Slinging.org Forum - "A sling of well twisted..." linen

Caldou

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"A sling of well twisted..." linen
Jul 30^th, 2014 at 1:29am

Not so long ago, I was told that since we don't have any evidence of braiding from continental celts for the last century before The Crucified, my slings with their braided cords weren't really showable to the public (but still good enough to nail the romans attacking the village).

So, with Homer's quote about slings made of well twisted wool, I plan to make a full twisted sling (well, with a mexican pouch ^^ ) in flax string since I have those in far greater quantity than wool.
I will try to make pictures.

Apart from King Tut's sling, do we have example of non braided slings ? Braids from my perdiod would make me pretty happy too Tongue

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Thearos Interfector Viris Spurii Offline Take that Posts: 3410	Re: "A sling of well twisted..." linen Reply #1 - Jul 30^th, 2014 at 3:34am Note that the Rhodians with Xenophon braid (plekein) their slings ca. 400 BC Homer's Lokrians (Iliad 13.716) have "well-twisted wool"-- could be braids ?
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squirrelslinger

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Re: "A sling of well twisted..." linen
Reply #2 - Jul 30^th, 2014 at 9:53pm

buy some cheap polyester "wool" yarn.
I find wool to have very different stretch and stiffness than linen. Regardless of how it is constructed.
I think that may throw off your results(bad pun).
A well done 5 strand and up braid is quite similar to two intertwined ropes. They would look almost the same, and have similar structures.
I can see them being mistaken.
Also, tightly twisted wool is siginifigantly less elastic than moderately tight braided wool with a braid of 5-10 strands.

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Caldou

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Re: "A sling of well twisted..." linen
Reply #3 - Jul 31^st, 2014 at 2:17am

squirrelslinger wrote on Jul 30^th, 2014 at 9:53pm:

buy some cheap polyester "wool" yarn.

Well, it's sad that I don't reenact the Polyester Age, I would have been more than happy to use the GF's knitting stock :p
But since I guess your last sentence is valid for whatever material, I will have to try and test it on the field ^^

Thearos wrote on Jul 30^th, 2014 at 3:34am:

Homer's Lokrians (Iliad 13.716) have "well-twisted wool"-- could be braids ?

It could be that he meant they didn't use unprocessed fibers to braid but something that was manufactured in an already long process so the quality is higher.
But my process is also a wink to people telling me to use tablet-woven (or the simpler-one-that-I-keep-forgetting-the-english-word-that-use-a-grid/comb) for my slings. Yes, I am this kind of irritating guy Grin

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squirrelslinger

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Re: "A sling of well twisted..." linen
Reply #4 - Jul 31^st, 2014 at 11:55am

you don't have to use the polyester sling on the field!
Do you ever eat modern food?
anyway, my sentence is not valid for all materials. It depends entirely on stretch percentages before breaking.
wool is extremely elastic.

BTW any decent knitting shop sells raw wool(well, it has been washed) in the US. But your not in the US...

polyester "wool" yarn has very similar mechanical and physical properties to wool yarn except performance in high heat conditions. Even wet they are the same.
But braided alpaca wool is unmatchable for softness.

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“Insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results.”
"You don't think the electricity is off. You check it 3 times to make SURE its off"
"Remember, this is not a scalpel. It is a steel wedge that you will be slamming into knotty wood. Hone accordingly."

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Thearos Interfector Viris Spurii Offline Take that Posts: 3410	Re: "A sling of well twisted..." linen Reply #5 - Jul 31^st, 2014 at 4:44pm I tried to braid polyester wool and it was horrible.
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Thearos Interfector Viris Spurii Offline Take that Posts: 3410	Re: "A sling of well twisted..." linen Reply #6 - Aug 13^th, 2014 at 7:54am See my separate post for linen / flax being historical material for slings.
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Caldou

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Re: "A sling of well twisted..." linen
Reply #7 - Aug 21^st, 2014 at 1:59pm

squirrelslinger wrote on Jul 31^st, 2014 at 11:55am:

you don't have to use the polyester sling on the field!

I needed a sling especially for when I'm on the field, elsewhen I can use my normal braided slings

squirrelslinger wrote on Jul 31^st, 2014 at 11:55am:

BTW any decent knitting shop sells raw wool(well, it has been washed) in the US. But your not in the US...

Those shop currently sell cotton yarn, for the summer

We don't have much spinners or felters here

squirrelslinger wrote on Jul 31^st, 2014 at 11:55am:

polyester "wool" yarn has very similar mechanical and physical properties to wool yarn except performance in high heat conditions

That's why it's a bad idea when you are next to an open fire ^^

Thearos wrote on Aug 13^th, 2014 at 7:54am:

See my separate post for linen / flax being historical material for slings.

Seen it, read confirmation of the possibility of linen, went with it ^^

So here is what I now show to people when dressed as a Gaul :

The Mexitut ! I tried to shape the pouch weaving, but it wasn't symetrical, so I ripped it apart and made a mexican pouch, with cords twisted as for the King Tut's sling.

At first, I made it a bit too long :

and pouchless

Since the part too long was the part where i added some strings and wool bits, I undid it and spliced it back to make a loop for the cracker and a "grip zone" (no picture yet)

It's a bit too short for my liking, but it's still a good sling

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Thearos Interfector Viris Spurii Offline Take that Posts: 3410	Re: "A sling of well twisted..." linen Reply #8 - Aug 22^nd, 2014 at 6:55am A Gaul might sling big round stones-- or clay bullets ! Which period do you represent ? Early or late La Tène ?
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Caldou Funditor Offline Moving the world... rock by rock. Posts: 779 Picardie, France	Re: "A sling of well twisted..." linen Reply #9 - Aug 22^nd, 2014 at 1:35pm Very late La Tène, IE during the Conquest. And I have both, big stones and clay bullets
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Thearos Interfector Viris Spurii Offline Take that Posts: 3410	Re: "A sling of well twisted..." linen Reply #10 - Aug 22^nd, 2014 at 5:40pm There is what looks like a woven pouch from Lake Neuchatel (Cortaillod)-- but it's Neolithic. Ah, a slinger of Vercingetorix !
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Thearos Interfector Viris Spurii Offline Take that Posts: 3410	Re: "A sling of well twisted..." linen Reply #11 - Aug 24^th, 2014 at 4:54pm Yo Caldou, look at my thread on "linen and wool" (in Vegetius). I ask the question: why would a wool (or goat hair, or horsehair) matted sling be better than a braided linen one ?
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