Preparing sinew?

[Robert]

Salvete Omnes!

Does anyone have some pointers on how to prepare sinew for use? I have some neck tendons of large deer and would like to use these to collect strands for tying fletching to some arrows.

[Hibernicus]

Try this:

http://bowyersworkshop.com/sinewharvest1.htm

[Robert]

Thanks Sean! Helpfull site (and I see where I went wrong before! It's: First dry, then pound :oops: )

[AuxArcher]

Robert, I assume you have dried sinew. You want to reduce it to threads. For leg sinew, beating it silly is always a good way to do this. Use a wooden mallet, or rubber mallet, against an anvil, large stone, etc. As you pound it, it will begin to seperate into threads, which is what you want. Dont use a metal hammer, as you may damage the sinew that way. A wooden carving mallet works well.

If it is backstrap or neck sinew, you can start the process with your hands, roughly shredding it. Then, you can make a kind of comb by driving some small nails through a piece of scrap wood, and begin pulling the sinew through the teeth of the comb. Keep repeating this reduction method, shredding it into smaller and smaller threads, until you have threads of the diameter you wish for. Then make the threads into string by reverse twisting method, or just use a few threads together for fletching.

[Robert]

Hi Dane,

No, I have raw sinew presently soaking in bleach like it said on the website. Does your method of "shredding and combing" work on raw (undried) sinew as well??

[AuxArcher]

Salve, Robert. You will have to dry the sinew before you can process it, no matter what. After it is processed into strings / fibers, than you will proceed with soaking in hide glue, etc, when you are ready to fletch.

Be advised that dogs love dried sinew, so if you have pets, keep it out of reach. My pug tried to eat some of my dried leg sinew, must have been yummy smelling.

Dane

[Robert]

Cats are not attracted to it, I know from past experience. And it smells of bleach now I'll go give it a good wash and hang it out to dry. Thanks!

[Matt Lukes]

I've read that native North American peoples chewed the tendons to soften and separate the fibers- not that I'm suggesting you might want to try it Robert, but just putting it out there as an actual method

[Marcus Mummius]

I've read that native North American peoples chewed the tendons to soften and separate the fibers- not that I'm suggesting you might want to try it Robert, but just putting it out there as an actual method

Please think of the poor archaeologists of the future. Last thing they need is sinew chewing marks on the teeth of a 21st century dutchman :lol: . We get confused easily enough as it is :lol:

[Marcus Mummius]

And more on topic a question on sinew:

Do we have any evidence for roman leatherwork that was sewn with sinew thread instead of linen thread?

Vale,