little more information.

I have a friend who just returned from there (a survival instructor stationed there for 4 years) and if you are patient, I will call him and get back to you on what is available in your area and what he used.

Menwhile if you let the group know what you have there...perhaps the answer is here.

Another option, Hey, jamie martenez (sp) are you out there? If so, what are you using in Okinawa?

Best

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Greg Davenport
http://www.ssurvival.com
Are You Ready For The Challenge?
Are You Ready To Learn The Art Of Wilderness Survival?

[This message has been edited by Greg Davenport (edited 04 December 1999).]
 
Kiawe, koa, coconut, cactus, pine, mango, to name a few plants, any information well be greatly appreciated thank you.
 
Takao,

You need to learn how to reverse wrap fibers into cordage,or spin like they used to make thread,or roll the fibers on you pants leg,I have made a drop spinner type device and a spinner that i saw in society of primitive tech.publication.I want to learn how to make a two man ropewalk like i have seen in the book BushCraft by Richard Graves.i know how to make one but have not learned how they are adding the fibers.

Jeff S
 
From the Britannica website:

coir

seed-hair fibre obtained from the outer shell, or husk, of the coconut, the fruit of Cocos nucifera, a tropical plant of the Arecaceae (Palmae) family. The coarse, stiff, reddish brown fibre is made up of smaller threads, each about 0.01 to 0.04 inch (0.03 to 0.1 centimetre) long and 12 to 24 microns (a micron is about 0.00004 inch) in diameter, composed of lignin, a woody plant substance, and cellulose. Sri Lanka is the centre of coir preparation, with hand processing, believed to produce a superior fibre, concentrated in the southwestern part of the island.

The processed fibres, ranging from about 4 to 12 inches (10 to 30 centimetres) in length, are light in weight, brittle, strong, and elastic, with a tendency to curl. They are resistant to abrasion and can be dyed. They are used to make brushes, are woven into matting, and are spun into yarns for marine cordage and fishnets.
Click to expand...

[This message has been edited by Howard Wallace (edited 05 December 1999).]
 
Take any tough fiberous roots stem, leaf etc and make it into threads abot a mm or two thick maybe less your choice then either braid them togetther or if you use a bunch of very thin ones simply hold both ends and twist the fibers until they curl in the center then take by the center and keep twisting the should cink up in the middle when you bring the ends of the twine together that is i mean when i say curl in the center. hope this helps. I just use a cedar tree root my self. My 2 cents worth
 
Tendons can also be used for string. Long ones can be found in the legs and along the back of animals. They can be dried, pounded, and separated into threads. Or they can be used wet for lashings, but when they dry they will get hard.

The stinging nettle, Urtica gracilis, provides good fibers for stringmaking, as does hemp, Cannabis sativa. From my recollections of the 70’s hemp (Maui Wowie) does grow in Hawaii. Hemp growers have been known to get upset when their crop is used for this purpose.
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takao,

Living in Hawaii, I don't know if you have chambira palm there, but in Peru it's the primary source for most all of their basket and weaving cordage.

The part use comes from the stem of the large leaf, towards the base. Thin fibers are stripped from the inner stem, dried and then made into cordage via a reverse wrap, once you get fibers wrapped to a length, then just add more by wrapping the beginning of the next fiber, fibers are usually added at offsets to provide one long cord with superior strength.

Also on many tropical trees the inner bark will strip into long runs of fine fibers, dry these and use a reverse wrap and you have very strong cordage.

If you're looking for lashing materials, why not vine? Especially in tropical areas, vine such as philadendron is very pliable. If you have problems with breakage, then you can twist the vine or even beat on it to loosen it up before trying to wrap or tie.- Jeff

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Randall's Adventure & Training
jeff@jungletraining.com

 
thank you howard and jeff, do you have a photo of chambira on your web site?
 
I was reading today and found some info for you. Use palms or coconut, take a bundle of either coconut husks or a bundle of palms strips and braid them or twist them into a rope. Geoff.
 
If you have any tall grasses you could try weaving it into a rope. It would probably be good for holding supports for a shelter together. If you tie it while its green, it will constrict as it dries.

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Fix it right the first time, use Baling Wire !
 
We show the process in both the firemaking video (volume 1) where we show the reverse twist (or counter twist) with 550 cord for use with a firebow. Then we show it again with cattail leaves and grasses in the primitive weapons video (volume 6). In Volume 5 (trapping) we show how to cut leather to make coradage.

In the upcoming hide tanning and and tool making video we will show how to process tendons for bow strings and skin and intestines for other cordage. Basically our saying is "Where there's rope, there's hope".

Ron

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oops double click

[This message has been edited by takao (edited 08 December 1999).]
 
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