Irish Linen

[The Gopher]

Does anyone know where to get good irish linen or barbours linen to make strings? i would like to try it for strings but the only places i have found on the internet are pretty expensive. thanks, Dan.

[Tom Phillips]

Are you looking for irish Linen carpet thread ? Give me the name of the exact stuff you are after.

                  Tom

[mike mcguire]

I use hemp for strings, I by it in walmart in the crafts section.

[The Gopher]

Thanks guys. Tom i'm not exactly what im looking for. i just want to make some flemish twist strings from a more "natural" material. i guess i need linen or hemp string that is thin but strong enough to bundle and twist.

[ranger 3]

Mike do you twist it like b-50 and how many strands do you use. I'm looking to make a string for short sting after the tillering string with a bowyers knot...Howard

[The Gopher]

I looked at some hemp today from the fabric store, it was called 100% hemp 20lb. they also had 48lb which was thicker. Even the thinner 20lb looked pretty thick, i would guess i could only use 6-8 strands to get a string with an appropriate thickness.

[Falk]

posted by The Gopher:
would guess i could only use 6-8 strands to get a string with an appropriate thickness.

... maybe, but wouldnt you want a string which can withstand your bows draw weight - no matter what thickness?!
In flemish strings I like a string to be at least 4x the draw weight of my bows. With natural fibres this makes for a rather fat string already.
I never test broke a string because I dont have the right tools at hand. But in old literature (ELMER 1952) you can find reports of ready made strings break SOONER then it was expected from just summing up the breaking strenght of each strand of that given string. Food for thought ...

[Jeremy]

Pine Hollow Longbows carries waxed linen.