Tie-on loops

[UserNameTaken]

I was reading the TBB today, and I'm now really interested in tie-on nocks. It's something that I'm definitely going to try, but I'm wondering how one ties a knot on the end of their bow while bending it to brace height. Is there a standard procedure, or do you not see many tie-on nocks BECAUSE they're such a pain to tie?

[NonBacked]

You may have the wrong idea about tie-on nocks. Look at TBB-4, page 147. The lower picture shows the details.

[UserNameTaken]

I suppose I shouldn't have referred to them as nocks. I should have said "tie-on loops". They're on page 238, vol. 2, of the TBB. There aren't actually any knocks at all. The string is tied to the tips of the bow instead.

[UserNameTaken]

*I'm trying to revive this thread. Never got any takers the first time.*

So, I've been looking all over the place for any knot resembling the two knots on pages 238 & 239 of the TBB vol.2, in hopes that I can find clearer instructions on how to tie these knots, but I haven't had much luck. I did find a knot, called a Blake's hitch, that is similar and may even work, but I've had a horrible time trying to tie it while bracing the bow.

I'd really appreciate it if somebody could post some pictures on how to tie & use these knots. I suspect that there are at least a couple of knowledgable bowyers, besides Tim Baker, who know how to do this. Badger perhaps?

[robA]

I just looked at the pages you mentioned in TBB vol 2. I'm going to try to follow their photos but I see your point about this being very difficult to do while bracing. I was thinking of using a stringer and my tillering stick.

[UserNameTaken]

Yeah, give it a try. Maybe you'll think of something that I haven't. I think this would be a cool thing to know how to do.

[UserNameTaken]

Does anybody here know Tim Baker personally? Maybe he could do a more in-depth tutorial on how to tie and use these knots. It's a shame that this knowledge isn't being passed on.

[JW_Halverson]

Everyone I know that uses a tie-on bowstring uses the loop end for stringing and unstringing the bow.  They pick an arbitrary point to tie the loose end, then slide the loop up the limb to string the bow.  If the bow is braced too high or low, they unstring and retie accordingly.  So far, I have never seen someone bend a bow to brace and try throwing a hitch on it a-runnin'.

[Pat B]

The string tying you are referring to was used(maybe still is) by primitives tribes. You can still do it but you have to hold the bow at brace height while you tie it on. It would be difficuly to get the same brace height every time you braced the bow trying to hold the bow at brace and tying the string at the same time. In archery, consistancy is the key...in shooting and how your bow is set up.

[UserNameTaken]

Pat, I suspect that with some practice and a point of reference one could become consistent enough at tying the knot in the same place every time. The bottom knot, as I understand it, stays on the bow (like the timber hitch), so you would only need to worry about placing the top knot correctly. I would think that shooting off the hand, as many archers still do, would be a bigger threat to consistency than these knots would be--as long as one provided themselves with a point of reference for where to place their knot.

But, this is all speculation, because I have yet to hear from anybody who actually knows how to tie these knots.