This is definitely one of the best (if not the best) serving tutorial I've seen to date. The demonstration you did with the paracord makes this so much clearer and easier to follow than most videos. You sir, are awesome!
Every type of knot created always amazes me at how they came into being. Whoever first thought them up and perfected them to pass on were geniuses. This is a great demonstration. Thanx
You sir are perhaps the best video mentor I have ever seen! I am a Bowyer with 40 years of experience and yet I completely enjoy watching your rendition of “how to” just about anything related to a Bow. You have a gift sir!!
I made a PVC bow yesterday for the first time. I woke up this morning totally mystified over how to string it. I've watched your Flemish Twist video and this one and am now very anxious to get home and make my first string. Thanks for the Great lesson.
Hi Phillipe - I've never made a PVC bow before but watched RUclips and saw on being made. Glad my videos have helped - thank you very much for watching and commenting. Atb, Mick
I concur with Evan. The tutorial was logical, very well explained and the demonstration using the oversized material was an excellent way to convey the concepts. Not only was it technically accurate and superior, the use of music and camera angles made it very pleasant to watch. Excellent job Mick !!!
When I will retire I will be making bows and catapult slingshots. I love this things. Thanks for your time and patience mate. God bless you and give you strength for more videos.
Nice work Mick !!! 😊😊😊 Simple and precise , just as the flemish string video !!! Love it , you are a teacher for the archery beginers !!! 😊😊😊 Thanks mate !!!
@@MickGrewcock Mick, thank YOU mate, bow making for me is more than a hobby; it's about legacy and heritage; my son will learn the craft as will his sons/daughters (hopefully). Your videos are the absolute best on YT and I will use them to educate my son because I truly believe you have a gift of teaching, I'm sometimes too intense; too grumpy and lack the patience to teach and I definitely over-complicate the processes; you have an uncanny ability to take something fiddly and complex and are able to not only clearly show how something can be done in a simplified way, but you also honor the tradition and do it calmly and concisely and with a palpable amount of passion. You should write a book; I will happily be your first customer. All the best mate, cheers.
Good video!! Thank you very much dear Mick!!! I have seen many videos and only after watching your video I understood how to make last knot and fix serves bowstrings in the end !!!!!
Hi Mick. I've come back to this video to refresh my memory as I have to serve a string for a yew bow made by Jake Fenwick which has just arrived in NZ. Thanks once again for posting. Cheers.Keith.
Sir, Your tutorial videos are the best I've seen anywhere. You possess a combination of superior production quality and style, immense natural teaching talent, and humorous humility. That trifecta of knowledge sharing is a definitive indication of a good upbringing and a life being well lived. Thank you for sharing your vast wealth of knowledge, and your likeable personality, with the world. Please keep them coming!
Wow, that's a very fulsome and kind comment - much appreciated. I am delighted that you enjoy my videos - they are hard work to film and edit single-handedly but the effort is more than rewarded by feedback such as yours. More on the way plus other videos of things that interest me. Thanks again. Mick
Magnificent Mick! I have just split the serving on my longbow string at the shooting club tonight. Returned home to watch this absolutely wonderful tutorial. I will be replacing the serving on my string while watching you again and again. Fabulous. I can't wait for your next video.
Crikey, that was timely! Hope you get on with it okay. Doesn't take long to figure it out - in fact it's easier to learn by hand before using the serving tool. Good luck - and thanks for your very kind comment. Atb, Mick
Mick Grewcock Timely, I just couldn't believe my luck when I got home. You were the first thing I watched. You are Brilliant by the way, and deserve way way more subscribers. Cheers and ' keep them coming'.
Mick Grewcock Mick, I have just this very minute , following your tutorial made a serving for my bowstring for the very first time. It worked perfectly thanks to you!!! Marvellous!
Mike you are a treasure! I have learned more watching a small handful of you videos than from any book I've read or vids I have watched to this point. Your delivery is direct and clear . THANK YOU!
Indeed Mick, all archers should learn the art of serving. To be frank. I always use a serving jig. Makes life so much easier. And the 'twirly thing' can be very therapeutic. Flaxen Saxon
What a coincidence, just today my bow string loose this part after some shoots and I had to replace this for other one new because I did´t know how to fix this, but now I know. Thank you so much sire!
+Jed Syrenne Well that's very kind of you Jed. Delighted that my amateur wanderings through a fascinating hobby has been of use - and thank you for telling me! Mick
Another great and informative video Mick. i made my first string 5 days ago. I had to search for 2 hours on internet how to make one, and you explained it better in 9 min. Greetings from serbia :)
Greetings from WALES, i've watched the vid on flemish twist string, and again and again couldn't put my finger on what didn't quite seem your usual faultless filming, then last night it came to me, now this is in no way criticism i just thought you might have " a spot the deliberate mistake thingy " lol what is it you may ask ? the ending, really nice shooting your bow with back lighting of the sky, then it hit me your not left handed are you ? the chap shooting in that scene is ? lol, keep up the excellent work and entertainment which i really enjoy watching, sorry about mentioning the scene ops lol, regards Ian
Hah, you spotted my bit of artistic licence! I reversed that clip to fit the end card on the video - thus allowing me to position the two suggestions for further watching. I hope I'm not in trouble with you 😉 Thanks for all those views!! Atb, Mick
of course not, i'm afraid i have a habit of looking at things just like that in movies, continuity errors some times ,spot it if you can sort of thing , it didn't detract anything from the film, i thought there could have been a reason and it did look effective with the back drop, i still enjoy watching your films
Great, thank you! On the subject of continuity, you can imagine how hard it can be when you self film. I have to repeat scenes several times and continuity between them is difficult when everything is done on the fly and mostly unscripted. Glad you are still with me! Keep your hat on, I think you have a windy day there in Wales. Atb, Mick
Instead of the serving bobbin you can use a fly tying bobbin, they are easier to handle but you have to put the the material on a proper spool, the specific ones on which the fly tying thread is.
Thanks again, Mick! This evening I wore through the center serving on my shiny new 60lb longbow string. The nocks on my arrows are a bit tight, totally my fault. The string has less than 500 arrows shot from it so it is like new. I'll be fixing it tomorrow, thanks to your video. All the best, sir! - John
Not sure I have seen a vid on the end-lashings on the serving . Nice one Mick , very useful for anyone wanting to have a go and needing to know how to avoid great ugly finishing knots...
About the 7:15 minute point in the video, you mention the difficulty of passing the spool over and around the bow string. While you can't get away from this, you can make it a bit easier. After getting the serving to the point where you make that comment, if you use your left thumb to hold the tension on the done part, do as you did to finish the serving. That is, make the loop, but instead of going back through the loop, continue on. I hook my left index finger into the loop to keep it open with a little bit of pressure. Place the spool on the string and rotate it around for say a dozen, temporary turns. I do my servings sitting down with the bow in my lap so I let the the spool drop into my lap, then proceed to continue the wrapping from the temporary turns just done. The above process is repeated until I reach the point to finish the serving off. Depending on the serving material, whether it's twisted threads or braided, the number of temporary turns can be a lot more with braided material.The down side is too many temporary turns using twisted material can take the twists out of material or it balls up. On another note. The length of the servings I do are about eight cm. These are for traditional Korean horn bows. A serving this short can have the problem of the serving riding up the string leaving open spaces where I nock the arrow. Having more of the material under the serving can help stop this. As a result, I lay about four cm of the material on the string and do my wrapping. Instead of lifting the material's loose tag up after about one cm, I continue to about two cm and, if I'm using twisted material, I separate the threads and keep them pressed to the string. I continue as before finishing off as you have done. Wrapping four cm of material anchors the top of the serving and separating the threads leaves no bulge line down the serving. I pass along the above for what it's worth. Perhaps nothing or perhaps something. I hope it's clear enough to pass judgement. I can't say it's as clear as Mick's presentation. For that I apologize. Mick. Without argument, or debate, your channel is the best one on youtube. I despair at some of the content that is there. Yours restores my faith that quality means something. To Mick I say say thank you for creating something good and sharing it with us. To everyone here: As I say to my fellow archers at my archery club, "Best and many hits."
Hi David, that's really useful - especially for the viewers of this channel. I am only a novice so it's great to have input from those with greater experience. Thank you! Next time I make a string and serve it I shall have a go at your method. Thank you also for your kind words. Mick
Mick you lovely man, that background music do not do you justice. Its far to disturbing, when your voice is so calm and gentle. Great Video as always, to calm my stressed out heart :)
Oh dear, sorry that you found the music invasive! Always a challenge whether to include music or not - maybe the wrong choice this time? Anyway, if it calmed you overall I guess most of it was okay! Thanks for your comment and for watching - appreciated. Atb, Mick
well, I never knew how the center serving was done, i do now, thanks for that by the way :) I do believe its just the music choice, I've never had any problems with any of your other videos music before, and frankly, its very subjective as to what music befits different people :) guess its was just my 2 cents. I do like your videos, its inspired me to go make my own bows, got 3 ash staves drying right now, got them from the local Forrest in Denmark :) Thank you for all your work, and happy new year :)
Okay, got it - music generally okay, I just made a bad choice this time! Glad that I have helped you along the way toward making your own bows - will you make a video of you making up your ash staves? That would be great. Thanks for the good wishes. Happy New Year to you too. Atb, Mick
Excellent! I usually measure 3"" above the nocking point and 5 " below for Longbow strings and some guidance on where this goes would be useful for beginners.
Great video! Would also be useful to talk about how to adjust serving diameter to match your nock of choice (e.g., incorporating more string strands below serving and different diameter serving thread). Thanks!
First of all sorry if i make mistakes because I don't speak native English but the central serve doesn't protect the string from vibration, it protects the string from friction, dacron b50, fastflight plus, formula 8125, etc are stress resistant but they are not resistant to friction.
Thank you Mick. I'm in my 60's now and (I'm almost ashamed to admit) I've never made a bowstring or attempted a serving! Having watched both the string and serving videos of yours I'm about to have a bash. You're an excellent tutor! I'm off to Merlin Archery in Loughborough tomorrow to buy some materials. I've got a Bickerstaffe longbow at 55 pounds. A 75 lb Irondale and a 100 lb Irondale triple laminate longbow. Is dacron OK with these? There are so many string materials and I don't want to take any chances with my precious bows. Does the choice of string material dictate the type of serving string? Your shed setup looks a dream and your bow does look like both my Irondale bows too .... although I suspect you did make yours. Thanks for your superb videos.
We sound very similar! Glad you got something from my videos, and good luck with your first go - you'll do fine! I am not far from Loughborough and get some of my materials from them. I have two Irondale bows but I bought just the laminated staves and made up the bows myself, there are two videos of me doing my first laminate - a 40lb longbow. Next I did an Irondale 86lb from one of their staves. I find Dacron B okay for bows up to 80lbs but it does stretch on first stringing - and stretch a lot. (Watch my warbow videos to see a Dacron string just stretch and stretch). But then it settles down and is fine. I have used Fast Flight on my 80lb hazel and 100lb yew and it hardly stretches - but some say that these strings are not forgiving enough for traditional bows. I don't really have enough experience to judge that. What I have found is that Dacron B not only stretches but doesn't hold a bowyer's knot at the higher poundages - it slips undone (it does on Fast Flight too). I've solved this by adding an extra turn on the bowyer's knot. When you make the knot (if you want to do it that way) make the loop, then pass the free end through it twice before bending it back to do the turns around the loop. Difficult to explain! That holds on my 100lb yew. I have just one serving material, the one shown in the video which I bought from Merlin. If there are others that are more appropriate, then I don't know about them. I think you'd be okay with Dacron B for all your bows if either you make them as a continuous loop (for the heavier bows) or single loop with a modified bowyer's knot, allow the string to stretch and then you should be fine. Good luck and thanks for watching. Mick
Hello, no I shoot longbows alone - though I have just become a member of an NFAS target club locally to give 3D shooting a bash with an American flat bow.
Hi Mick, Have a look at The Shire Bowmen site. Almost all English longbows on a roving shoot. Once a month on Sundays at local venues such as Prestwold Hall, Stamford Hall, Watton Gardens. Great fun and a great group too. Lots of photos on their site ... an awful lot from me. Cheers Lewis
Very nice tutorial. Easy to follow. Im trying to do this on the cheap so I'll be using my two hands. When were the shots at the end taken? It's not shorts and t-shirts weather here.
HI there Erik. All was filmed two days ago except a few shots - the ones at the end were filmed late May. Yep, it's darn cold here just now! Thanks for watching and commuting. Mick
Best bow string serving video I've watched yet. I'm a beginner, at best, and have watched possibly 20 videos on the subject so far but this is by far the easiest, straight forward one I've seen. I have a question though, can I make a bow string from silk as it's the only spool of thread I have laying around at the moment? ... well I also have nylon, which would be best for the string and best for serving?
Hi there. Thank you. You can make a string from anything you’ve got - the issue is the strength of the fibres in the chosen material. The only thing I can suggest is testing a single strand for breaking and work from there. Serving could probably be done also with any material; it’s breaking strain is less important, it’s durability is the issue there. Thanks for watching. Mick
Hello, you get the tension more even with a serving tool but tightness you can achieve by hand just as well as with the tool. Thanks for watching. Mick
The only thing I'd suggest here is to drop a single drop of cyanoacrylate glue (super glue) where you cut the tag ends. It isn't traditional maybe but having an end work itself loose on a heavy bow when shooting is not uncommon and a drop of CA virtually eliminates that possibility.
Hello good man. I have a one question. I have a linen cord (made out of 10 small cord lines) Is there possible to make string with this type of cord for a 80lb longbow?? How thick it should be?
You could try but linen strings are not easy to make that can withstand even modest draw weights. It is of course possible but I couldn’t suggest a thickness. Good luck.
You make spinning the serving tool look so simple, but leave me wondering about one detail. How do you keep the serving string progressing up the bowstring so evenly? Is it a lot of practice on your part or are you being helped by the serving tool?
Hi James, it's certainly not practise! I have served very few strings though I am reasonably used to handling string and rope. That said, any apparent proficiency on my part is just the serving tool. After a few goes it starts to get easy. And the spinning bit is all down to careful tensioning of the tool. Too loose and it will just unwind and end up on the floor, too tight and it'll strangle the string. Thanks for watching, Mick
I usually make pvc bows with paracord but this is inspiring me to add some legitimacy to my archery projects by using real bowstring! Question, do you happen to know if the dacron is good for crossbow strings as well? Or is it just for longbow/recurve set ups?
Ho Chris and thanks for watching. Do have a go with wood, far more satisfying and authentic than PVC. Check out this video, I used Dacron B for this crossbow - though it was only a low draw weight. But I'm sure it could be scaled up. Atb, Mick
Rookie question but I just don't really understand, do you do the Flemish twist all the way down the bowstring, or only at the points near the nocks and let the rest just stay together naturally? Thanks
You can do both ways. I twist the bundles loosely along the length and then do the reverse twist at a section each end. But I have made them with F. twist along the entire length. Both ways work. Good luck.
I use Dacron B for bows below 80lbs in draw weight and Fast Flight for bows above 80lbs. Of course some traditional English longbow archers use hemp and linen strings for a more traditional look and feel. For day to day purposes though, I suggest Dacron or Fast Flight. Mick
What great timing! How did you know? ;) (I need a new serving) A question, uh, before watching all of the video: the different serving threads and diameters are confusing, which one did you use for the flemish string? I find some serving threads are more expensive than a whole new string would be...
Thanks. This type seems to be .018"? My shop sells some .025 labeled "for traditional". Eh, sent them an email. In any case, even though I tried serving before (but as decorative bit on an archery related DIY thing), thanks for this reassuring guide!
Hi Frederik - that's a second comment about the music. I appreciate the feedback. I will certainly check out the person you recommend. Thanks for watching. Atb, Mick
Mick Grewcock been watching them on and off for 9 months lol can't wait to start the yew bow but the stave has a ton of knots ,and once I get some goose feathers I will make my arrows,made the fletching jig today as well
This is definitely one of the best (if not the best) serving tutorial I've seen to date. The demonstration you did with the paracord makes this so much clearer and easier to follow than most videos.
You sir, are awesome!
Wow Evan, thank yo use much. Delighted you think it a good video and liked the paracord example. Thanks again. Atb, Mick
Paranoid? It didn't seem very paranoid to me. lol just kidding. You gotta love autocorrect :D
Ha, ha. Didn't spot that! Don't you just love what autocorrect comes up with? Mick
I agree. Straight to the point, explained simply and very easy to follow.
Thank you! Mick
Mike, thanks for the demonstration, easily the clearest I've seen. the use of the cord and contrasting paracord is a masterstroke.
I love how knots and cord work operates, but that reverse wrapping technique for ending the serving was like magic!
Every type of knot created always amazes me at how they came into being. Whoever first thought them up and perfected them to pass on were geniuses. This is a great demonstration. Thanx
You sir are perhaps the best video mentor I have ever seen! I am a Bowyer with 40 years of experience and yet I completely enjoy watching your rendition of “how to” just about anything related to a Bow.
You have a gift sir!!
Thank you Mike, appreciated.
I love humble people. Amazing bud please keep them coming
That huge example was great, everyone else just uses their actual bow strings. Very easy to follow.
Superb demonstration as always, could not be any clearer, your talent is outstanding amongst too many vague and poorly created demo videos. Thank you!
Thank you Peter
I made a PVC bow yesterday for the first time. I woke up this morning totally mystified over how to string it. I've watched your Flemish Twist video and this one and am now very anxious to get home and make my first string. Thanks for the Great lesson.
Hi Phillipe - I've never made a PVC bow before but watched RUclips and saw on being made. Glad my videos have helped - thank you very much for watching and commenting. Atb, Mick
I concur with Evan. The tutorial was logical, very well explained and the demonstration using the oversized material was an excellent way to convey the concepts. Not only was it technically accurate and superior, the use of music and camera angles made it very pleasant to watch. Excellent job Mick !!!
Thank you!
I could watch you work for hours . your skill on different subjects seems to be never ending . good for you !
Thank you David. I've not forgotten your bow!
thanks Mick . you take your time . Expertise cannot be rushed .
When I will retire I will be making bows and catapult slingshots. I love this things. Thanks for your time and patience mate. God bless you and give you strength for more videos.
Good luck. You’ll enjoy the experience!
Hi Jesse! Glad you enjoyed and appreciate you letting me know. I’m thrilled to be a treasure! Thank you. Mick
Nice work Mick !!! 😊😊😊
Simple and precise , just as the flemish string video !!!
Love it , you are a teacher for the archery beginers !!! 😊😊😊
Thanks mate !!!
Cheers Ion, glad you enjoyed! Atb, Mick
Just destroyed every other video on this topic in about 3 mins. Brilliant.
Thank you 🙏
@@MickGrewcock
Mick, thank YOU mate, bow making for me is more than a hobby; it's about legacy and heritage; my son will learn the craft as will his sons/daughters (hopefully). Your videos are the absolute best on YT and I will use them to educate my son because I truly believe you have a gift of teaching, I'm sometimes too intense; too grumpy and lack the patience to teach and I definitely over-complicate the processes; you have an uncanny ability to take something fiddly and complex and are able to not only clearly show how something can be done in a simplified way, but you also honor the tradition and do it calmly and concisely and with a palpable amount of passion. You should write a book; I will happily be your first customer. All the best mate, cheers.
Good video!! Thank you very much dear Mick!!! I have seen many videos and only after watching your video I understood how to make last knot and fix serves bowstrings in the end !!!!!
This is truly the best tutorial ever! Thank you!
Hi Mick. I've come back to this video to refresh my memory as I have to serve a string for a yew bow made by Jake Fenwick which has just arrived in NZ. Thanks once again for posting. Cheers.Keith.
Warbows NZ Lovely to have a bow by Jake. Had a great day with Jake last year. Enjoy your bow! Mick
Sir,
Your tutorial videos are the best I've seen anywhere. You possess a combination of superior production quality and style, immense natural teaching talent, and humorous humility. That trifecta of knowledge sharing is a definitive indication of a good upbringing and a life being well lived. Thank you for sharing your vast wealth of knowledge, and your likeable personality, with the world. Please keep them coming!
Wow, that's a very fulsome and kind comment - much appreciated. I am delighted that you enjoy my videos - they are hard work to film and edit single-handedly but the effort is more than rewarded by feedback such as yours. More on the way plus other videos of things that interest me. Thanks again. Mick
Magnificent Mick! I have just split the serving on my longbow string at the shooting club tonight. Returned home to watch this absolutely wonderful tutorial. I will be replacing the serving on my string while watching you again and again.
Fabulous. I can't wait for your next video.
Crikey, that was timely! Hope you get on with it okay. Doesn't take long to figure it out - in fact it's easier to learn by hand before using the serving tool. Good luck - and thanks for your very kind comment. Atb, Mick
Mick Grewcock Timely, I just couldn't believe my luck when I got home. You were the first thing I watched. You are Brilliant by the way, and deserve way way more subscribers. Cheers and ' keep them coming'.
Thanks for the encouragement - hopefully those subs will come. More stuff on the way! Atb, Mick
Mick Grewcock Mick, I have just this very minute , following your tutorial made a serving for my bowstring for the very first time. It worked perfectly thanks to you!!! Marvellous!
Great stuff, glad that my video was a help for you. Thanks for watching and commenting. Atb, Mick
Thank you, this really helped. Your giant string illustrions made it really easy to see the process.
Great, glad to be of help.
Mike you are a treasure! I have learned more watching a small handful of you videos than from any book I've read or vids I have watched to this point. Your delivery is direct and clear . THANK YOU!
Thank you Jesse!
Indeed Mick, all archers should learn the art of serving. To be frank. I always use a serving jig. Makes life so much easier. And the 'twirly thing' can be very therapeutic.
Flaxen Saxon
What a coincidence, just today my bow string loose this part after some shoots and I had to replace this for other one new because I did´t know how to fix this, but now I know. Thank you so much sire!
david fernández No problem David. Stay well.
brilliant. this is a masterclass in how to teach. thankyou
As someone brand new to the sport, your videos have been incredibly useful and entertaining. Thank you so much!
+Jed Syrenne Well that's very kind of you Jed. Delighted that my amateur wanderings through a fascinating hobby has been of use - and thank you for telling me! Mick
Thank you, Mr. Grewcock! You certainly are clear, concise and easy to learn from! I just learned yet another new skill from you.
Another great and informative video Mick. i made my first string 5 days ago. I had to search for 2 hours on internet how to make one, and you explained it better in 9 min. Greetings from serbia :)
Hello Serbia! Glad that my video helped you. There's more to come - keep watching! Atb, Mick
Now I have made the bow string so next to put on the serving! Thank you.
👍 Well done 👍
Thank you very much sir for this video and for the guide to the flemish twist. So very helpful. Thanks very much.
Hi Chris, delighted that my video was of use to you. Appreciate you letting me know that you enjoyed. Atb, Mick
Thank you Mick! Another great demonstration. Your tips are so helpful and now, I think I can...
Good luck!!
Your voice is soothing and educational A++
Thank you very much! Mick
I truly miss your videos!!
I sure do enjoy your videos. I'm just about new to this whole Archery world
Brilliant, your tutorials as clear explanations excellent , everyone from novice to the expert
should take note on how to's
Thank you for your kind comment! Appreciate that.Thanks fro watching. Atb, Mick
Greetings from WALES, i've watched the vid on flemish twist string, and again and again couldn't put my finger on what didn't quite seem your usual faultless filming, then last night it came to me, now this is in no way criticism i just thought you might have " a spot the deliberate mistake thingy " lol
what is it you may ask ? the ending, really nice shooting your bow with back lighting of the sky, then it hit me your not left handed are you ? the chap shooting in that scene is ? lol,
keep up the excellent work and entertainment which i really enjoy watching, sorry about mentioning the scene ops lol, regards Ian
Hah, you spotted my bit of artistic licence! I reversed that clip to fit the end card on the video - thus allowing me to position the two suggestions for further watching. I hope I'm not in trouble with you 😉 Thanks for all those views!! Atb, Mick
of course not, i'm afraid i have a habit of looking at things just like that in movies, continuity errors some times ,spot it if you can sort of thing , it didn't detract anything from the film, i thought there could have been a reason and it did look effective with the back drop,
i still enjoy watching your films
Great, thank you! On the subject of continuity, you can imagine how hard it can be when you self film. I have to repeat scenes several times and continuity between them is difficult when everything is done on the fly and mostly unscripted. Glad you are still with me! Keep your hat on, I think you have a windy day there in Wales. Atb, Mick
Thank you for the massive bow string and serving this was very helpful. Great video.
Thank you!
Just caught your video, you make the complex look simple. Thank you sir
Thank you Alvin!
Thank you for showing how to do this! Yours looks great! Thanks again.
Thank you Mick. This is really helpful for us beginners. And Happy New Year. =)
Thank you, glad you found it useful. Thanks for the good wishes - I hope you have a great 2017! Atb, Mick
OUTSTANDING!! thank you for your awesome video! Thumbs up! Cheers!
That was a very good video mate thank you for that I will have to watch it again soon to refresh me on how to do it once I make my new string
again a fantastic video Mick.
good job .
Thank you Michael! Atb, Mick
excellent video and a great tutorial. stay safe
Instead of the serving bobbin you can use a fly tying bobbin, they are easier to handle but you have to put the the material on a proper spool, the specific ones on which the fly
tying thread is.
Thanks again to you, Mick. Blessings.
Thank you Alejandro. Glad you enjoyed. Atb, Mick
Thanks again, Mick! This evening I wore through the center serving on my shiny new 60lb longbow string. The nocks on my arrows are a bit tight, totally my fault. The string has less than 500 arrows shot from it so it is like new. I'll be fixing it tomorrow, thanks to your video. All the best, sir! - John
Cheers John!
Great instructional video.
Great video. Thank you Mick.
Great learning experience. Thank You.
Not sure I have seen a vid on the end-lashings on the serving . Nice one Mick , very useful for anyone wanting to have a go and needing to know how to avoid great ugly finishing knots...
Thank you for watching and I appreciate as ever your comments! Happy New Year! Atb, Mick
About the 7:15 minute point in the video, you mention the difficulty of passing the spool over and around the bow string. While you can't get away from this, you can make it a bit easier. After getting the serving to the point where you make that comment, if you use your left thumb to hold the tension on the done part, do as you did to finish the serving. That is, make the loop, but instead of going back through the loop, continue on. I hook my left index finger into the loop to keep it open with a little bit of pressure. Place the spool on the string and rotate it around for say a dozen, temporary turns. I do my servings sitting down with the bow in my lap so I let the the spool drop into my lap, then proceed to continue the wrapping from the temporary turns just done. The above process is repeated until I reach the point to finish the serving off. Depending on the serving material, whether it's twisted threads or braided, the number of temporary turns can be a lot more with braided material.The down side is too many temporary turns using twisted material can take the twists out of material or it balls up.
On another note. The length of the servings I do are about eight cm. These are for traditional Korean horn bows. A serving this short can have the problem of the serving riding up the string leaving open spaces where I nock the arrow. Having more of the material under the serving can help stop this. As a result, I lay about four cm of the material on the string and do my wrapping. Instead of lifting the material's loose tag up after about one cm, I continue to about two cm and, if I'm using twisted material, I separate the threads and keep them pressed to the string. I continue as before finishing off as you have done. Wrapping four cm of material anchors the top of the serving and separating the threads leaves no bulge line down the serving.
I pass along the above for what it's worth. Perhaps nothing or perhaps something. I hope it's clear enough to pass judgement. I can't say it's as clear as Mick's presentation. For that I apologize.
Mick. Without argument, or debate, your channel is the best one on youtube. I despair at some of the content that is there. Yours restores my faith that quality means something.
To Mick I say say thank you for creating something good and sharing it with us.
To everyone here: As I say to my fellow archers at my archery club, "Best and many hits."
Hi David, that's really useful - especially for the viewers of this channel. I am only a novice so it's great to have input from those with greater experience. Thank you! Next time I make a string and serve it I shall have a go at your method. Thank you also for your kind words. Mick
Thanks, very instructive.
thsnk you for a very useful and informative video...Subscribed!
--Rick
Thank you Rick, appreciate your comment and letting me know you found my video useful. Thanks for the sub too. Atb, Mick
Mick you lovely man, that background music do not do you justice. Its far to disturbing, when your voice is so calm and gentle. Great Video as always, to calm my stressed out heart :)
Oh dear, sorry that you found the music invasive! Always a challenge whether to include music or not - maybe the wrong choice this time? Anyway, if it calmed you overall I guess most of it was okay! Thanks for your comment and for watching - appreciated. Atb, Mick
well, I never knew how the center serving was done, i do now, thanks for that by the way :) I do believe its just the music choice, I've never had any problems with any of your other videos music before, and frankly, its very subjective as to what music befits different people :) guess its was just my 2 cents. I do like your videos, its inspired me to go make my own bows, got 3 ash staves drying right now, got them from the local Forrest in Denmark :)
Thank you for all your work, and happy new year :)
Okay, got it - music generally okay, I just made a bad choice this time! Glad that I have helped you along the way toward making your own bows - will you make a video of you making up your ash staves? That would be great. Thanks for the good wishes. Happy New Year to you too. Atb, Mick
you really like your long bow ha... i'm a compound guy myself but anything archery is awesome =) Thanks for vid
Yes, guilty as charged! Can’t help it. But we are all in this archery thing together ;-) Thanks for watching!
Excellent! I usually measure 3"" above the nocking point and 5 " below for Longbow strings and some guidance on where this goes would be useful for beginners.
Thank you Michael. But I've been criticised for wrapping 8" of serving, some say way too long! Anyway appreciate your comment -useful. Mick
Great video! Would also be useful to talk about how to adjust serving diameter to match your nock of choice (e.g., incorporating more string strands below serving and different diameter serving thread). Thanks!
Thanks, going to share this with some Boy Scouts soon.
Thanks, hope useful! Mick
First of all sorry if i make mistakes because I don't speak native English but the central serve doesn't protect the string from vibration, it protects the string from friction, dacron b50, fastflight plus, formula 8125, etc are stress resistant but they are not resistant to friction.
Outstanding well done
Thank you Lee
Thank you Mick. I'm in my 60's now and (I'm almost ashamed to admit) I've never made a bowstring or attempted a serving!
Having watched both the string and serving videos of yours I'm about to have a bash. You're an excellent tutor! I'm off to Merlin Archery in Loughborough tomorrow to buy some materials.
I've got a Bickerstaffe longbow at 55 pounds. A 75 lb Irondale and a 100 lb Irondale triple laminate longbow.
Is dacron OK with these? There are so many string materials and I don't want to take any chances with my precious bows. Does the choice of string material dictate the type of serving string?
Your shed setup looks a dream and your bow does look like both my Irondale bows too .... although I suspect you did make yours.
Thanks for your superb videos.
We sound very similar! Glad you got something from my videos, and good luck with your first go - you'll do fine! I am not far from Loughborough and get some of my materials from them. I have two Irondale bows but I bought just the laminated staves and made up the bows myself, there are two videos of me doing my first laminate - a 40lb longbow. Next I did an Irondale 86lb from one of their staves. I find Dacron B okay for bows up to 80lbs but it does stretch on first stringing - and stretch a lot. (Watch my warbow videos to see a Dacron string just stretch and stretch). But then it settles down and is fine. I have used Fast Flight on my 80lb hazel and 100lb yew and it hardly stretches - but some say that these strings are not forgiving enough for traditional bows. I don't really have enough experience to judge that. What I have found is that Dacron B not only stretches but doesn't hold a bowyer's knot at the higher poundages - it slips undone (it does on Fast Flight too). I've solved this by adding an extra turn on the bowyer's knot. When you make the knot (if you want to do it that way) make the loop, then pass the free end through it twice before bending it back to do the turns around the loop. Difficult to explain! That holds on my 100lb yew. I have just one serving material, the one shown in the video which I bought from Merlin. If there are others that are more appropriate, then I don't know about them. I think you'd be okay with Dacron B for all your bows if either you make them as a continuous loop (for the heavier bows) or single loop with a modified bowyer's knot, allow the string to stretch and then you should be fine. Good luck and thanks for watching. Mick
Thank you so much Mick. Do you shoot with The Shire Bowmen by any chance?
Cheers for your advice.
Hello, no I shoot longbows alone - though I have just become a member of an NFAS target club locally to give 3D shooting a bash with an American flat bow.
Hi Mick,
Have a look at The Shire Bowmen site. Almost all English longbows on a roving shoot. Once a month on Sundays at local venues such as Prestwold Hall, Stamford Hall, Watton Gardens. Great fun and a great group too. Lots of photos on their site ... an awful lot from me.
Cheers
Lewis
Hi Lewis, I'm off there for a look - than you. Mick
Thanks for a good job well done...
Best video ever. 👍👍👍👍
Wayne Mctaggart Thank you Wayne
Excellent.
Very nice tutorial. Easy to follow. Im trying to do this on the cheap so I'll be using my two hands.
When were the shots at the end taken? It's not shorts and t-shirts weather here.
HI there Erik. All was filmed two days ago except a few shots - the ones at the end were filmed late May. Yep, it's darn cold here just now! Thanks for watching and commuting. Mick
Thanks really good vid
Best bow string serving video I've watched yet. I'm a beginner, at best, and have watched possibly 20 videos on the subject so far but this is by far the easiest, straight forward one I've seen.
I have a question though, can I make a bow string from silk as it's the only spool of thread I have laying around at the moment? ... well I also have nylon, which would be best for the string and best for serving?
Hi there. Thank you. You can make a string from anything you’ve got - the issue is the strength of the fibres in the chosen material. The only thing I can suggest is testing a single strand for breaking and work from there. Serving could probably be done also with any material; it’s breaking strain is less important, it’s durability is the issue there. Thanks for watching. Mick
Thank you.
Excellent work mic! Do your servings get tighter with the serving tool?
Hello, you get the tension more even with a serving tool but tightness you can achieve by hand just as well as with the tool. Thanks for watching. Mick
The only thing I'd suggest here is to drop a single drop of cyanoacrylate glue (super glue) where you cut the tag ends. It isn't traditional maybe but having an end work itself loose on a heavy bow when shooting is not uncommon and a drop of CA virtually eliminates that possibility.
Hi there, yes I've done that on a few servings - you are right, it works well. Thank you. Mick
Hello good man. I have a one question. I have a linen cord (made out of 10 small cord lines) Is there possible to make string with this type of cord for a 80lb longbow?? How thick it should be?
You could try but linen strings are not easy to make that can withstand even modest draw weights. It is of course possible but I couldn’t suggest a thickness. Good luck.
You make spinning the serving tool look so simple, but leave me wondering about one detail. How do you keep the serving string progressing up the bowstring so evenly? Is it a lot of practice on your part or are you being helped by the serving tool?
Hi James, it's certainly not practise! I have served very few strings though I am reasonably used to handling string and rope. That said, any apparent proficiency on my part is just the serving tool. After a few goes it starts to get easy. And the spinning bit is all down to careful tensioning of the tool. Too loose and it will just unwind and end up on the floor, too tight and it'll strangle the string. Thanks for watching, Mick
That's going to fun with arthritic hands- can't you cut a generous amount of serving material off the spool?
Is it possible to use a primitive material to serve with?
can you do a video where you can see how far your bow shoots?
Hi there! Yes I can do that - but it will be later in the year. Keep watching. Atb, Mick
I usually make pvc bows with paracord but this is inspiring me to add some legitimacy to my archery projects by using real bowstring! Question, do you happen to know if the dacron is good for crossbow strings as well? Or is it just for longbow/recurve set ups?
Ho Chris and thanks for watching. Do have a go with wood, far more satisfying and authentic than PVC. Check out this video, I used Dacron B for this crossbow - though it was only a low draw weight. But I'm sure it could be scaled up. Atb, Mick
at my cousins we can make strings from squirrel rawhides do u thing that you could possibly do it?
Hi Gary, I've never done that - but I have lots of pesky squirrels in our wood!
Rookie question but I just don't really understand, do you do the Flemish twist all the way down the bowstring, or only at the points near the nocks and let the rest just stay together naturally? Thanks
You can do both ways. I twist the bundles loosely along the length and then do the reverse twist at a section each end. But I have made them with F. twist along the entire length. Both ways work. Good luck.
Man u'r amazing
Thank you sir Mick its very useful for me .I wanna ask a querry too. Whats is the material can we use for string?
I use Dacron B for bows below 80lbs in draw weight and Fast Flight for bows above 80lbs. Of course some traditional English longbow archers use hemp and linen strings for a more traditional look and feel. For day to day purposes though, I suggest Dacron or Fast Flight. Mick
Can a Flemish twist bow string be braided from one end to the other? Is there any reason why it couldn't?
Yes it can be countertwisted along its entire length.
quality vids
Thank you!
Can you make a 45 lb draw weight recurve bow
Hello, I am mainly interested in English longbows so I'm afraid that I am unlikely to make a recurve bow in the near future. Atb, Mick
What great timing! How did you know? ;) (I need a new serving)
A question, uh, before watching all of the video: the different serving threads and diameters are confusing, which one did you use for the flemish string? I find some serving threads are more expensive than a whole new string would be...
Hi, I used BCY2S made by Brownell - I am not sure about other threads but this is the one I used on the Flemish twist. Hope that helps. Mick
Thanks. This type seems to be .018"? My shop sells some .025 labeled "for traditional". Eh, sent them an email. In any case, even though I tried serving before (but as decorative bit on an archery related DIY thing), thanks for this reassuring guide!
No worries, good luck! Mick
great
AvidHunter Thank you! Mick
If you don't want to make a string can you use paracord
+Mc poop nuggets I did that on my very first bow!! 👍
Hi, my name is Mike Glasscock and I send my condolences
Also nice video!
🤣
Hi mick! Just a suggestion on music choice: use some cool medieval or celtic music check out: adrian von ziegler! :)
Hi Frederik - that's a second comment about the music. I appreciate the feedback. I will certainly check out the person you recommend. Thanks for watching. Atb, Mick
Thanks Frederik!
What is the song?
It's called Deep Hat and is available on RUclips Create and is a 'vibe' track. Atb, Mick
Mick Grewcock Thank you and I just want to say I'm a new subscriber as of this morning... your videos are very informative and simple.
True Survival Thanks for the sub! Mick
Make a hunting video Mick I would love to watch you hunt =3 -james
Not allowed to hunt with a bow in the UK! Mick
But um your allowed to use guns to hunt in UK right? -james
Yes, we can shoot with rifle and shotgun. Mick
I'd Love To Watch You Hunt With A Rifle But Um Do You Have A Rifle?
oh and um why cant you hunt with bows and why do u have bows -james/pacific
im here after watching a guy who used horse hair as guitar strings. made them with the Flemish twist technique
You're my father now
Guess what I am doing lol
Ha! You are a one-man view-booster for my videos!!!
Mick Grewcock been watching them on and off for 9 months lol can't wait to start the yew bow but the stave has a ton of knots ,and once I get some goose feathers I will make my arrows,made the fletching jig today as well
CrazyCressy7 you’ve been busy! Hope arrows goes well.
boyfriend music
I will be calling you can I have your number? Seriously I have questions from kiddos
Any questions can be asked where, no problem.
not bad for a novice........dont ever become a teacher ;)
I won't, I promise!