Flemish splice

manxman

New member
I have attempted to make sense of a couple of articles on this subject that I downloaded from the web, but, as ever, essential steps seem to be left to the imagination or your own (miss?)interpretation.
The Flemish splice is very strong and - so it is said - simple to do, but very difficult to explain. Does anyone know better? Being of somewhat advanced age (past 70) I don't cotton on too quickly to "jargon" so a well illustrated technique would be most helpful so I can try out this method of forming loops in a bow string. I mostly shoot HT, but every now and then I have the chance to shoot longbow and the Flemish splice is strongly favoured by archers shooting this type of traditional bow.

Manxman:confused:
 

geoffretired

Supporter
Supporter
I tried on Googl;e and found some videos from 3rivers archery on the flemish string making.There is a collection of them on there.
 

CraigMBeckett

New member
manxman,

It really is a simple process, all you are doing is twisting a hank in one direction, say clockwise, then laying that twisted hank over the other hank or hanks but this time with an opposite twist direction, say anti-clockwise.
You can get all the measurements for string length etc from the various videos etc, use plenty of wax, hold all the hanks together with the thumb and index finger of your left hand, take the topmost hank and by rolling it between the thumb and index finger of your right hand impart a clockwise twist in it, (move the index finger towards the thumb root), then that the hank you have just twisted and wrap it in an anti-clockwise direction across the other hank or hanks, (essentially you are only taking it from the top to the bottom, not wrapping it all the way around), shuffle your left thumb and index finger to hold the hank from unwrapping, grab the next hank and repeat.
If you keep repeating the above you will begin to build up a length of string. It is easier to use different colours for each hank, I like three coloured strings.

Hope this helps, the first time you successfully make a length of string I bet you will wonder why you thought it was difficult.

Craig.
 

Mickle

New member
Don't be shy Manxman, just have a go and see if it works. It is totally counterintuitive though. You will only understand it if you give it a go.

It's the same technique Ray Mears uses to make string from plant fibres in his bushcraft TV programs. You have 2 hanks of string, apply twists to each hank of fibres, eg clockwise, then twist the 2 hanks together anticlockwise without losing the original twists. Confused? I was until I just had a go and was amazed that I suddenly had something that stayed together.

If you cock up and make the string the wrong length you can take it apart and try again, can't do that with endless bowstrings...
 

cloutman360

New member
I have attempted to make sense of a couple of articles on this subject that I downloaded from the web, but, as ever, essential steps seem to be left to the imagination or your own (miss?)interpretation.
The Flemish splice is very strong and - so it is said - simple to do, but very difficult to explain. Does anyone know better? Being of somewhat advanced age (past 70) I don't cotton on too quickly to "jargon" so a well illustrated technique would be most helpful so I can try out this method of forming loops in a bow string. I mostly shoot HT, but every now and then I have the chance to shoot longbow and the Flemish splice is strongly favoured by archers shooting this type of traditional bow.

Manxman:confused:
If you like a book in-front of you with pictures,then LAYING-IN The Flemish Twist by Martin Maynard may be for you.
 
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