Making traditional Korean/Turkish/Oriental knotted strings?
Has anyone got a link or a source for good instructions on doing this? Or good pictures?
Apparently there's a long central loop, then a second (thicker?) knotted bit at either end to make the loop.
I'm not having much luck w/ Flemish strings (not patient enough) and was thinking back to descriptions of these and they seem more attractive and are appealing to me, but I'm not finding any good instructions for construction, or clear photographs which show completed strings, just a diagram of one end on Wikipedia and a brief bit in TBB3 for a simple Korean knot and a youtube video someone pointed out on ArcheryTalk.
I'd love to find instructions for tying the highly ornamental Turkish knot described in one of the old archery books:
http://books.google.com/books?id=ymbzAA ... t.&f=false
I'm especially curious as to what technique was used to make up the central loop --- I'm considering making that very thin and then using the ends to begin the serving (but I'll need a rather long jig to make that), then serving over the ends of the string.
William
Apparently there's a long central loop, then a second (thicker?) knotted bit at either end to make the loop.
I'm not having much luck w/ Flemish strings (not patient enough) and was thinking back to descriptions of these and they seem more attractive and are appealing to me, but I'm not finding any good instructions for construction, or clear photographs which show completed strings, just a diagram of one end on Wikipedia and a brief bit in TBB3 for a simple Korean knot and a youtube video someone pointed out on ArcheryTalk.
I'd love to find instructions for tying the highly ornamental Turkish knot described in one of the old archery books:
http://books.google.com/books?id=ymbzAA ... t.&f=false
I'm especially curious as to what technique was used to make up the central loop --- I'm considering making that very thin and then using the ends to begin the serving (but I'll need a rather long jig to make that), then serving over the ends of the string.
William
Thanks!
The second video was the one I mentioned from AT.
I'll keep looking for the Turkish knot and in the meanwhile will just use a commercial endless loop string for the center.
The second video was the one I mentioned from AT.
I'll keep looking for the Turkish knot and in the meanwhile will just use a commercial endless loop string for the center.
There was an article on it in a Primitive Archer issue some years ago.
I find the Korean knot to be more difficult than the Turkish/Mongolian/Chinese style. I had to tie a Turkish one the other day and it took me five minutes for the first loop and 30 seconds for the second. I am not a natural knot maker.
I just made an all silk Turkish string with separate end loops that were fully served. The core was twenty-eight strands of silk; the loops had more like forty. This was done to make sure the looks did not break from wear. I did not wax the string because the silk required no lubrication. During the flight shoot at Bonneville Flats the string came off the bow and was projected about 33 feet, which might be a record for shooting a bowstring. I restrung the bow later with the same string and it kept on shooting. The knots had not slipped or changed length even under this violent treatment, which suggests that the construction is robust.
I just made an all silk Turkish string with separate end loops that were fully served. The core was twenty-eight strands of silk; the loops had more like forty. This was done to make sure the looks did not break from wear. I did not wax the string because the silk required no lubrication. During the flight shoot at Bonneville Flats the string came off the bow and was projected about 33 feet, which might be a record for shooting a bowstring. I restrung the bow later with the same string and it kept on shooting. The knots had not slipped or changed length even under this violent treatment, which suggests that the construction is robust.
Scould we see some pics from that beauty?
Here are some close ups of the knots and the main skein.
The first shows the centre skein between servings for the loops and the centre serving. It took me some time to get the strands evenly stressed. This was done several times. Firstly when the strands were wrapped around the posts of the string jig, secondly after the yellow silk serving for the loops was applied and lastly on the bow using the bracing force to pull the fibres tight. Then I applied the centre serving.
The second shows the tunc or separate end loop. This is the side that rests on the bow. The loose ends can be trimmed and served down tight against the string. I haven't done this yet as I am still experimenting and you need some end loop to pull to adjust the knots.
The third is the side of the knot facing outwards from the bow. You can see the serving sliding apart. I did not want to use glue at this stage of the experiment.
The first shows the centre skein between servings for the loops and the centre serving. It took me some time to get the strands evenly stressed. This was done several times. Firstly when the strands were wrapped around the posts of the string jig, secondly after the yellow silk serving for the loops was applied and lastly on the bow using the bracing force to pull the fibres tight. Then I applied the centre serving.
The second shows the tunc or separate end loop. This is the side that rests on the bow. The loose ends can be trimmed and served down tight against the string. I haven't done this yet as I am still experimenting and you need some end loop to pull to adjust the knots.
The third is the side of the knot facing outwards from the bow. You can see the serving sliding apart. I did not want to use glue at this stage of the experiment.
From 'Archery Traditions of Asia'
Type 1 allows adjusting the core length and the loop length independently. Type 2 only allows adjusting the loop length which also changes the overall length.
Thank you!
I've just finished making an endless loop string jig --- you've provided me w/ the details to put it to use as I'd hoped.
William
I've just finished making an endless loop string jig --- you've provided me w/ the details to put it to use as I'd hoped.
William
Thanks Bede! Great work and information!