Yucca Cordage made Easy

Yucca cordage is made super easy. Some plants vary but the yucca we have is very thin leaved and is super fast and super easy.

[@とりあぬぅ]

I am Japanese. This video is amazing.I made a rope using this as a reference.thank you. Yucca is also popular in gardening in Japan.

[@WayneTheSeine]

Great instructions. I have made yucca cordage before and always had some difficulty keeping it uniform. Now that I see how you add in the fibers I will give it a go again. I still have a short 14" piece. I deliberately made it a small diameter as a test for bank line. It has sat on a shelf in my room for about three years now and is strong as ever. It is less than 1/8 in diameter and you cannot break it. Amazing stuff.

[@katwilliams2950]

If you're in a survival situation don't get rid of the green scraping. Collect it and use as a soap. This yucca is not edible unless you're eating the fruit, flowers, or the shoot that comes up that produces the flowers. The root has the most sopanins

[@Letthewildbee]

Yucca roots are edible but should be cooked to be safe to eat.

[@Letthewildbee]

@@katwilliams2950 you can boil the root to make shampoo also. It's what I use for my hair a couple times a week

[@daniwastaken]

😮 thanks

[@jonknight6094]

I just made some thanks for the tutorial much love bro

[@robertfleming387]

Nice simple period of instruction...TY....as a side note, if you boil the rope or fibers in wood ash water, it will stay pliable a long time...hagd..

[@featherinthewind6407]

Thank you for another great video! You are very good at explaining techniques on how to do things.

[@nickriel21]

Looking forward to that alligator hunt, and a gator recipe maybe? 😂

[@Tod_x]

Very High Quality video. Lot of knowledge

[@lunkydog]

Nice technique for adding additional strands.

[@woodenclocks6531]

Very nice video. . . i have made Yucca cord before, and it is a little thinner than yours. There is no way I can break it. Even after being left in the sun, it is still pliable, and I still cannot break it. My cord is going on maybe 4 years now. . . It is just as good as when I made it. I suggestion (like you mentioned) let dry for a while. After it dries, then when you weave it, it doesn't shrink and make your cord a loose braid. Great job!

[@Anhidema]

I'm super super satisfied of watching this easy twist and putting new piece in the center makes everything clean and too strong . Thanks for brand new idea !

[@Aaron-ud6wk]

I used to ret my yucca before hand. I just do what you do now. Awesome video bud

[@hlegler]

4:18 felt like I was starring in a cheesy romcom. Lol! Perfect video on cordage. Thanks so much!

[@robertbrunston5406]

You have very good primitive skills Ryan! Thank you.

[@AtlanticFun]

That technique is new to me looks highly efficient. I will subscrge. Thx you.

[@TextileIndie]

What a creative material to work with! We've included your video in our Textile Indie website roundup. I can't wait to give this a try. We don't have much yucca in the Pacific Northwest, but my grandparents live in Arizona.

[@mipueblo7042]

Hey, thanks for showing how to make cordage with yucca leaves, I'm gonna give it a go.

[@stovebolt50]

perfect, vid and info style was exactly what I was looking for. Thanks

[@Cackling_soups]

Thank you for this! You did a great job teaching me how to Make yucca cord, and I hope I'll learn more from you lol

[@GoannaEarthskills]

Awesome stuff Ryan. Can't wait to see you spear some gators and i'm super excited to see how my village bow turns out. Keep up the awesome work you're a bloody legend!

[@godzilla964]

I'm new to weaving cordage. I've only practiced on blades of grass. But I live in Texas, where yucca is very commonplace. I'm looking forward to making my first bow.

[@zzzzBadBoyzzzz]

thank you I made a whip with the yucca cordage I made

[@janieedwards5014]

This is great, thank you! How do you start the cordage though?

[@bajasur51]

That’s what I was wondering!

[@JamesMiller-sp1gl]

Thank you , great information. 👍

[@wanax-mycenae]

I have 2 of those in my front yard and I’ve been trying to make this for months.

[@wanax-mycenae]

Emmanuel Tsukerman not for me. I might not have the right type of yucca though

[@peacefulscrimp5183]

Great video 👍

[@amywoschekschmidt1440]

I watch your videos with my 7 year old son. He loves them! We live in the Caribbean but, to much knowledge, don’t have yucca. Is there a similar plant we could use to make cordage in this manner? Would pineapple work? Palm fronds? Any other suggestions?

[@Ensensu2]

For getting the green skin off of yucca leaves, moderately long fingernails work too. For best efficiency, gouge out the green skin at the base where you cut the leaf off and then just try to lift and pry the skin off until you reach a moderately harder woodier section where the fiber is concentrated. If any bits don't get removed in this initial pass, scrape them off a little at a time.

[@kylaesqueda3536]

Or sharpened obsidian rock works too.

[@sunnybrook3335]

Great instructions thank you! I'm subscribing now 🙂

[@nathanielvitale1698]

Great video. What variety(s) of Yucca can be used for this, and do you have any of their Latin names?

[@southernbushcraft1750]

Great video good luck with the gator hunting

[@Darth_SurgeYo]

Better than Bob H’s video, his cordage is all loose and weird looking. I’ll be making a video myself soon hopefully.

[@73FORGE]

Thanks for the video! New sub here👍🏼🍺

[@huntprimitive9918]

thank you very much

[@MikeTrieu]

I wonder if one could make cordage out of lemongrass leaves? They seem to be flat like yucca and pretty stiff. The edges of the leaves are razor sharp and have cut me on occasion.

[@signaturerush]

Lemon grass? Isn’t that a tea?

[@raulgomez5619]

You just got a New subscriber

[@huntprimitive9918]

thank you very much. I appreciate your following along

[@munchkin5674]

Can anything be applied to the cordage, rubbed in, to help extend the life of the yucca fibers in the cordage?

[@creepycreepersthekingofcre3379]

What yucca do you grow or can any work

[@flutey28]

keep the green you're scraping off for soap

[@Georgelovell2000]

Thank you! :)

[@jordanashworth2747]

I was taught to BEAT the cordage between 2 pieces of wood before scraping lol 😂 had no idea I didn't have to do that.

[@roylesterjr7052]

Is it possible to BACK a bow with yucca fibers? Bcuz I'm from the southwest united states living on the Navajo Reservation, is it as durable as Sinew??

[@mrbard1]

Have you tried making a balearic sling from dried yucca strands? Seems to be the right material to use. I am wondering if you have tried it before before i try myself.

[@Timmaaaaaaaaaaaaay]

Would it be a good bow string

[@OldJoe212]

How does that hold up once it get wet a few times?

[@QuantumPyrite_88.9]

Joe Atwork - green and even dry yucca holds up VERY well after it gets wet . My Apache ancestors and family still use elk - deer - bear fat ... just about any unsalted animal fat to treat yucca rope which lasts for years . ATB

[@huntprimitive9918]

no problem at all. it's been wet for 4 days straight now and seriously strong

[@stovebolt50]

@@QuantumPyrite_88.9 thanks, the preservation bit was exactly a question I had

[@mannyjimenez6942]

Is the green you scrape off edible? The stalk and flowers are, so I wonder...🤔

[@katietheis2687]

Not edible that I know of but you can make soap with it

[@karievans6639]

Is there a certain type of yucca plant that works best for making cordage?

[@felixgagne1283]

How do you finish it so it does not unroll???

[@Makete100]

Do you or have you ever done anything with cat tail leaves? Can they be made into baskets? I have heard of mats being made from the leaves.

[@sousalarson6858]

How do you start a new rope? Can this be cut into smaller pieces or do you need to make it however short or long you need it from the begining?

[@huntprimitive9918]

you can cut to whatever length you want. It helps to tie a knot on the ends though. To start a new one, just a bundle of fiber, fold it in half to make 2 bundles and start twisting

[@jessejohnson_tx]

Hey Ryan, how long will that cord stay usable? Meaning after a certain amount of time will the yucca material dry out and the cordage become brittle? Also, I have access to quite a bit of yucca that was uprooted this weekend. Is there anyway to preserve the blades until I have time later this summer to make cordage? Maybe freeze it?

[@huntprimitive9918]

I am not sure how long it lasts but I imagine quite a while if taken care of. I am still using this cordage for various project. none quite as taxing as the gator hunt, but no breakages yet. if you just scrape the green gunk off of the fibers you can let the fibers dry and use them later one down the line

[@jessejohnson_tx]

@@huntprimitive9918 thanks Ryan!

[@n.g.s1mple29]

How do you start a piece of rope tho ?

[@huntprimitive9918]

take 1 bundle and fold it in half so then you have 2 bundles and the fold is the beginning of the cord

[@n.g.s1mple29]

@@huntprimitive9918 thanks

[@tinalancaster7073]

Seems to work great with dead bottom leaves of uk garden yucca. No scraping required and the result is flexible and strong

[@kenyenmusic7548]

The green stuff can be mixed with water and shaken up to make soap/shampoo/body wash. Save the green stuff! 😀

[@Rubberducky1177]

What part of Florida are you finding wild yucca? I’m in North East FL and haven’t come across it.

[@huntprimitive9918]

central on the sand hills. very common here

[@monkeykong6230]

Agave is very similar to yucca and is very common in landscaping. If you get lucky you can find some after the lawn guys/landscapers come through

[@AshKhenir]

I'm also in northeast florida and I look for planted varieties that grow trunks, often called Spanish bayonet palm. I have found the variety he uses in goldhead state park just a wee bit south of middleburg, its seems to like sandy well drained soil like near ravines. But in urban areas like Jacksonville there are still plenty of the other native varieties and the trunk can be capped and used as a quiver, the little fibers on the inside of the hollow stalk silence and keep the arrows still.

[@theuniversalbean9352]

If you could help me personally, i really cant seem to expose fibers without damaging a lot of them. I dont know what im doing wrong.

[@huntprimitive9918]

try using more of a dull edge to scrape with. Also try to focus more on scraping rather than shaving or cutting. Also if you want to go more modern, just use a spoon

[@theuniversalbean9352]

@@huntprimitive9918 thanks a bunch! I have been using a spoon and i can now.get a pretty decent yeild, i think i was just pressing too hard on the other side and it's working a lot better now

[@omartistry]

Can you do this with coconut fiber?

[@huntprimitive9918]

to some degree I imagine so. just about any fiber can be turned into rope. I do not know the strength of it in comparison though

[@omartistry]

@@huntprimitive9918 Thanks! I tried the coconut rope and it's surprisingly strong.

[@dimfuturefilms9070]

Theres this invasive weed here in central FL, And it makes stronger cordage than yucca.. I just wish i could find out what its called....

[@mammonihwgb5351]

What does it look like?

[@russia1305]

@@mammonihwgb5351 well it's got like a green bulbous flower smells really bad almost like a skunk but that's all I know 🤣

[@gabrielramos4179]

What do you figure the test weight would be for the yucca cordage?

[@QuantumPyrite_88.9]

This diameter of cordage is used on primitive bows with a draw weight of 60 to over 100 pounds . If you use the 3 cord plaiting method with this diameter = easily 300 pound test . Tensile strength and "snap strength " are different . ATB

[@gabrielramos4179]

@@QuantumPyrite_88.9 One, thanks for the reply. Two, thank you very much for the information issued - something I've recently learned the hard way is that snap and tensile are extremely different. I attempted four strands of hemp at 20 pounds of test strength per strand to survive a 40 pound bow. Broke after a few uses. Flemish twist

[@QuantumPyrite_88.9]

Gabriel Ramos The Flemish method should work for you and not sure why it didn't . As for hemp and yucca fibers , I don't try to keep fibers in alignment . Hammer stone the fibers or use a hard wood stick / baton and roll fibers in a ball and keep pounding the crap out of them while extraneous material falls away - while rinsing in water or even fine sand can be used while you hammer stone . I wind up with a "wad" of fuzzy fibers and pull those fibers away from the wad / ball of fibers while twisting into strands maybe 2 feet long . Keep adding fiber strands as I go along . This method is less time consuming and faster than aligning yucca - hemp - thistle - and other fibers . The yarn can also be woven or using a type of crochet for making clothing or various bags and containers . Once again - Your Flemish twist should work . ATB Gabriel .

[@gabrielramos4179]

@@QuantumPyrite_88.9 Master Tracker I'm not sure why my cordage failed on me- I thought that I was overcompensating it. My theories as to why it snapped, was that it had been poorly rated for its strength capacity, or it could have been due to the fact that I had not waxed it. I generally wax my strings, but as I stated before, I thought that the string was much more durable than necessary. I hadn't woven the hemp myself(store bought) which might attest to the faulty assumption of its reliability. If I had wove it myself then I would have had a better idea of its strengths/weaknesses. Thank you very much for the instructions, I tend to carry a small hammer stone in my pack, but it never occurred to me to wad the cleaned fibers to anything besides themselves. Speaking of your cleaning method, I read that a similar approach is taken when retting flax...a supposedly super fiber that I have never seen outside of seed form.

[@QuantumPyrite_88.9]

Gabriel Ramos - Not sure what country you are from , but flax was used in making strings for English long bows and often a blend of silk and flax was used . A good bow string can be made using Dacron / polyester using the Flemish twist as you mentioned , but is not technically a "primitive" string . It still works very well however . In my humble opinion , waxing will not increase the strength of the string or cordage , but will help the string to not absorb moisture and rot . I'm surprised and interested that store purchased hemp did not work for you . Have used it for making seines and fish net , but not for bow strings . My first primitive bow was made 51 years ago . The string was made from deer tendon sinew and the strongest primitive bow string I have ever made is from a combination of wild hemp and elk tendon sinew ... and Yes ... I use bees wax on strings. You mention the word "retting" . Here is an interesting video someone such as yourself would appreciate . Fibers from a Wild Landscape --> kzbin.info/www/bejne/h6WQoHiXo7Oqock&feature=em-share_video_user Regards from New Mexico

[@TerriIreland-oc9bt]

Thanks.

[@thatsmallrockshop]

To the ground then to the sky

[@isaachollis4768]

Could you use this as bowstring?

[@huntprimitive9918]

for lighter weight bows, yes. Heavier bows will wear out plant fiber strings pretty quick from my experience

[@isaachollis4768]

@@huntprimitive9918 thank you

[@StefaniaFruitarianFarmer]

Thank you sir, please leave the helpless alighator alone...the necessity to hunt is no longer necessary...let alone fair. My own father is a hunter and has stopped.

[@spencerwagner903]

If he’s gonna eat it there’s nothing wrong with him hinting them. It’s more ethical than raising them to slaughter and go to waste- though I understand why commercial meat exists and I’m not saying to do away with it but for real at least if he hunts it he knows it will be used

[@WayneTheSeine]

Gator is very fine tablefare. Here in Louisiana, they are not only plentiful but overpopulated. We have an annual lotto licensing scheme. The certainly are not helpless, they can be extremely dangerous. I have seen a multitude of gators exceeding 14 feet in length. After hurricane Laura, a man was eaten while wading in his front yard. Family pets and retrievers are frequently taken by gators as well.

[@towardsthelight220]

Vegan bondage.

[@talonbertrand5133]

Wow. 500 likes. 0 dislike. That's incredible 😁

[@nicky9589]

👍🍻🇭🇲💚💛

[@nolanrodriguez6186]

Video got 420 likes Nice.

[@josiahmartinez7968]

No tattoos

[@oddoutdoors]

Yucky

[@Thenakedforager]

Brilliant tutorial! Thanks for the advice.x