[English Longbow] Fastflight string, is it dangerous for longbows

[Dreadnaught]

I have been told by some people fastflight strings can break a longbow, others say its perfectly safe, as long as its "laid in" not endless skein construction.
When I make a bow I leave it longer & weaker than I want to finnish with & shoot it with self nocks for a several months, then re-tiller it, & shorten it to the desired weight & length (using the 5% to 1% formula) fit horn nocks, use it for another 6 - 12 months with a dacron string before ever putting a fast flight string on. Am I being over causious or reckless? I would be interested to hear other archers comments.

 

[grimsby archer]

I have been told by some people fastflight strings can break a longbow, others say its perfectly safe, as long as its "laid in" not endless skein construction.
When I make a bow I leave it longer & weaker than I want to finnish with & shoot it with self nocks for a several months, then re-tiller it, & shorten it to the desired weight & length (using the 5% to 1% formula) fit horn nocks, use it for another 6 - 12 months with a dacron string before ever putting a fast flight string on. Am I being over causious or reckless? I would be interested to hear other archers comments.

I too have always understood that a "laid in", "flemish braid", "flemish twist" or one of the many other pseudonyms that this type of string has, is ok or "safe" for longbows as the twists have enough "give" to absorb the sudden stop at the end of the power stroke.
The original material used was linen which is less stretchy and springy even than fastflight. Its the bulkyness of linen which makes modern fibres better.
I could be wrong or misinformed, but not likely

 

[buzz lite beer]

I am now wondering why Baljinima Tsyrempilov uses a Flemish style bowstring for his Olympic recurve, lots say they get a very noticeable increase in arrow speeds when using these types of strings, and that would be contrary to the Flemish fast flight string being safe for wooden longbows wouldn't it?

 

[Dreadnaught]

Hi Buzz,
Yes that does seem a bit contrary, I always understood dacron & or flemish twist were more forgiving than a faster string. I can't say I ever found it so, I always found with using a fastflight string I could have a good sight mark ( point of the arrow between the trestle legs at 100yds) far better than having to aim at that branch on the left under the one with the brown leaves about half a finger length above the target or that cloud there, oh its moved. Even if dacron strings are forgiving, when you do a slightly duff loose, I think that arrow will still miss.

 

[Dreadnaught]

Hi Grimsby Archer,
I take your point about linnen being less stretchy than even fastflight & wonder if the massive bulk of a linnen string slowed a bow down to the point where it would not self distruct, I suppose that depends on the weight of it. Were linnen strings heavy & bulky or just bulky?

 

[wingate_52]

Fastflight work as a laid-in string. Go for a lower bracing height.

 

[grimsby archer]

Hi Grimsby Archer,
I take your point about linnen being less stretchy than even fastflight & wonder if the massive bulk of a linnen string slowed a bow down to the point where it would not self distruct, I suppose that depends on the weight of it. Were linnen strings heavy & bulky or just bulky?

I dont know, but I would imagine linen would also be heavier than modern fibres.

Incidentally, I use a flemish twist string on my recurve and it doesnt seem to make much difference. My reason for using the flemish twist was I needed a new string quickly and didnt have a string jig to hand, so I made the flemish twist and dont have any good reason to change

 

[buzz lite beer]

have just been reliably informed that Tsyrempilov doesn't use a true flemish bowstring, it's definitely a laid in type of sorts (eye splice involved)

 

[steve58]

I have been told to ask the bowyer. For example Pip Bickerstaffe sells Flemish twist fastflight strings on all his bows as far as I know. My own bow is on its second string (he advises a new one each year) and seems to be going OK (fingers crossed). I have an old Ron Palmer (hickory backed lemonwood by the look of it) that lost about 20 yards worth of cast, after discussion with Pip I put a fastflight string on it and that got about half of that back, so it definitely makes a difference. That bow has survived OK too. I have been trying to work out how much I shoot and reckon it's around 6,000 arrows over the summer season and maybe 4,000 through the winter so my bows do get a fair workout.

 

[teddybear]

i would have thort that if you use a fast string you art risking your bow, as the fibers in your bow will be hard wood meaning the fibers are growen shorter and ruffer than a soft wood. ( that why your toilte role is soft wood nicer for your butt )
so your are risking them snapping. and deffuntly if you shoot out side in the winter.

 

[not dead yet]

l/bow

I have been told by some people fastflight strings can break a longbow, others say its perfectly safe, as long as its "laid in" not endless skein construction.
When I make a bow I leave it longer & weaker than I want to finnish with & shoot it with self nocks for a several months, then re-tiller it, & shorten it to the desired weight & length (using the 5% to 1% formula) fit horn nocks, use it for another 6 - 12 months with a dacron string before ever putting a fast flight string on. Am I being over causious or reckless? I would be interested to hear other archers comments.

got 65lb and a 55lb longbows had then quite a while .and they were not mine to start, always had fastflight on them. aim on the gold at 100yds on a calm day

 

[Little Miss Purple]

got 65lb and a 55lb longbows had then quite a while .and they were not mine to start, always had fastflight on them. aim on the gold at 100yds on a calm day

and you look such a weed too :raspberry