Source of your strings?

TJ Mason

Soaring
Supporter
Fonz Awardee
American Shoot
Where do you get your strings, or do you make your own?

I always just buy ready-made Fast Flight strings from a local shop (Top Tox). But has anyone found a noticeable advantage to making their own, or going to a custom string maker?
 

Andy

Member
For recurve I make my own. For compound I just brought a set, I think in future I shall be making my own.

The advantage of making your own is that you get exactly what you want, and usually cheaper then buying ready-made.
 

Field Archer

Well-known member
Making your own strings is they way to go, as Andy said, you get what you want. You can choose all your own options, string and serving material, colours, number of strands, length to suit your bows bracing height without having too many or not enough twists.
It is not a cheap option, by the time you have got all the materials, tools and jig together, you will have to make a lot of strings to recover the cost. But it's worth it for the satisfaction of knowing that you have made the best string possible for your bow. ;)
 

Dolphin Boy

New member
I shoot recurve, and buy my strings online. I shoot left handed though, and the centre serving always unravells!
:-(
Shooting "wrong-handed" loosens the serving! This moves my nock point and leads to general unhapiness.

Now I reserve the centre serving, coiling the serving "the other way" and all is well!
 

TJ Mason

Soaring
Supporter
Fonz Awardee
American Shoot
Thanks, guys, I'm going to have to try this string making malarkey. :)

Dolphin Boy -- I didn't realise that even strings have a handedness! Wow, lefties have got it rough... ;)
 

Archery1st

New member
Making your own strings is great, as said above you can choose colour, length etc.? However buying strings from a reputable string making company is well worth the costs involved, you do need to know what you want but what you order is exactly what you'll get, also when dealing with most you will find that the strings come pre stretched, meaning that when you fit it there is no shooting in period and with compounds you will have zero peep rotation.</p>

Now as for shop made strings, I don't wish to offend but shops make strings as a side line to help out archers, their quality control leaves a lot to be desired, I've seen strings with loose strands, 2 strings sold as the same length with no twists almost 1/2" different in length, serving diameters different sizes on centre serving and serving which as mentioned loosens in use.? Companies who make customs strings as their sole business have a reputation of making great quality strings and so they are that much better and don't have any of the down sides found in shop ones.</p>

I have made strings for myself, and in fact have many unopened large spools of material in many colours, but I only now use these when I want to test things, once I know what I want I will order them.</p>
 

klined

New member
I would say if you are going to try to make your own strings, make some very short practise ones, i.e. maybe for that 52inch left handed bow your club has with the tatty string (or simular bow most clubs have one), that way you can get the feel for the tension that you need and possibly stop your self from wasting vast amounts of string and severing material.

I've also heard rumors that they have Stoped making FAST Flight, has anybody else heard this.
 

Barry C

New member
spectra is now used for bullet proof vests and most strings are changing to dyneema. But did you ever need an excuse to shoot wonderful angel? ;) FF is no loss anyway.
 
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