How to Make Cordage
Reverse-Wrapping String from Plant Materials
See the article Cordage Plants for information on identifying the plants listed.
- Peel Bark
For hollow stems like dogbane and milkweed, lay the stalks on the ground and step on them to crack them in half lengthwise. Separate the two halves with your hands. Now take each half, bend it in the middle, and peel off sections of pith, leaving the bark intact. For the twigs of trees, such as slippery elm and basswood, use a sharp knife to slit the bark, and then peel the bark away from the pith. Your goal is to get the longest strips of bark possible.
- Remove Outer Bark
The inner layer of the bark is the fibrous part that gives string its strength and flexibility. The outer layer is weaker and should ideally be removed. It will tend to flake off as you work the cordage, but it can get in the way and can ultimately damage the finished string with its sharp edges. If your bark is fresh and moist, in the case of a tree, you can peel away the outer bark, but do it carefully to avoid tearing the inner bark. Dried stalks like dogbane may be rubbed between the hands to flake off most of the outer bark.
For some barks, like elm and milkweed, it is easier to extract the fibers when the plant is green, but you must allow the inner bark to dry before rolling the cordage, or the fibers will shrink, leaving gaps along the string. These barks will stiffen once they are dry. They must be briefly soaked to make them flexible before peeling outer bark or rolling string.
- Reverse Wrap
Now you have some longish strips of plant fiber. From one strip, separate a strand about 1/4 inch wide. Holding the strand at its midpoint with the left hand, twist the fibers by rolling between your right thumb and forefinger until the strand kinks into a tiny loop. Grasp this loop with your left thumb and finger, holding it so one strand extends up and to the right, while the other goes down and right.
TWIST AND WRAP: Roll the upper strand so that your right thumb goes upward and your right forefinger goes downward, making a small twist in the fibers. Tilt your right hand so the thumbnail faces up, and the middle finger can reach down and press the lower strand against the forefinger. Then tilt your hand back again, so the upper and lower strands are now reversed. Move your left thumb and finger slightly to the right to grasp the little section you just twisted and wrapped. Let go with your right hand and go back the beginning of TWIST AND WRAP, above, twisting the upper strand and wrapping it over the lower strand so they reverse positions. Repeat that step over and over, and you will have a beautiful piece of string. For information on splicing, see the blog Splicing Reverse Wrap.
Also see Tom Brown’s Field Guide to Wilderness Survival by Tom Brown, Jr. (New York: Berkley Books), 1983.
Basswood cordage
|
Twisting string
|
What do you think about this article?
Latest Articles