How to make a Yucca Bow String

This video is a very detail oriented tutorial on building a very strong bow string from the wild yucca plant. All our Primitive hunting products can be found at gillsprimitive...
See this bow string in action in this bow fishing video. • Primitive Bow Fishing ...
for a simple tutorial on cordage I recommend this video. • Yucca Cordage made Easy

[@dannyroberts5056]

I made a short yucca bow string to show my 12yr old nephew how the process was done. I put a loop in one end and ran it out to feathered end. It was only about a foot long and about 1/8 inch thick at its thickest point. I let him and about ten other people try and brake it. No one could brake the cord or even slip the loop. I showed him from start to finish. He had so much fun and he made his first cordage within an hour and a half of me showing him the process. We had to make him stop so we could eat dinner. He tends to be a bit hyper and this process calmed him right down and he was super focussed. One more thing no one was able to brake his cordage either. Talk about one happy boy.

[@touchyssubjects364]

The FBI identifies the swirl symbol on his shirt as an indication that somebody is into little girls

[@SuperGalfrieg12]

@@touchyssubjects364what are you on about lol

[@124tutt2]

For my final project that I need for graduation I chose making a primitive bow. You are going to be a godsend for this project. When I graduate, it will be largely because of you ☺️

[@huntprimitive9918]

awesome, very glad to hear of this project. best of luck.

[@whitfieldathey5952]

Where can I find this school?!?

[@124tutt2]

@@whitfieldathey5952 New Vista High school in Colorado, USA. It is a school that is focused on community experience (volunteering, working with organizations, writing or art workshops, working in restaurants) It’s very nice!

[@plainsimple442]

I enjoy making cordage from everything that I find.....mostly dogbane and milkweed, even cut up plastic grocery bags make good cordage.

[@dr.mhusain2605]

Which of materials gave you best results?

[@josebaez5994]

Here in Mexico WE use a very strong cordage for the Cattle that is made from the "maguey", and It Is very similar ti this cordage, me quito el sombrero (i take My hat Off) You keep doing what You are doing and congratulations for the excellent Channel that You have, Cheers from Mexico.

[@Mwwright79]

That knot is the first knot other than fishing knots that my dad taught me to tie probably 35 years ago. Taught me by saying “ rabbit comes out the hole, around the tree, back in the hole. I’m 42 years old and cannot tie that knot without thinking of that verse. When you was tying it, I was saying it in my head as well. Crazy what permanently sticks in your head.

[@elvisream3322]

My dad taught me the same way we were working on the drilling rigs with 1 and 2 inch hemp ropes

[@entrepreneursfinest]

I made a 6' fishing line from this using a triple braid when I was a youngster. I started out fairly thick and then tapered to an extremely thin line with a knapped hook. If you're going to braid, I would wrap it around my big toe to keep tension. Whenever you get too long just catch another hold between your toes! I would wet my palm and roll the fibers against my leg to create a small bundle for the braid and just add material as it thinned.

[@danisprettygay]

A note about your bowline: That is a left handed bowline (or cowboy bowline). I think it's probably easier to tie with that stiff cordage and I don't know that there are any disadvantages to it in this application. I just thought I would share some string nerd knowledge.

[@entrepreneursfinest]

Spot on video. I have found that letting the leaves soak in hot water in the sun for a day (maybe a 1/4 rhett) wilts it and makes it much easier to clean and use. When you don't get all of the fiber off you end up with too much mass that ends up turning brittle and is just way less desirable. If you work it down to individual fibers I've even made excellent fishing line with it using a triple braid.

[@GIBRALTARHOMES]

I have a primitive bow with similar string I brought back from the heart of the Amazon jungle. What the natives do, is keep extra string at the beginning loop and slowly taper the bow string so that when you get to the other end it is somewhat thinner. That way, the first place for the bow string to break will be on the thin side at the other end. When it does, they can undo the knot, pull out the slack and re-tie the bottom loop.

[@normalcitizen_1]

Christmas came early. May I just thank you for your videos, they have helped me a lot with flint knapping and given me a lot of information and history. Keep up the great work, greetings from Sweden 🇸🇪

[@huntprimitive9918]

great to hear! thanks very much

[@esben181]

Is there flint in Sweden? I know that Denmark is loaded with it.

[@robertberg588]

Great video Ryan. I just wanted to mention a couple tips that can make your plant fiber bow string stronger and longer lasting. Try sizing your fiber with hide glue. Use a half piece of bamboo to make a trough to lay out the fiber. Lay out the fiber like building a wall with bricks; one over two and two over one etc. add the glue before twisting. These techniques are from Japanese bow string makers.

[@esben181]

Drawing the fibers out to avoid abrupt ends was genius. I'll incorporate this into my cordage making. Thank you sir!

[@BeckumOutdoors]

You just had to go and make a yucca string that works for a hunting weight bow. Now I will have to try and make one. Great video Ryan. String for a primitive bow from yucca. Good stuff man.

[@BryanKoenig379]

Love your stuff. I use yucca alot but never for bow string awesome to know it's strong enough for that and looking forward to seeing how long it lasts

[@jonboy9716]

Really nice video and good instruction. The cord reminded me of a native made childs size bow I had forty years ago. That bow was made on santa cruz in the soloman islands. Thanks for sparking a childhood memory.

[@byrongreen2167]

This is one of the videos I’ve been trying to find!!!…you give the details that I needed earlier to finish my own projects….thank you so much for the info!!!!

[@josiahmartinez7968]

You’re the best. I’ve learned so much from you over the last three or so years since I began flint knapping.

[@lancemcilwainoutcastmetald5398]

I served my yucca string at the arrow knocking point with a little bit of sinew. Works great.

[@forrestdaniels6382]

good job! I put a bowline knot on the top loop of the string, then use a timber hitch for the other end, and I haven’t had anything slip yet!

[@RovingBeyond]

Thankyou for the educational video, am going to attempt to recreate a Bow string for my off the shelf bow (hopefully one day I will make a primitive bow to suit, here in Australia there are only few Native trees that will make a half decent bow and im not currently in an area that has many of them, one day though)

[@cybitner6159]

This was a great video, I ignored your bit with the spoon for a bit and man was that a mistake woulda saved me so much time. Super informative and very easy to follow along

[@micahwilliams3026]

If only every young man and woman was taught this type of stuff in school...the confidence knowing that you can not only take care of yourself but that you can thrive and take care of a family with simply what is around us in nature is priceless...we'd have a lot less government dependents.

[@tankster5826]

@Micah Williams Just make sure nothing happens to yourself where you end up like them. Anyway where they gonna hunt? On your land? In your yard loaded with deer? I’ll go pick up a bus load and drop them off. Illegal and not healthy to hunt year round. Parasites etc. Do you hunt? Got a license?

[@arciere9986]

What a beautiful use of human knowledge and capability, thank you for your knowledge

[@jonathancharest8867]

Wow. I Love that kind of video... Thanks. I learn lot! And I will use more cord then less for my next bow.

[@christopherconnelly6912]

Would you do this same technique when making a bow string out of stinging nettle?

[@survivaltraining8743]

I have used nettle, fax, milkweed, but never yucca. I don’t have yucca in my area. Flax works the best for me.

[@josephkarl2914]

Awesome! Thank you. Your video is the 1st video Ive watched on how to.make a bow string... Im happy I watched yours 1st..

[@sherwinpalacio3227]

I learned a lot from this video!

[@SergiyChumakov]

Great video, thanks!

[@HaggardOutdoors]

Great video Ryan

[@markheyer2285]

Thank you for sharing this brother. I enjoy all your tutorials I'm learning alot cant wait to make my own. Keep em coming my friend and I'll keep watching :)

[@williamjhunter5714]

Great videos Ryan. There is no yucca here in the Philippines and I'm trying a robust species of saw grass. The technique is to boil & oil. Boiling the grass improves it for making strands and a penetrating oil like jojoba canceled the brittle nature. Works well. Very tough cord resulted.

[@lorenzowilborn8544]

Awesome video

[@Rowanbows]

god damn good content only problem - my wife will kill me cause the only yucca here grows in a pot on the veranda. better might take some hemp from my neighbour

[@andypanda4927]

Yucca not real common where I am in Alabama. Have seen it in some fallow fields, but, not where grazing done. Used to see more of it along some dirt roads with pine a bit back from road edge. Knew was used for string or cord. Just never saw how used to make string or cord. Am 67 soon and recall seeing caneback or cane seat chairs. Didn't get to see how grandpa did that, unfortunately. Thanks, Ryan.

[@huntprimitive9918]

thanks very much

[@joshc3772]

This is awesome. Could you make a Penobscot style bow? I’m curious how effective that style of bow was

[@huntprimitive9918]

thanks very much. Unfortunately that is not my style of bow. I never have really had any plans on making one. I have never seen anyone terribly excited about their performance.. too many working parts for my taste.

[@joshc3772]

@@huntprimitive9918 thanks for replying back i know it’s pretty tricky I have made one Penobscot style bow myself that was pretty difficult to build

[@DanSantanaBows]

@@huntprimitive9918 Have to agree, I think the performance claims are overblown. When I made one it felt more like a cable backed bow. I think the design makes more sense as a way to use sub par materials and still get full weight and a full draw.

[@dariuswhite227]

@@huntprimitive9918 wouldn't using inner tree bark be like using fast flight string u would think it wouldn't stretch .

[@huntprimitive9918]

@@dariuswhite227 it doesn't really work like that. yucca is about as low stretch as its gonna get. the fibers of cord themselves don't really stretch, but rather the coils of the cord themselves that stretch and tighten up

[@bonesstones6584]

This is such an enjoyable tutorial Gil, I had to watch it again! Really looking forward to your book.

[@creepingslaytor6073]

This is just wait I needed! I have a bow stave made but the tulip poplar cordage I make isn't strong enough for it, I have access to yucca though!

[@huntprimitive9918]

excellent. Yes you will find yucca to be much stronger. best of luck on your build

[@ganjacat4208]

I love these videos! Thank you for showing these techniques!

[@derstreuner4517]

Question: Have you ever tried the following?: I am used to strengthen the bow string not with wax but instead with worked in sheep wool. When the string is completely finished and hung in the bow I check where the most friction will happen and could damage it. Then I take off the string again and work in sheep wool like if it was part of the heap of fibers when I turned them into becoming a string. You could probably use all kinds of animal wool or human head hair for that purpose.

[@safwan8405]

Love from india, kerala ❤

[@huntprimitive9918]

thanks very much for following along

[@partyboydude]

That's badass

[@lnk3503]

I wish I'd had these videos 30 years ago, I was making all sorts of bows with no money and little success, the best I achieved was a pair of fence droppers, taped together, and a string made from brickies line plaited. It did work but it was brutal to use. The one good thing about it was unstrung it wasn't obvious what it was, so I had it tied along the top bar of my bike frame with a octopus strap, with one home made arrow, sort of underneath it, most people didn't seem to notice. Not the same story with my slingshot, which was built like a crossbow, with a neat wooden rifle stock, a release mechanism that had a trigger and two drop pins, and a steel Y frame, with 4 Hawaiian spear rubbers, it was a meter and a half long, and it would shoot 8mm lead almost flat for about 30 yards. That thing was impressive, My grandma found it and put it in the bin, but my cousins fished it out. I keep hearing stories about it from a lot of people. Apparently they had a lot of dead birds under their fruit trees. I made something similar, but without a Y frame, and used tapered flat rubbers, it will consistently group less than 1 inch at 20 yards.

[@PHARRAOH]

most excellent!

[@huntprimitive9918]

thanks much

[@ChiefThundermoon]

Tule Plant can be used also from my area in Tulare,County grows around rivers..

[@shotgun3921]

Another great video! Thank u so much for all u do.. ur a great man and a great teacher..

[@huntprimitive9918]

thank you very much and thanks for following along

[@VashStarwind]

Id be interested to see a tensile strength test to see roughly how strong this type of string is, same with sinew. Would be good to know. Just hang it and keep adding weights until it breaks. Imo it would make a good video.

[@selahschumpelt6302]

Here in the southwest we have several different types of yucca. In my experience the thick folded yucca are the ones you have to hit to extract the fiber. From my experiments it seems like the thick folded yucca is the strongest

[@lymanclark5537]

Thank you, excellent teaching video!

[@markroth9827]

Thank you for your video.

[@nakoawarrior3186]

I make string from many plants and so far only one works,....string? I meant cordage. It seems most plants get dry and break? And sinew gets wet ant stretches? I'm still experimenting with plants and tree barks. I have not tried yucca yet. I know what makes great fishing line it lasts a long time it is not wet or dry sensitive. Slender rush makes great fishing line and cordage its hollow. I place it on a flat surface slide a round stick down it drag the pieces through bees wax and twist it in to fishing line or cordage. If I'm making a primitive hook I leave it flat and wrap it on. I experiment using just about everything,.....walnut shells make razor sharp hooks.

[@FeralLyfe]

This is rad and so informative! Thanks!

[@huntprimitive9918]

cool, thanks for following along Yana

[@machunter1574]

Great video ryan very in depth 👍

[@odelloutdoors3424]

Great video. Thanks for what you do.

[@jakessurvivalandbushcraft5430]

Love the videos. Keep it up.

[@huntprimitive9918]

thanks very much

[@CliKnight]

Great video. Thank you..!!!

[@akademiawesomearchery]

Thanks for sharing..i learned a lot from this vid

[@technicalhandHJ]

I was thinking for what is good natural bow string ? And i found it thanks. ❤

[@elvisream3322]

The material ur scraping of is the flesh just like the deer sinew thanks for the videos

[@gabrielwickline315]

Hey, great video! Do you have any up comparing the noise difference between this string, a sinew string and a dacron string? I'd assume the dacron would be loudest since it is polyester. It would be really interesting to learn if the Yucca string is the same speed as a sinew string and is naturally quieter.

[@forge20]

Functionally, there's no difference but you tie your bowline backwards. Both my scout master and my bo'sun would have been unhappy with the result. If you make the bight counterclockwise (ccw) the bitter end should go ccw around the standing part. What you do is make the bight ccw but you take the bitter end clockwise around the standing part. It's all about the aesthetics. :D And not for nothing, but there's a reason they call it a bowline (and that it's pronounced like the bow it's used on) and that reason is that the same thing you like about it - the ease of untying- is because the loop that goes around the standing part never "locks" or kinks to the point where it will leave a memory mark of the knot in the rope, which would weaken it. i.e. when you have an application with high load, like a bow, where you really don't want the rope to fail at the knot, use a bowline to make your loop.

[@rdh2059]

Aren't all these components (arrows, bow, strings, etc.) very sensitive to water? How do you deal with rain for your quiver and bow?

[@ahorseman4ever1]

I love watching your videos! I had a similar acronym that you have. Mine has been TIE. Teach Inspire and Entertain. I taught in the fire service and I found that my students would retain so much more if my teaching was entertaining. And of course I always wanted to Inspire them to learn more. And of course in the fire service we had acronyms for everything. I guess that was a carry over from when I was in the Navy. So when I saw your educate, Entertain, and Inspire I loved it. Ok I have a question? How strong do you think nettles will stack up against yucca? Up here in the north west we have lots of nettles very few yucca. Thank you Gill

[@willthethrill4073]

Awesome videos!

[@The_Gallowglass]

I seen how people make fibers from abaca in the Philippines. I wonder if you can make a bowstring out of that stuff.

[@Ibanez7400]

Thanks for the information. I liked and subscribed. I am new to your videos so with out research I wonder if this will work with cattail. We do not have yucca in Canada natural that I know of. I have a lot of archery experience however I do want to try some natural options for the string. I have had made a few bows from many materials. However I have never tried to make my own cord.

[@Edwinthemountainman8454]

Realy Nice and that from a plant that’s amazing could you do a video about how to tan buckskin 👍👏

[@huntprimitive9918]

thanks very much for following along. I have tanned several hides, but I really don't enjoy the tanning process and when i don't really enjoy something, it is hard to get good at it. I unfortunately wouldn't be able to provide a tanning video with any true value.

[@Edwinthemountainman8454]

@@huntprimitive9918 alright that’s ok love the channel 👍👏

[@Edwinthemountainman8454]

@@huntprimitive9918 I btw just made a big spearhead out of the bottom of a glass vase that my mother broke 😁

[@BrettDeemer]

Would love to see a milkweed bowstring!

[@ambiguousman_6961]

Could u make a video on bone vs stone points for arrows and atlatl darts and talk about there pros and cons

[@Killianwsh]

Great video! Thanks for posting. Have you ever tried using green palm tree fronds or stems in place of yucca leaves? Would love to see a video of how the palm fibers compare to yucca fibers. Royal palm stems in particular seem to be extremely strong and flexible, while containing very long (up to 3.5 ft.) and tough fibers strands.

[@huntprimitive9918]

thanks much. any palm I have ever used was much weaker than yucca. I don't think many fibers are as strong as yucca

[@macomorbid]

Hey Ryan! So loved this video, went out and harvest some yucca leaves and scraped and pulled fibers, made a nice amount of threads. I did this method and made a bow string. Stretched it similar to how you did it. Waited 24 hours and went back to it, kept it's twists, but issue is, it is insanely brittle and dry, then snapped with any additional tension applied. Did I possibly miss something?

[@kevinreyes8372]

No hate just spreading knowledge and just trynna help Spelled: yucca Prounounced: you-cca Loved the video tho looking to craft my own bow as well

[@esben181]

Yeah some of the grass cordage I made last year would break the skin on my fingers because they'd get pinched from twisting it so tight.

[@charlesrooker989]

Do you have Bitter Sweet vine ? It is unbreakable in the hand , it has an orange colored berry in the fall. The long skinny part of the vine gives up very long useful strips and is compatible with dog bane , pencil ✏️ size and bigger is worthless.

[@ronnalscammahorn8002]

Most Excellent 👍 loved the information 🤠 ... at the nock point of the string I'm thinking 🤔 a few wrap's of sinew to mitigate wear . Thoughts ?

[@huntprimitive9918]

the wax really helps a lot. the problem with wraps of sinew is it will ad thickness to the string which is already just about as thick as i would want to go to fit the arrow nocks on

[@isamziggzy4109]

So I've been trying the bow drill fire.....it burns with a lot of smoke.....but it doesn't make a coal.....wondering if u could help

[@wk9953]

May need more time and speed. I know when I started getting smoke was easy but actually getting a coal required more speed for a longer time

[@rudamchu]

If prepared correctly with the right materials, you can actually generate a coal in less than a minute without breaking a sweat. Try using medium density white woods and make your notch so that it opens up wider at the bottom to collect more char dust. It's all about practice and technique. Try using poplar, willow, and elderberry wood just to name a few.

[@branni6538]

Palm fronds work too..............they're like wire. Super strong. Manx Palm is what I tried. Mine snapped on a 47# ash d bow but then I made a half arsed rushed crappy effort. If done properly like in this video it will hold up great. I'm gonna use nettles as they are more common. What weight is that bow Ryan?

[@RickCarter1776]

I realize that as a youtuber you get way too many arm chair quarterbacks telling you what you did wrong, how they can do it better, etc, etc, etc. However, that being said, I wanted to give you my insight on the pronunciation of the term bowline in reference to a bowline knot. If you don't care, don't want to know then read no further. I only offer this insight because you were pronouncing it several ways in your video in what I assume was an attempt to assuage the pronunciation stickler like me. 🤪 I was a sailor with several friends who were Boatswain's' mate and we always pronounced the word "bow-lynn" knot. That pronunciation seemed pretty universal for the Navy and the knot is a naval knot. Thus I assume, and we all know what assume does for us, this is the proper way to say the word. I trust this information will be received in the spirit it was given. Say the word any way you wish, just offering information for what is is worth. Most likely not even 2 cents. LOL

[@huntprimitive9918]

not a problem and I appreciate it. Im kinda trying to sway the name more into archery rather than sailing so I hope in the future if I mention a bow line knot ppl will know what I am talking about.. I know there are a ton of people out there really into knot types, pronunciations and such. showing what I mean is more important to me personally than exact definitions or pronunciations..lol i guess you could say.. "I do what I want"

[@nakoawarrior3186]

Tree barks are tough,.... but most are only tough when wet,.. they dry out and get brittle.

[@jobdylan5782]

Linen fiber crossbow strings were even more massive and rope-like, so if anyone says this is too big to be a bowstring they're just wrong.

[@michaelstewart7036]

Could you do a video on baleric slings

[@billyhunter5161]

Your awesome bro still got my bad ass knife 🔪

[@huntprimitive9918]

thank you very much and thats great to hear

[@JohnDought]

Hello.. Can I make a bowstring from stringy nettle? Here in Europe we have allot Stingy nettles I know that people making strong rope from nettles. When you got the fiber you can easy do the Flemish Technic.

[@hu4ngming]

Sir, can we use snake plants too?

[@jaguarholly7156]

This seems very similar to the process of making a traditional stone sling.

[@horsesandarchery8798]

I have a question. When preparing for a mounted archery competition I shoot around 1000 arrows a week. I really enjoy using natural material for my bow strings but under these circumstances I ware out a natural sting (usually sinew) in a week or two. I usually change the string to one made of modern material. But I would rather not have to do this. Do you know of a traditional natural material that would stand up to this kind of use or maybe a serving material that was use by native Americans?

[@finnhewes]

Hey Ryan, I know this is an old video, but I was wondering if you’ve ever tried using palmetto leaves for this? I’m on the MS gulf coast and that stuff is plentiful! There is some yucca around as well, but palmetto is much more abundant, so I thought I’d see what you thought.

[@TheBanjo53]

Could you make a bowstring with Jute twine if you were in a pinch or #36 tarred bank line?

[@marcosduran1443]

Does this bowstring last a long time?.... there's yucca all around where I live... I'm gonna try it one day... also,can you use this for a fishing line?🤔

[@asesinodezombis2077]

Don't try it one day. Do it Today!!!

[@MrAllmightyCornholioz]

Organic stuff in general deteriorates faster than synthetic stuff. But if the fishing shop is closed, then i see no reason not to try it.

[@jobdylan5782]

use used this to literally fish a gator out of the water, so i suppose yes in theory.

[@rubythroat2258]

Fantastic video!! Could the meaty stuff be called cellulose? (Asks a non-expert)

[@alessandropigna8124]

Buongiorno, quante libre può sostenere la corda di yucca? How many pound? Ottimo lavoro!!

[@HWPcville]

Hi, I like your videos, which are information packed. You mentioned you were in Fla and I was curious which portion (northern, central, south)? I'm in the Big Bend and was wondering if it's realistic to hope to find knapping grade rocks locally? If so, where would be the most likely place to look and what type of rock would I mostly likely find? In my many years I've only come across limestone (although I wasn't specifically looking for anything). Thanks!

[@huntprimitive9918]

I am central. You can find outcrops of chert from about Tampa north. Ocala area has quite a bit

[@AdrianT755]

Could you use palm fronds for this?

[@masonmorgan4]

how would a sinew or yuca sling perform? I've made tons from generic jute string from a store but I'm curious about how they might perform.

[@j.shorter4716]

Could dry yucca be rehydrated for twisting?

[@rickyprince7281]

Do you sell pine resin glue? If so, how or where can I go to see the product for sell, can't seem to find it on your home store page?

[@dannyleonidas4328]

Yucca is stronger when dried and won't crack under pressure as will green yucca after it dries from being formed while it was green

[@kirilkirilov6241]

What is the string diameter after it is stretched? I mean before putting it on a bow.

[@gabrielramos4179]

I've made more strings than I've made bows... it's almost always an extreme pleasure to just sit down and twist new strings. Adding the fur silencers however is almost always a nuisance.

[@Gthornby]

Great video. Dont have Yuka in the UK. Do you know of any good fibres to use in the UK? Stinging nettle or bramble maybe?

[@huntprimitive9918]

Flax should be your best option over there. I think that is what the English warbow strings were made from.

[@heldermonteiro2718]

THAT exist all most in every garden