Survival Bow Making(Making a Bow String)

[muddog1561]

what about using bank line for a bow string. Or would it stretch to much?

[twag0735]

where did you get the strands from? i learned to get them from trees, but i cant remember how to do it anymore

[88Kamikaze69]

I found the string an extremely useful but I cant help but thinking that making a "stick bundle bow" would be both easier and more reliable as a "survival bow" unless you already have a base camp and source of food and water secured so that you have the time to experiment.

Have been wondering about splitting the small sticks you use in a "bundle bow" to get a sort of layered bow for added spring and reduced circumference but I suspect that might not be practical.

Anyhow, thx for the tips.

[RonRay]

I learned more from the string construction than I would have from the bow. I've seen the Flemish strings made often, but almost never is the construction of a quick survival type string shown.

Thanks Dave!

[jacksonmypuppy]

4:37- Alien?



[survivalistblogcom]

Nice! You may think you didn't get a lot done that day (i.e., what you had planned to do) - but for me, the video was perfect, exactly what I needed to know. Sometimes Usen, the Creator, works that way.

[survivalistblogcom]

PS - Enjoy watching you on Dual.

[The40gummybear]

WHERECANYOUGETB 50 STRING, ?

[knight2472000]

bankline doesn't work as bowstring?

[j4m35ac]

lwhen he said 23 degrees i thought he was talkin celsius

[Patchyman253]

Could this bowstring be made with a non-waxed string like parachute cord or twine, just as an example?

[Fretfeeler]

@Patchyman253 - Yes you can make a bow with paracord or just about any cordage, as long as it's not stretchy... the tougher the better.

[windofthegods]

How did you work out the bow string length? did you measure it against a string you already had or did you estimate? just wondering because say you had a bow with no string and you dont know the length its supposed to be, how would you work it out? thanks for all your hard work Dave you are a true inspiration, greetings from Australia!

[wan2shuffle]

Couldnt a timber hitch come undone when you release after pulling back

[wan2shuffle]

thank you dave.I am making some cordage the same way with yucca

[wan2shuffle]

@wan2shuffle I just finshed it. It is extremely strong. A lot stronger than any natural cordage the same width i have used. thanks again

[hunter040295]

thanks dave

[carlyle0229]

what is the bow string made of??? because i dont have waxed string, and if your in the wilderness, you wont have that kind of string, so what do i make it out of, i like in the midwest, btw

[TalkingToLeedskalnin]

This is a very good emergency bowstring. It's easy to make, very strong and kind of becomes a "bow in your pocket" package. The string is the hard part when fashioning a fast bow, I think, and this is dead easy and totally effective. Saves so much time and energy, I'm glad I watched this video. Personally, I would consider using this as a nice fishing bow, although Im sure you could also get small game with it. Either way, I will definitely add it to the repertoire.

Cheers, Dave!

[gamingguru97]

is this dave from dual survival?

[nick617617]

@gamingguru97 yep

[28blay]

love the video and many outhers thanks for the info. can you tell me where i can get some of that string?

[jccrick123]

can you make a vid on how to make a stick bow

[GOBRAGH2]

Very helpful video. Thank you for posting.

[arenmcg]

so dave.... what is this string made of again?... i couldn't catch it in your video,

thanks, Aren

[Proxius1]

@arenmcg I believe he said B-50 bow string

[survivalgun]

do u guys reccomend recurve bow or compound bows

[XXkevinazn]

arent u the guy from dual survival

[Lambourghini22]

@XXkevinazn yea he is

[monkeybuttbubble]

arnt you the guy from dual survival

[flimbabulous]

@gvenema or die from them

[Pawnbroker00]

23 degrees cold? What the fuck? Its that temperature today and i feel like i am being roasted.

[kylistic]

@Pawnbroker00 lol 23f not c my friend in the US the use the out dated Fahrenheit system.

[brennan101194]

duct tape hack yeah

[Undertakerannalove]

OMG! i thought this would be helpful i need a bow string 4 school and i cant find one and i agree with reingo73 but im good at makeing bows and arrows just not the string and wy take so long with this video!!!!!!!!!!!!! :(

[Tstarbird]

I like this video on how to make a bowstring. Thank you.

But I am curious about how to make a survival bow stronger or making a weaker bow stronger, like a "cordage backed bow"? I've only heard of doing this, but don't know how its done or the materials that would be suited to making a cordage backed bow. I would like to see a video of this if possible. Thank you.

[dveeant]

@Tstarbird Sinew backing on a bow makes it stronger and helps with slight imperfections. I've sent a request to them to make a video of doing this, maybe if enough people ask, they'll do it.

[Tstarbird]

I like this video on how to make a bowstring. Thank you.

But I am curious about how to make a survival bow stronger or making a weaker bow stronger, like a "cordage backed bow"? I've only heard of doing this, but don't know how its done or the materials that would be suited to making a cordage backed bow. I would like to see a video of this if possible. Thank you.

[lan4491]

thanx .what the line real name were can i find it ??

[C0RIUS]

is apple tree wood a good bow making wood?

[milotist]

mapple and cherry are nice

[TatankaOhitika1]

Elactisity to an extent saps out any remaining kinetic energy from the arrow , which is critical to good arrow penetration . I see beginner bowmakers using nylon and such and they wonder why thier brace height is poor and thier arrows fly slow . Problem is , your not going to find flax to common in North Eastern enviroments , which is why we utilize basswood or dogbane , we like to keep things primitive .

[TatankaOhitika1]

Dogbane is my preffered bowstring material , two-ply reverse wrap . Sinew is a common one we use alot here , have a bunch of the leg tendons lying around . Splicing is difficult with shorter leg sinews though. But for general testing and shooting we use waxed cotton thread . When we build bows from green wood , like to rub them good with bear or deer grease to prevent moisture from escaping too fast, and tie them down , cure out for 1 month , then re-tiller. Nice video .

[josh2012]

would leather rawhide work

[drumrrr83]

if you know the breaking strength of one strand what should the totaly breaking weight on the bow string be? or a good general weight for say a 50-60 lbs draw bow?

[Aqualiteking]

The breaking strenght of your string should be 4-6 times the the poundage of your bow. So for a 60 lbs bow a 240-360 lbs should work well.

[mazadan]

great vid as per usual. there is a phrase 'keeping it under your hat' that goes back to when english long bow men kept their spare string under their hats

[70Mack]

Iam going to take up archery I think,I did a taster course while at secondary school and the instructors said I was a natural.Owning real rifles and such is very very hard to do in Blighty,you American chaps are lucky.I use air rifles,Ive got three Webley's,Longbow,Raider and FX2000 Carbine.

[soldier715]

Even though I'm sure this question had been asked before, but just how well does 550 para work for a bow string? if it was one or more strand?

[pranachimana]

not well.. it stretches.. read "the traditional bowyer's bible" volumes 1 - 4 if you want to learn everything about traditional bows

[pranachimana]

go with hemp

[5tonyvvvv]

or dogbane but it has to be think..Finding good Hemp or flax ..is hard to find now days..in ancint times it grew everywhere.turkish bowyers used thick camel sinew,and hemp strings.and heavy cane or reed arrows

[pranachimana]

Well if you're worried about availability then you might as well just use rawhide.... there are unlimited quantities of rawhide, plus it's easy to make. "Rawhide and gutstrings will take more abrasion and impact abuse then any other natural material." (quote from page 233 of The Traditional Bowyer's bible volume 2

[Aqualiteking]

It does a adequaet job. Paracord is good if you are making a survival bow. The thing with paracord is the fact that it is stretchy and with a bow string you want non stretch string like flax, darcon e.g.

[reingo73]

Not to be too serious Dave but, I dont get the point of making a "survival bow" realated to a SUDDEN selfreliance situation.

Firstly if gaining food and energy is first priority, bowmaking is hard graft.

Also bows can snap, and for beginners, it might be right in the eye when they draw it the 1st time.

SO, what about an Atl-Atl instead. I opt for it, because I know i would fail misserably at bowmaking.

[wildernessoutfitters]

Atlatls take too much operating room for woodland environments, better off with just a spear or Rabbit stick, but many lower draw weight bows can easily be made to take small game that dont require the amount on energy to construct this does.

[TheRedneck781]

@wildernessoutfitters waht would be the minimum draw weight to kill a rabbit or squirrel?

[BMGS340]

@wildernessoutfitters what i dont get is this is (selfreliance) hell were i come from 50 years ago this was life!!!

[5tonyvvvv]

@wildernessoutfitters true dave,but if u have no cordage..which most people dont know how to twist a string..an atlatl can be made...and since sinew cant be found..your bow fishing was excellent..its usually hard to find the right kind of wood for a bow

[pranachimana]

if that's the case, why not just a sling? or a rock?

[5tonyvvvv]

@reingo73 i agree with u man..most of the time survival bows are a waste of time and energy..and atlatl's are very effective weapons..australian aborigines still us them today..bow fishing and rabbit,is good for survival bows..thats about it. A Deer can be taken with a well made atlatl..

[5tonyvvvv]

@reingo73 and most people dont know hard woods from soft woods..especially saplings...most survival bows break within hours of use...

[greenlink86]

@reingo73 my homemade bow snaped i got hit in the arm

[j4m35ac]

@reingo73 yes but spending a few hours making a good bow is worth it, it would be very hard to hunt with our bare hands

[robcas631]

@reingo73 Dude having a bow in a survival situation greatly increases you ability to obtain game. I believe Dave knows the limitation of wood, knows about making string, arrows and a lot more. I believe Dave made a strong bow that won't easily snap. Besides being able to catch your food at a distance rather than pulling it out of a creek or pond with your bare hands or from a tree, helps stave off hypothermia or hurt. My two cents. People can learn quick.

[reingo73]

@robcas631

Hi

its been a while and i'm still rooting for an atl atl, a rabbit stick and a fishing net.

rather than investing the time for one single bow.

god bless

[evanyandibory]

@reingo73 also the daily construction of this bow will help keep your mind occupied in a survival type situation, will give u something to do (just cause he goes home at night for real work u will be stuck in the woods you will have all night to mess with it) will also give u some hope, even if misplaced, in catching something to eat. Also if u watch dave's show u know that u can split the arrow in the front for multiple points and fish with this bow as well

[evanyandibory]

@reingo73 also the daily construction of this bow will help keep your mind occupied in a survival type situation, will give u something to do (just cause he goes home at night for real work u will be stuck in the woods you will have all night to mess with it) will also give u some hope, even if misplaced, in catching something to eat. Also if u watch dave's show u know that u can split the arrow in the front for multiple points and fish with this bow as well

[micers]

@reingo73 You are correct but real survivors understand that first you scavenge / forage, then trap or fish, then hunt. So while you are setting traps and fishing you should be working on your bow or atlatl at night.

[SuhwoopGGs503]

@reingo73 ehh it's your choice what kind of bow you want to make if you want to make a nice survival bow to kill game do it i would but its up to you.

[scotchtapeinasia]

@reingo73 throw a rock at a squirrel

[Zarthalad]

Great vid Dave!

[mem7048]

I have completed SERE school, and i would follow Dave anywhere he wanted to lead. If you can find fault w/ any of his videos then watch some other poser, this guy is for real!

[backwoodsman47]

Dave-It is refreshing to see that your ego did not stop you from showing us a broken bow. I recently watched another Youtube video where the poster had a similar problem. The next video posted, he claimed to have "fixed" the problem. Too bad the "fixed" stave was LONGER AND THICKER THAN THE ORIGINAL!!! Thanks for keeping it real. "Trial and error" is the best teacher.

[spb884]

powerful closing thought.

[Bornacentury2l8]

Good video. We all can learn from it . That's why its so important to PRACTICE survival. Thanks Dave!

[desertcamelbak]

is that stronger/better than braiding three strands???

[desertcamelbak]

I made a nice one the summer before last, forgot to paracord wrap the middle and SNAPPPPP! I LIKED the vid thou.

[brutallindigo]

Well that kind of sucked !

Its nice to see a pro break a bow and I mean that in the most respectfully way I see allot a guys whip up a bow and make it look like no sweat and say that was easy but I wonder how many they broke before they made there first real bow ....I'm yet to master the tillering process ...but I also heard its quite a learning curve ...I love your honesty Dave thanks for making the vid ....I will be going back to the drawing board too ...;-)

[Geistpa01]

That is the exact same thing that happen to my bow.

As you said: "Lesson Learned"

Can't do much... Just go out and find another fine candidate that screams out that it wants to be a bow.

[romanwarfist9182]

My wife said that you need to stay inside for a few days to get better from your cold. Thanks for the new video.

[twistcut]

Shame about the bow but we learn more from our mistakes than our successes. This whole series has been awesome Dave, lots of great information you've given us.

[nicko978]

keeping it real. this is why i respect dave and his vids

[AinokeA365]

dang man real bummer about the bow. but hey thats how people learn, just like you said.

[name22222]

Thanks!

[BuckKnifeS30V]

Can someone tell me what a couple good woods are for bow making in the south eastern US?

[sleepy00029]

BuckKnifeS30V, we have alot but hickory is a really good one and is really forgiving. Others are some of the oaks,ash, dogwood, persimmon, black locust, maple,mulberry,and osage orange when you can find it . Thats just a few.

[wizardangel]

bummer when greenwood cracks ,,but the knot on the branch didn't help either,,drying wood out often the crack will show only then,yep just start over,,more ya do this stuff the better ya get at it too !! Thanks for your posts !!

[bucki58]

I gotta lot of marijuana growing around my parts. Can I make string from that? How would it be done?

[starvingtech]

You would use it just like dogbane. I've got a vid up on making my arrow using dogbane, showing how to process it.

[bucki58]

Thank you...great vid!

[Detsteve]

Love the mind set! "So, we're going to start again." That's learning in action. Thanks Dave.

[purejpm]

hey good job on this video i just made my own bowstring with what i learned from this video and i thaught you might like to know that your videos got me into trapping and things like that (i'm 14 years old) just wondering if you could do a go over what things you carry with you in your pack i want to make one like yours (and i want to try to make the stuff in it myself)

[kporter85db]

Already been done... Watch past videos

[purejpm]

ok thanks

[Wharfrat992]

Never apologizes or explain yourself it's a sign of weakness. Things break move on.

[032125]

Spoken like a sociopath.

The point of failure is the point of learning.

If someone can't admit failure with a laugh they need to examine the myopic pride that will ultimately cost them more than it will protect.

And a man who can't communicate his intent, is hardly a man at all; more of a surly beast.

Dave does just fine in my book, failures and all.

[Wharfrat992]

Dave has always come across as a strong capable guy he doesn't need to apologize over and over for something out of his control...Hell he didn't fail his material did. make another one. I would still want him in my life boat.

What's wrong with you guys or did you forget that your the ones who piss standing up.

I'll take Dave, but I would never take a single one of you in life or death situation. None of you would would complete SERE school.

[032125]

You get the award for huge assumption of the week. You might also get the award to misdirected anger, but I was a bit harsh as well so I'll nominate myself.

Relax dude, this is a friendly place. I promise I'll do the same.

[tweilert]

Hey Man that's what it's all about trial and error. Thanks for all of your time always showing us something new. Can't wait for the next vid. Thanks for all of your work. Always Appreciated!!

[KnifeCrazzzzy]

Thanks For the video Dave

[w1ldyovvnz]

i loved this video:) i wanted to know how to make bow string because i have a stick bow without a bow string.

[hugecumshot]

True you learn a lot more by losing then by winning, thanks for your vids youre the man Dave.

[ajelliottjr]

Dog Gone It... That bow was looking so good. Oh well, I be right here watching and learning, Thanks Dave. - Andy

[Bloodynavallint]

awesome job dave

do you know why some people put a lanyard hole in the front of the handle and not in the back. just wondering.

[USNERDOC]

Dave - Really enjoy your videos! I always learn something new and useful. Thank you!

[Aboxatax]

Hello, I can't believe that bow broke. Can you tell me what kind of camera/mic you use to make your videos?

[JosiahsBackpack]

Finally Dave made a mistake. LOL

Good job Dave. I had just started learning how to make rope like that. There are several simple machines that you can make to help make it.

[johnjayrambo11111]

brilliant vid dave , man that bow snapping would of made me mad . great string . i keep all my good limbs when i break a bow and later on when i have 2 matching i join them with a metal tube at the handle

malc

[johncajunmanbrown]

Dave,

Did it break because you were drying over a fire? Would it have been less likely to break if it had dried out indoors?

I appreciate the videos. Learning from other people's mistakes is always funner than learning from your own! hahahahah

[burnouthunter]

thanks for another great vid dave. i had forgot how much i love the woods and doing all the things you teach keep up the awsome job

[ryanjd2006]

been waiting for this video!!!

[bassfuryvi]

Wow ..you make it look so easy..love it!!

[haha48]

It is that easy untill you do it :p