Comments by "bakters" (@bakters) on "[Unit 101] Archer and Bow - Medieval" video.

  1. The area and the construction method of the bow influenced what kind of bowstring was used. Longbows could use linen or hemp strings which do not stretch, composite bows needed more stretch in the string, so they used silk. Currently people almost never use natural bowstrings, because they required the absolute best quality fibers, which are not available now. Non-streching fastflight is used as a replacement for linen, and dacron replaces silk. Gut and sinew were more like the last resort materials. They stretch a lot, so the bowstring needs to be very thick and heavy. To the point you can't nock the arrow any more, and pinch-grip is required. North American Indians used such bowstrings often. Interestingly, European Saami people used stinging nettle for strings. Less known but apparently quite popular material in hunter-gatherer societies which did not have access to hemp or linen.
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