I have access to both silk and rawhide, but I am wondering which would be the best.
Also, how do you go about coloring white (ala-natural) rawhide? I am thinking black dye.
But mostly I am very interested in what is thought of as the best backing over sinew.
Thankyou all, in advance.
Thimo
Andrew Hall
Thimo
You need something waterproof, light and flexible to cover the sinew the keep the weather out. I have used birch-bark and thin leather. The leather was varnished, the bark left un-coated. Snake skin would look good if you have access to any.
Regards
Andrew
Szabi Nagy
How about fish skin? I have the Hungarian translation of Shi Jing, and song no. 167 mentions a fish-scale covered bow - I suppose it should be fish skin, but the translator made a mistake.
Szabi
Michal
Do you think that depends on how the snake/fish skin was processed? I mean if there are any contraindications of processing skin due to the use of fish glue for fitting the skin to the bow?
Stephen Selby
How about fish skin? I have the Hungarian translation of Shi Jing, and song no. 167 mentions a fish-scale covered bow - I suppose it should be fish skin, but the translator made a mistake.
You can use stingray skin for some parts; but it is too heavy to cover the limbs.
One Chinese commentator thought that 'fish scale' in the Shi Jing was actually the name of a special finish on lacquer.
Lacquer is a good covering; but it needs to go over a winding of silk: not directly onto the sinew. (I'm not sure why that is.)
Szabi Nagy
Thank you Stephen, now I know it wasn't the Hungarian translator's error.
Once there was a nice osage bow on Paleoplanet - it was covered with carp skin. I think it was the most beautiful cover I've ever seen.
Szabi
Orda Khan
Carp skin sounds very striking, was it from the common carp or the mirror carp? In the photograph section of Grozers site is a Hun bow covered in what looks like sturgeon skin with a central ridge of large scales.
A question about the silk wrapping. Does it cover both back and belly of the limbs or is the horn left visible?
Szabi Nagy
It was a common carp. After removing the scales, the skin had a very nice pattern - as it wasn't pigmented under the scales, and in these unpigmented regions the osage was clearly visible.
I wonder if Thimo saved this picture (I forgot to do so).
Szabi
