rawhide (chuck) bowstring

[IsaacW]

Cross posting this here from the Bow Forum to hopefully get more views and thoughts.  Thanks...

I twisted up some woodchuck rawhide (hair on) and made a couple strings yesterday.  Currently they are drying.  What do you all do after it is dry??  Do you work it a little less stiff?  Grease it with anything?  Wax??

[burchett.donald]

    Isaac,
             Some folks grease their rawhide strings. Seen some videos on YouTube and you may do a search here. I use wax but my strings are made from flax because of it's performance and no stretch. I like the fact you are keeping it primitive or period correct.
                                                                     Don

[IsaacW]

Thanks.  I had a linen one that I have been using for a couple years (before that and on other bows I have had linen and even B-50).  I always waxed those but my recent-most string snapped the other day    I decided it was time to take that chuck hide from the chuck the dog got this summer and make it into a string.  I have been wanting to do that for awhile... both because it would be and look cool and for the historical nature of it.  Gotta get it on the bow now that season is here and temps are dropping!!!

[burchett.donald]

    Would love to see pics of it when it's dry and ready to shoot. Let us know how durable it is after using it. Never tried any raw hide yet.
                                                       Don

[IsaacW]

    Would love to see pics of it when it's dry and ready to shoot. Let us know how durable it is after using it. Never tried any raw hide yet.
                                                       Don

Will do! 

[IsaacW]

Not thick enough of plys, not enough plys, or too poor of woodchuck rawhide.  I snapped both strings with just initial stringing and barely pulling back on the bow      The bow pulls #60 at 25"... a bit of a beast but still... poor construction on my strings.