stingray skin tab face

[Shawn Rackley]

Any one ever use sting ray skin as a tab face? I have some laying around from an old bow grip. And I need to make a new tab. Usually a glove shooter but recently I have started to like a tab. I figure it would be nice and slick, just wondering if the raised smooth bumps could cause string problems. Any input would be appreciated.

[The Whittler]

Give it a try and please let us know how it works. I think it's great to try new/diff. things.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

I'll bet it will work "Slick"  ....pun intended.  

[Shawn Rackley]

Roy is going to post pictures for me. I shoot kinda split finger I guess, except my top finger rest on the arrow. So I got rid of the top finger all together on this tab. It's a slick clean release. But alas its loud, and clicky. It's also supper stiff. Which is nice cause I don't like feeling the string. But its too stiff and doesn't fold over the string, instead it cups it in a semi circle. When all those little bumps touch when closing your fingers around the string, it stop and doesn't fold. Kind of a strange feeling at first. But gives a great slick and fast release. Being that all I do is target shoot, and they are deaf and don't run from noise, I think I'm going to try it out for a while.

[Mudd]

[Mudd]

[Bladepeek]

It will be interesting to see how much wear those little "glass beads" cause on the serving. I know it sure broke the point off my leather awl many times when I was stitching up a knife sheath. So many times, I finally drilled the holes on my drill press.

[Shawn Rackley]

Yeah this stuff is a pain to work with. So far day one serving is holding up, how ever beads are starting to flatten out already. I figure over time the material would get brittle and fall apart. I have worked with stingray skin before but in Japanese sword handles. Had some extra laying around I had converted to a bow grip. Was a little uncomfortable for a bow grip. I will keep using this  tab for observational purposes. Lol

[dhaverstick]

I'd be very leery about the amount of wear that tab puts on your string. I've done quite a bit of leatherwork with stingray hides and they are like a big piece of sandpaper. In fact, I made myself and arm guard out of one and quit using it because it was causing my string to abrade.

Darren