Cordage!

[rwc1969]

...or as I like to call it, rope. LOL! Is there a difference?

Could be one of the more important skills to learn.

It's quite easy if you got the right materials though. I made this up in a few hours from gathering to finish.

Mine's a lil rough around the edges because I didn't spend a lot of time to carefully remove all the chaff. Also this stuff has set thru the winter in an old drainage ditch. I'm surprised how easily it was made and how very tough it is.

If I'da removed all the chaff it would look much prettier and have been much easir to twine. I have a few thin spots and a few bulging spots, but it is functional and that's what counts in my book.

http://s101.photobucket.com/albums/m...t=100_1942.jpg

I used the leg rolling method shown here http://www.primitiveways.com/cordage_video.html After having done it once, with good clean fibers I could easily crank out a foot a minute or less. It goes real quick and I rolled it on my bare leg using a lil water for friction.

primitive ways dot com has endless good info on abo skills and such. Really good stuff!

[Justin Case]

Looks like a pretty good rope to me

[Ken]

Cordage! ...or as I like to call it, rope. LOL!

Do you mean "line?"

[hoosierarcher]

cordage is all types from thread to yarn to string to rope to cable. Cordage and line can be synonymous; but line is generally one strand whereas cordage is a braid or twisted combination of lines.

[crashdive123]

Well done rwc.

[Ken]

cordage is all types from thread to yarn to string to rope to cable. Cordage and line can be synonymous; but line is generally one strand whereas cordage is a braid or twisted combination of lines.

Yep. A line.

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[COWBOYSURVIVAL]

RC69...We were making some tonight....my little girls project....

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[preachtheWORD]

Looks nice, rwc. Dogbane makes some good cordage. I have never made it, but I have made a lot of yucca cordage.

How does dogbane cordage do when it gets wet?

[rwc1969]

That's cool CS, What material is that?

PTW, I've heard that dogbane keeps it's strenght when wet, doesn't shrink and holds up well against rotting.

I can say I thouroughly wetted it during and after winding and it was just as strong.

there is some yucca filamentosa growing nearby the dogbane.

[preachtheWORD]

there is some yucca filamentosa growing nearby the dogbane.

Have you tried making yucca cordage? It is not as tough as dogbane, but it is still pretty strong for plant fiber. You just have to gently pound down the leaves to separate the fibers and to get some of the green, non-fibrous material out. You can use the same twisting method you used on the dogbane.

[rwc1969]

No, but I probably will now that I know where some grows. I've been trying on and off all winter to find winter cordage material that could be gathered on the spot and made into cordage. The dogbane works great for that. And, the yucca fibers seemed like they were still usable as well even after having sat under snow thru the long winter. I just wasn't sure how much was needed or how to extract the fibers.

[preachtheWORD]

I just remembered something - a little running water will help wash away the green stuff from the yucca fibers once you have pounded them. Probably a round smoth piece of wood would work best, something like a big dowel rod. And the green stuff will stain your clothes. I learned that the hard way.

[rwc1969]

I'll remember that. Thanks!

[Rick]

Great post, RWC. I learned quite a bit today. Thanks!! This is something I have to try. It's just too cool.

[Pict]

MAKING DOGBANE CORDAGE

Dogbane is a pleasure to work with it makes really supple, strong cordage.

IMO cordage making is a foundational skill that touches on many different aspects of bushcraft, mainly shelter, fire, and food directly, but also in making many other tools. You should be able to make cordage out of local plants in all seasons and in sizes and lengths that are actually useful. Dogbane is top notch stuff but it only available at the end of winter before the spring rains rot the old stalks. In summer you need to use nettles or other material.

I am actually surprised that this skill gets so little "airtime" in bushcraft discussions. Knife selection, purchase, and testing gets like 80% whereas actual knife skills get less attention for some reason. Cordage skills will really open up new possibilities of wilderness independence yet get very little discussion. Mac

[Rick]

Excellent as always, Mac. I appreciate you taking the time to show splicing the material together. Another good vid.

[rwc1969]

Very nice Mac. I thought the splicing would be the hard part, but it wasn't bad at all.

I tried myself to go back and take some pics and video of the dogbane and process, but my camera took a poo. But, I found a huge patch of japanese knotweed along the way along with some hazelnuts, so it was worth the trip.

[hoosierarcher]

Yep. A line.

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Counselor, I point you to my statement wherein I did in point of fact say,"generally" no where in my statement did I say always. never or any absolute.

[your_comforting_company]

I hate to sound like a broken record here, but I talked about yucca cordage here

and I talked about the soapy quality of it here

[justin_baker]

I cant seem to find any good natural cordage around here . No stinging nettles around, surprisingly, no willow either. Too far north for the yucca plant. No workable root cordage that i have found yet. I can sometimes get sword ferns to work as long as their stems are green and not hard and brown, but they arent the best. I need to keep researching and experimenting, but im surprised that i havent come upon anything yet. Perhaps i will try bullrush.